For those who have finished a first cycle in theology. You hold the STB, the Magister theologiae, or an equivalent first-cycle degree, and you are ready to move from mastering the tradition to working within it as a scholar.
Licentiate in Sacred Theology
A two-year pontifical second-cycle degree that trains students to research, teach, and take part in theological debate as scholars in their own right.
From study to scholarship.
The STL forms students to move from receiving theology to contributing to it. After a first cycle spent learning the tradition, you now take up sustained research, write a thesis, and defend it in public before faculty and peers. Within the living tradition of the Church, you learn to hold a limited but significant question with rigor and care, and to speak in the theological conversation as a scholar in your own right.
Quick Facts
- Degree Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL)
- Duration 2 years · six trimesters
- Credits 114 ECTS: 72 in courses and tutorials, 42 for the thesis, plus 6 for the lectio coram
- Language English · Latin, Greek, and one modern language in addition to your native language required
- Location Schlossgasse 21, 2521 Trumau, Austria · Open in Maps
- Format Full-time residential second-cycle program with coursework, tutorials, and a supervised thesis
- Start Autumn trimester
- Admission Completion of the STB / Mag. theol., or theological studies at least equivalent to the first cycle of pontifical theological studies.
Program Essence
What this second cycle is made of.
The Licentiate in Sacred Theology is the pontifical second cycle: advanced seminars and tutorials across the theological disciplines, chosen with an adviser and gathered toward a specialization.
At its center stands sustained research. A thesis on a limited but significant question, written under supervision, shows genuine training in method and a real contribution to the field.
The degree is completed in public. Before faculty and students you deliver the lectio coram and defend your thesis, entering the theological conversation as a scholar within the Church's tradition.
Who This Is For
For those ready to research and teach.
For those who want to do real research. You want to take up a limited but significant question, pursue it with method under supervision, and make a genuine contribution through a written thesis and its public defense.
For those preparing to teach and to continue. You are looking toward teaching theology in a seminary or an equivalent setting, and toward the doctoral STD, with the STL as the necessary second step on that path.
Curriculum
Coursework, research, and defense.
The STL program curriculum joins three movements: advanced coursework and tutorials across the theological disciplines, a supervised master's thesis, and a public lectio coram with the defense of the thesis.
Coursework & Tutorials · 72 ECTS
- Advanced seminars across the theological disciplines
- Tutorials guided by your adviser
- Study spread over six trimesters
- Courses chosen toward a specialization
- Research method and scholarly writing
- Reading of primary sources in the tradition
Master's Thesis · 42 ECTS
- A thesis of about 90 pages
- Written under the supervision of an adviser
- A limited but significant question
- Evidence of training in research
- A real contribution to the field
- Written in English, German, or another agreed language
Lectio Coram · 6 ECTS
- A 45-minute lecture before faculty and students
- Followed by 45 minutes of discussion and questions
- Public defense of the thesis
- Delivered as a scholar in your own right
- The concluding act of the second cycle
How You Learn
Seminars, tutorials, and supervised research.
The second cycle is shaped by advanced seminars, close work with an adviser, and the discipline of research. Students hold a limited but significant problem and pursue it with method toward a written thesis.
- Advanced seminars deepen and extend the theological disciplines.
- Tutorials with an adviser shape a chosen specialization.
- A limited but significant research problem is held with rigor.
- A thesis of about 90 pages is written under supervision.
- The lectio coram and the public defense complete the degree.
Catholic Formation
Research within the Church's tradition.
Scholarship at ITI is never pursued in isolation from the life of faith. “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32), and the STL therefore places research within a larger way of life: sacramental life, shared prayer, meals, friendship, and the daily discipline of community in Trumau.
Students work in an international Catholic environment where the theologian's task is understood as service to the Church. Advanced study, worship, and vocation are held together, so that the scholar is formed alongside the argument.
Practical Details
What applicants need to know.
- Prerequisite Completion of the STB or the Magister theologiae, or theological studies at least equivalent to the first cycle of pontifical theological studies.
- English English is the principal language of instruction. Applicants who have not completed at least two years in an English-speaking environment or at a school with English as the main language of instruction must submit a standardized test score, such as TOEFL iBT 75 or equivalent.
- Languages Latin, Greek, and one modern language in addition to your native language are required. These languages support the reading of sources and scholarship that the second cycle demands.
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Degree
Sacrae Theologiae Licentiatus (STL), the pontifical second cycle.
- Thesis About 90 pages with a public defense; plus the lectio coram, a 45-minute lecture and 45 minutes of discussion before faculty and students.
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Documents
Use these for exact requirements, course descriptions, policies, and current academic regulations.
Costs and Aid
Tuition, living costs, and financial aid.
Yearly cost estimate
Tuition
12 000 €
Regular tuition is 25 000 €. Every accepted student automatically receives the Standard ITI Scholarship.
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Total21 510 € 1 793 € / month
Financial aid
- Standard ITI scholarship: Every accepted student receives the standard ITI scholarship, which reduces annual tuition from 25 000 € to 12 000 €.
- Room stipends: ITI may offer additional help in particular cases, including room stipends tied to service on campus.
- 50% tuition reduction for a spouse: When both spouses are studying at ITI, the second spouse may receive a 50 percent tuition reduction, along with other possible tuition reductions in particular cases.
- Private loans: US private loans are available through Sallie Mae. US federal loans are not available for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
Community service
All students are expected to contribute two hours of service per week for the upkeep of chapel, living areas, library, and other common spaces. This is part of the shared life of the university, not an optional extra.
Admissions
Everything you need to apply.
For most applicants, the best order is simple: gather your documents, ask for recommendations early, complete the online application, and then follow through quickly on language or visa requirements if they apply to you.
Your application checklist
Use this as a working list while you prepare your application.
- Deadline The regular application deadline is July 1. Do not wait until the last week to request transcripts or recommendations.
- English If you have not completed at least two years in an English-speaking environment or at a school with English as the main language of instruction, prepare a standardized English test. The handbook lists TOEFL iBT 75 or equivalent.
- Visa If you need a visa or residence permit, start early. ITI advises submitting residence permit materials before March 1, since the process can take up to six months.
After the STL
Toward the doctorate, the classroom, and the Church.
The STL is the completed second cycle of pontifical theological studies. It certifies genuine training in research and opens the paths that belong to a scholar of theology within the life of the Church.
Continue into the doctorate. The STL is the necessary step before the third cycle, and graduates are prepared to continue into the doctoral STD and its dissertation.
Teach theology. The degree qualifies its holders to teach theology in a seminary or an equivalent institution, and to guide others in the disciplines they have studied in depth.
Take up scholarship. Graduates carry their research further through writing, publication, and participation in the wider theological conversation.
Serve in ministry. The formation is brought back into the Church, wherever priests, religious, and lay theologians are called to serve with theological depth.
Alumni Voice
What these years become in a life.
“I came to ITI knowing theology. I left knowing how to do it.”
When I began the STL, I had already finished my first cycle and thought the hard work was behind me. What I found instead was a different kind of demand: to take one limited question, live with it for two years, and be answerable for every claim I made about it. The seminars sharpened me, but it was the tutorials with my adviser that taught me what research really asks of a person.
Writing the thesis changed the way I read everything. Ninety pages sounds small until you try to say something true and new on a single question within the tradition. Preparing the lectio coram, standing before faculty and students to lecture and then defend what I had written, was the moment I first felt like a theologian rather than a student of theology.
I am more grateful for those years than I can easily say. The STL gave me the method I now rely on, the confidence to teach, and the foundation I am building on in my doctoral work. If you are discerning this path: come and see. The work is serious, and it will form you.
FAQ
Questions applicants usually ask.
Do I need a prior theology degree?
Yes. The STL is a second-cycle degree, so admission requires completion of the STB or the Magister theologiae, or theological studies at least equivalent to the first cycle of pontifical theological studies.
How long is the thesis?
The master's thesis is about 90 pages. It is written under supervision on a limited but significant question and concludes with a public defense.
What is the lectio coram?
The lectio coram is a public lecture of 45 minutes followed by 45 minutes of discussion and questions before faculty and students, held alongside the defense of the thesis.
Can I continue to a doctorate?
Yes. The STL is the necessary step before the third cycle and prepares students to continue into the doctoral STD.
Take the next step
Apply now
If you are ready for an education where study, prayer, and community belong together, apply now. If you are still discerning, plan a visit and experience ITI in person.