For admission to the Cycle III of Theology leading to Doctorate in Theology (D.Th.), the applicant must hold a canonically valid Master’s Degree/Licentiate Degree in Theology (L.Th.) or its equivalent in the field of his/her doctoral research with at least a high first class. The mode of commutation of any of the requirements for Doctorate with the courses one has done in another ecclesiastical Faculty/Institute/University shall be determined by the Faculty Council, taking into consideration the merits of each case.

The Academic Council shall also decide the equivalence of a Degree with a Degree from the Theology Faculty of this Pontifical Institute. The Facuty Council has the right to demand from such students to attend the entire or part of the Second Cycle (LTh) with corresponding examinations, if it finds necessary for admission to the Doctorate.

Admission is open to all who have the proper qualifications. The candidates shall be introduced and recommended by his/her Major Superior/Ordinary or a competent person acceptable to the Institute. Admissions shall be given only at the beginning of each semester, i.e., in June and October.

True copies of the certificate and marks sheet of the previous academic Degrees are to be submitted. A testimonial letter from the Dean of the Faculty / Director of Doctoral studies where the student completed the Master’s Degree is to be submitted.

The candidate should do a minimum number of courses (at least 2) in the first year of the Third Cycle. These courses are intended to facilitate the doctoral research of the candidate. The course can assume varied form such as lectures, seminars, tutorial courses, assignments, suggested readings, discussions etc. followed by a written or oral evaluation.

The students are required to devote at least three years (six semesters) to their research work, which may be extended up to five years. The Academic Council may grant further extension after examining the merits of each case. If the research is not over on completion of the granted period of time, the student has no right to continue as a student of the Doctorate programme.

The students are expected to spend normally the first three years of the Doctorate in regular contact with the Institute. During this cycle, the students will carry out research on some particular topic that will contribute to scientific progress of Sacred Sciences and allied disciplines, especially in the areas of Systematic Theology, Spiritual Theology, Biblical Theology and Pastoral Theology and Counselling

The Director of the Doctoral research shall be one of the Teachers of the Faculty, including professors emeriti, in consultation with the Director of Doctoral Programme. If the candidate chooses the Director from another Faculty, he/she is to be approved by the Academic Council.

1. Candidates for the Doctor’s Programme will be required to have at least a reading knowledge of classical languages such as Hebrew, Greek, Syriac and Latin as may be required by the nature of the research, and also working knowledge of modern European languages, besides English, according to the area of research undertaken. The ancient and modern language requirement will be fixed by the Director of the Dissertation according to the area of specialization.

2. The research programme under the guidance of the Director of the Doctoral Dissertation during the first two semesters shall be the following:
a. Those who did L.Th. in the Pontifical Institute must do two faculty seminars in which the members of the Faculty and the students of the L.Th. and Doctoral course are present. A summary of the seminar and some points for discussion are to be made available to the participants of the seminar: members of the Faculty, Doctoral Course candidates and L.Th. students.
b. Those who have completed L.Th. elsewhere should do two tutorials or present two research papers not directly related to the topic of the doctoral research which may be directed by the Guide of the candidate or by any teacher of the Faculty approved by the Director of Doctoral programme.
c. The student for Doctorate may be asked by the Faculty to conduct a class of an hour before a panel of teachers on a topic related to his line of specialization, given to him 24 hours before the scheduled time of the class.
d. The candidate shall meet his/her Director regularly and discuss the progress of the research.
e. The Director of the Doctoral Course is expected to present an annual report of the performance of the candidate to the Faculty Council.
f. After having completed all other requirements the candidate shall present a Research proposal to a panel of three examiners (including the director) appointed by the Director of Doctoral programme approved by the Faculty Council. Four copies of the Research Proposal have to be presented to the Faculty office.

The objective of the Dissertation, its length, time-duration, and other relevant points pertaining to this period of research are as follows:
1. The Dissertation must lead to the progress of theology or of allied sciences. It must thus imply the discovery of new facts, or new correlation of facts, or a new interpretation of facts, or new solutions to problems, or a new interpretation of theological doctrines, or a new understanding of earlier theologians of genuine importance.
2. The scheme of the topic of the Dissertation has to be approved by the Director of the Dissertation and a body of professors appointed by the Faculty Council.
3. The minimum number of pages for the Dissertation shall be 250 in patent size excluding footnotes and bibliography.
4. The Dissertation must be evaluated and approved by the Director and two other teachers of the Faculty appointed by the Faculty Council before it is admitted for public defence.
5. It must be publicly defended before the college of teachers of the Faculty. The public defence will last at least one and a half hour, before a board of three examiners who will be the Director and two Readers. The panel shall be chaired by the President. Four hard copies as well as one soft copy of the Dissertation shall be submitted to the Registrar of the Institute at least two months before the date of defence.
6. The panel of examiners may include competent teachers from the Institute and teachers from other ecclesiastical Faculties in India and abroad.
7. If the panel of examiners is divided on giving a favourable award, a second session may be arranged after six months, and the decision arrived by them shall be final.
8. The Degree of Doctor will be conferred when the Dissertation or at least a significant part of it has been published and the required number of copies given to the Institute.

90-100 % – High Distinction (Summa cum laude)
80-89 % – Distinction (Magna cum laude)
70-79 % – First Class (cum Laude)
60-69 % – Second Class (Pass with Bene Probatus)

The grade is determined taking into consideration the aggregate of the marks obtained from the Seminars, Courses and Dissertation in the following proportions:
Research papers, Seminars and other courses: 20%
Written Dissertation: 60%
Public Defence: 20%

Besides the annual fees the candidates shall pay special fees for the Dissertation Approval, for the Public Defence and Submission of the corrected manuscripts. In case of reregistration of doctoral students after the stipulated period, a re-registration fee will be charged.