MAPS Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Concentration Details

Receiving Graduate Credit for Catechesis Formation Coursework:
Standards, Policies, and Fees

Graduate Standards
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd formation courses are offered internationally in a variety of formats in a diversity of settings. In order to receive graduate credit for a formation course, the following requirements must be met:

The structure of the course conforms to the standards of the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (90-100 instructional hours plus 40 hours of observation in Montessori or atrium environment)
At least one member of the formation team leading the course is recognized as a formation leader by the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
At least one member of the formation team leading the course holds a master's degree in theology, ministry or education
The student completes a first draft of a personal album (in contrast to a group album)

Once students are accepted into Aquinas Institute's MAPS-CGS program, it is expected that any formation courses that they take from that point forward will need to meet these standards in order to be placed on the student's transcript.

"Advanced Standing"
In some cases, applicants to the MAPS-CGS program will have completed one or more levels of Catechesis training before beginning study at Aquinas Institute. Provided that the formation courses met for the 90-100 hours that are expected by the National Association, these courses could be considered to be awarded graduate credit. In this situation, the student would need to meet with the MAPS-C.G.S. program director at Aquinas Institute and arrange to have her/his personal albums read and evaluated by a currently recognized formation leader who holds a masters degree in theology or ministry. Students will be asked to pay a standard fee of $300 to Aquinas Institute in these situations to help cover a stipend to the reader and administrative costs.

Aquinas Institute is able to offer this arrangement through the Association of Theological Schools Accreditation Standard M.3.1 on "Shared Credit in Degree Programs."

Process for Having Previous Formation Coursework Awarded Credit

After you have completed the Pro-seminar at Introduction to Theology at Aquinas, re-read your personal album/s and revise as needed. You may work on one album at a time or all three at once.
Submit a hard copy of your album to the Director of the MAPS-CGS program along with a copy of your certificate for this level, if available, and "previous CGS coursework" coversheet (available from the Director).
Director of MAPS-CGS will personally scan your album and let you know whether it is ready to be read at this point. (This scan is designed to keep you from needing to pay for a reader more than once per album.) If accepted, Director will fill out registration form with you to send to registrar's office and begin process of getting the course onto your transcript. You will be billed $300* at this point.
Director of MAPS-CGS will give you the name and address of an assigned reader for you to send your album to, along with a "reader" coversheet. When sending the album to your reader, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelop. Your reader has two months to make comments on the album.
By the end of these two months, the reader will return the album to you and send the "reader" coversheet to the Director of MAPS-CGS with a grade of either "pass" or "needs substantial revision." Upon receipt of this coversheet from the reader, the Director will submit the grade to the registrar to be recorded onto your transcript and will send the reader a stipend for her/his services.

*Fees will remain fixed for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years. While not anticipated, fees are subject to change over time.

Process for Having New Formation Coursework Awarded Credit

When you see a formation course offered that you would like to take, complete the "new CGS coursework" coversheet (available from the Director). The Director will check to make sure the course meets the above graduate standards and, if so, will sign off on the form and place it in your advising file.
When you finish the CGS formation course and have completed the personal album, contact the Director of MAPS-CGS to let her know whether one of your course formation leaders will be reading your album or if another graduate reader needs to be retained. Once a decision is reached, the Director and student will fill out the registration form to send to the registrar's office and a second coversheet to send with the album to the reader. The student will be billed $300* at this point.
When the personal album has been checked, the reader (or where helpful, the student) will submit a hard copy of her/his album; the reader's coversheet with final grade of "pass" or "needs substantial revision"; and a copy of the formation course certificate to the Director of MAPS-CGS. (The hard copy and certificate will be returned to the student.)
The Director will submit the final grade to the registrar to be recorded on transcript and the will send the reader a stipend for her/his services.