The Ecclesiastical Faculties, an integral part of the University of Santo Tomas, consist of the following: • Faculty of Sacred Theology • Faculty of Philosophy • Faculty of Canon Law The three Ecclesiastical Faculties are organically independent of one another, each one having its own governing body, faculty staff, and students, as well as their particular academic courses and programs.
Faculty of Sacred Theology Established in 1611, the purpose of the Faculty of Sacred Theology is to teach and conduct research on the truths of salvation revealed by God, preserved and taught by the Catholic Church, and lived, in union with the Universal Church, by the Christians in the
Philippines and the Southeast Asia. It is tasked with the formation of the clergy and of the faithful at the level required for the certification of academic degrees conferred under the authority of the
Holy See. It likewise aims to have a continued close collaboration with the
Church Hierarchy, particularly with regard to the scientific analysis of the issues and problems of the times and their theological discernment from Christian faith, directed to integral Christian praxis. The Faculty of Sacred Theology is as old as the university itself, since the primary purpose of the
Dominican Fathers in founding this institution of learning was to train from among the young men who flocked to their lecture rooms worthy ministers of the altar. In 1927, when the Central Seminary was to be established directly under the Sacred Congregation on Seminaries and Universities, and the University Administration, a complete separation of religious and lay students was brought about, according to the wishes of the Church, two courses had to be established: • Ecclesiastical, subject to the laws of the Church; and • Civil, subject to Philippine state legislation. For this reason, the Faculty of Philosophy was established in the Central Seminary. This was intended to enable the students to undertake the study of Sacred Theology more profitably later on. ==Degree programs==