FAQs

Saint Thomas Seminary is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Higher Education to offer 4.5 undergraduate credits for each year-long course of study in NECBS (NECBS 100, 200, 300 and 400). Students who register as “for-credit” students and who fulfill all the requirements of the accredited program will acquire 18 undergraduate credits and will receive the Saint Thomas Seminary Certificate in Biblical Studies.

Most students undertake the New England Catholic Biblical School (NECBS) for their own faith enrichment. NECBS is intended for anyone who wishes to engage the Bible within the Catholic tradition. The educational components (aka, “requirements”) of the program work together to help you achieve your faith goals and enrich your faith through deeper understanding and devotion. No one is required to take the program for college credit, although this opportunity is available.

We offer a variety of in-person and virtual classes.  New locations for each fall will be announced in May/June of each year.

Thirty classes, organized into three units that are each ten weeks in length. Classes usually begin in September, the first full (5-day) week after Labor Day.

Each NECBS class meets once a week for two hours each week. In addition, a significant portion of your learning will take place at home, completing “homework” (reading, writing, map work).

Every student brings different goals and abilities to the NECBS programs, and this affects how much time they choose to spend on homework assignments. Some students spend as little as 3 hours per week on homework; most students spend much more. NECBS students report, on average, spending 5 - 7 hours per week on homework. Students enrolled in the accredited Saint Thomas Seminary Certificate in Biblical Studies program usually spend more time on the coursework (perhaps 10 hours per week, on average) than their non-credit taking counterparts in the New England Catholic Biblical School because the Saint Thomas Seminary program requires more coursework and involves higher academic standards. Your individual learning goals and how you enroll in NECBS (whether for credit or not) will determine how much time you choose to spend on assignments outside of class.

Every year (including Year One/NECBS 100) begins with a summer assignment. This assignment asks students to read a specific book and to answer 6-8 questions about the contents of that book in order to help them prepare for the beginning of the course. Assignments are available on the student classroom portal by June 1 each year.

"Tests" in the NECBS programs are also known as "memory exercises." There are three of these per year. The purpose of these exercises is to help you retain in your memory more of the material covered. You don’t need to pass any tests to continue forward in the New England Catholic Biblical School, but you will only achieve certificates if you successfully complete all course requirements (including passing memory exercises). “Memory exercises” in the New England Catholic Biblical School are graded on a Pass/Fail basis, with 60% required to pass. It is rare for a student not to pass the tests, and “not for credit” students are allowed to take the exact same test as often as needed to pass.

Other standards, though, apply to students taking the courses for college credit. A grade of “C” or better (73%) is required to progress toward the Saint Thomas Seminary Certificate of Biblical Studies. (See the syllabus in the Populi student portal).

It is rare for a student not to pass a “memory exercise.” New England Catholic Biblical School students who do not pass the “test” the first time are encouraged to take the exact same test as often as needed to pass. Other standards apply for students taking the courses for the Saint Thomas Seminary Certificate of Biblical Studies (see the syllabus on the student portal).

For students who are attending “not for credit”:

“Memory exercises” in the New England Catholic Biblical School are graded on a Pass/Fail basis, with 60% required to pass. Homework assignments are marked “complete” or “incomplete” and are not assigned grades.

For students who are attending “for credit”:

For students enrolled in the Saint Thomas Seminary Certificate in Biblical Studies program, all assignments are graded on a full grading scale, A to F. More stringent standards apply for students taking courses for college credit.

On the one hand, assignments and “memory exercises” for non-credit students in the New England Catholic Biblical School do not take the form of standard college “papers.” All written assignments are organized in a question-and-answer format. Weekly homework assignments typically feature six open-ended questions.

On the other hand, students taking the Saint Thomas Seminary Certificate in Biblical Studies courses for college credit must complete, in addition to weekly homework assignments, 1-5 projects (which often involve writing a brief paper, 2-3 double-spaced pages in length).

• A student who completes 1-2 papers, is not eligible for a grade higher than a C in the course.
• A student who completes 3-4 papers, is not eligible for a grade higher than a B in the course.
• Students who complete 5 papers are eligible for an A.

Eligibility does not guarantee the desired grade. Grades on all assignments will determine final grades.