Admissions should be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the final day of Open Registration for the upcoming semester. The Admissions and Degrees Committee votes on the admission of prospective students only after all application materials have been received. 

Admissions Priority Deadline to secure classes and financial aid: 

Admission to the School of Theology is on a “rolling” basis. However, there is a priority deadline of June 1st for the Fall Semester and November 1st for the Spring Semester. Applications after the priority deadline will be considered for admission according to the number of spaces available for the semester for which they are applying. The Office of Admissions will review applications upon receipt of all required documents. 

• New Fall students: June 1
• New Spring students: November 1

To learn more, please review our Catalog

Admissions:
Phone: 513-233-6126
Email: admissions@athenaeum.edu

Dr. Joe Belleza, Program Director
Phone: 513-233-6180
Email: jbelleza@athenaeum.edu

We’re here to aid you in pursuing Christ and deeper integration of your faith through lifelong learning. Contact us today with admissions questions! 

Academic Calendar 

Spring Semester

2025-2026 Catalog

Course Schedule – Fall 2025

Course Offerings – Fall 2025

Course Schedule – Spring 2026

Course Offerings – Spring 2026

Some graduate-level evening classes are offered every other year. The table below shows the courses that will be offered in 2025-26 and the courses that will be offered the following academic year. Non-elective courses that are not on this list will be offered every year.

Course: Moral Themes in Catholic Fiction (CS 511)
Professor: Dr. Kenneth Craycraft
Class Time: 7-9:40 p.m., Mondays
Dates: January 5-March 16, 2026

In his 2024 “Letter on the Role of Literature in Formation,” Pope Francis highlighted “the value of reading novels and poems as part of one’s path to personal maturity.” Reading fiction, the Holy Father explains, “can help us weather the storm [in] moments of weariness, anger, disappointment or failure.” A good story or poem “may … open up new interior spaces,” contributing to our moral and spiritual growth. Literature speaks to “our deepest desires in this life” by engaging “our concrete existence, with its innate tensions, desires and meaningful experiences.” This course will be an exploration of these themes through careful reading of a selection of Catholic fiction and literary criticism. This reading-intensive seminar will include novels, poems, short stories, and non-fiction essays about the role of literature in spiritual and moral formation. It will require weekly reflection papers, and a final interpretive essay. Authors considered may include Flannery O’Connor, Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Walker Percy, Muriel Spark, Anne McDermott, W.H. Auden, George Bernanos, Francois Mauriac, J.F. Powers, David Lodge, Shusaku Endo, Edwin O’Connor, Walter M. Miller, Ron Hansen, Jane Greer, G.K. Chesterton, Christopher Beha, Phil Klay and others.

Course: The Spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi (CS 613)
Professor: Dr. Joey Belleza
Class Time: 3-4:40 p.m., Mondays
Dates: January 5-May 4, 2026

Francis of Assisi is one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages and remains one of the most beloved saints of the Western Church. Abandoning his comfortable middle class heritage for a life radically conformed to the humility of Christ, he founded a way of life that, in only a few years, boasted thousands of adherents across Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land. In the years following Francis’s death, many groups both within and outside the Franciscan family often fought bitterly to claim his spiritual heritage. By focusing on Francis’s own extant writings, understood within their particular historical context, we will gain a greater appreciation of the unique spiritual impulses which animated the “little poor man” of Assisi and which continue to captivate people both inside and outside the Church.

Course: Biblical Greek II (GRK 302)
Professor: Rev. Peter Langenkamp
Class Time: 2:05-2:55 p.m., Tuesdays & Thursdays
Dates: January 6-May 8, 2026

This course is a continuation of Biblical Greek I. It will provide the student with the opportunity to advance his/her understanding of the structure and syntax of New Testament Greek. At the conclusion of the course, the student should have gained a certain degree of independence in working with the text of the New Testament. Prerequisite: GRK 301.

Course: Biblical Hebrew II (HEB 302)
Professor: Dr. Matthew Genung
Class Time: 2:05-2:55 p.m., Mondays & Wednesdays
Dates: January 5-May 8, 2026

This course is a continuation of Biblical Hebrew I. It will provide the student with the opportunity to advance his/her understanding of the structure and syntax of the language. The student should gain a degree of independence in working with the original text of the Hebrew Bible. Prerequisite: HEB 301.

Our synchronous online courses allow students to fully engage with instructors and classmates in real time. Students access live lecture streaming and participate fully in class through classrooms equipped with distance-learning audiovisual equipment and software.

Our asynchronous online courses have been designed by veteran faculty with the support of educational consultants specializing in online learning. Students will be guided through learning modules with their instructor, who will be readily available to students. These courses intentionally focus on interaction with the instructor and with classmates, real application of course content and the delivery of an authentic educational experience.

Available Courses for Spring 2026

• MT 5000 Fundamental Moral Theology
• MT 650 Contemporary Issues in Moral Theology
• S 5600 Christology

Registration

To register for an online class, log in to your Populi account and click on the “Registration” tab. Courses labeled with “WEB” after the course number are offered online. For example:

MT 5000-1: Fundamental Moral Theology (in-person)

MT 5000-WEB: Fundamental Moral Theology (online)

For help registering for online courses, contact the Registrar at jroyer@athenaeum.edu or 513.344.4511.

2025-26 Graduate Tuition 

2025-26 Certificate Tuition 

 2025-26 Other Fees 

College Financing Plan
The College Financing Plan is a tool provided by the U.S. Department of Education.  This standardized form helps prospective students calculate their costs and financial aid so they can make an informed decision regarding their enrollment at the institution.  This can also be used to compare costs and financial offers from multiple schools.

The College Financing Plan (previously known as the shopping sheet) is required as part of the Principles of Excellence Program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  Institutions utilizing this form provide the necessary consumer information required by PL 116-315 § 1018 and 38 U.S.C. § 3679(f).

Financial Aid
The Athenaeum does not participate in Title IV Federal Student Aid programs.

The School of Theology administers its own need-based financial aid for lay students.  To be eligible, a student must be admitted and enrolled in a degree or certificate program.  For more information, visit the ‘Financial Aid & Scholarships’ tab here.

Other types of aid may be available to enrolled students, including ministry grants or parish scholarships.  Students serving as parish catechists may call the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Office of Evangelization and Discipleship for information about continuing education grants for catechists. 

College Financing Plan Template

This worksheet provides the estimated annual cost of your program, based on the information you provide.  The actual cost may differ.  If you have questions about items and information referenced in the worksheet, please contact the Registrar: email registrar@athenaeum.edu, phone 513.233.6118. 

If you are an educator, Lay Ecclesial Minister or an alum of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology (MTSM), you are eligible for a 25% tuition discount. 

• Educators must be employed by an Archdiocese of Cincinnati or Diocese of Covington recognized school. 

• Lay Ecclesial Ministers include Directors or Coordinators of Religious Education, Pastoral Associates or Staff, RCIA Directors, Catechists, etc. 

• Permanent Deacons* and Priests must be in good standing with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 

• Alumni must have completed a recognized program and obtained a degree or certificate from MTSM. 

*The Office of the Diaconate of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is offering an additional 25% for an overall total of 50% off tuition for Permanent Deacons. 

Try a class and discover:
• Outstanding Faculty
• Personal & Spiritual Growth
• Revitalization of Your Ministry
• Continuing Education Units 

Application for Tuition Discount

Need-Based Financial Aid
The School of Theology administers its own need-based financial aid for lay students.

To be eligible, a student must be admitted and enrolled in a degree, certificate or endorsement program. Financial Aid Applications for the School of Theology are accepted at designated times throughout the academic year. Students may not receive institutional scholarship awards that exceed the cost of tuition. 

Financial Aid Application

For more information about School of Theology financial aid, contact the  Office of Admissions or the  Office of the Registrar.

The institution is Title IV-eligible, but has elected not to participate in Title IV programs. Eligibility is maintained for the purposes of processing in-school deferment requests for eligible students (i.e., those in at least a half-time rate of pursuit).

Grants, Scholarships, and Other Sources of Aid
We encourage students to be proactive in locating outside sources of financial aid. You may wish to discuss tuition needs with your pastor, as some parishes assist active parishioners with tuition and/or book fees. Catechists may contact the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Office for Evangelization and Discipleship (513-421-3131) for information about the Gabrielle Bouscaren Fund, which offers support for the continuing education of catechists. Some courses may be reimbursed by your place of employment. Members of fraternal, social or civic organizations should explore the possibility of scholarships via their organization.

Priority Deadlines
Priority given to applications received before the dates below. To secure the award, recipients must confirm enrollment by the dates below.

Fall Semester: July 1
Spring Semester: November 1