圣母大学是北美最重要的神学深造中心之一。该计划位于一所主要的罗马天主教大学内，吸引了来自所有主要教堂的男女。神职人员，外行人和宗教团体成员在教室里交流，并分享他们的神学观点。那些正在寻求博士学位的人 为研究，教学和教会服务方面的职业做准备是该博士课程的候选人。作为巴黎圣母院的博士生，您将得到世界一流学者的指导，获得大量的研究和学习机会，并在课程和社区中体验深度和多样性。博士课程将其毕业生中非常高的比例安排在学术职位上，其中绝大多数是在终身制职位上。道德神学/基督教伦理学是神学研究的一个分支，它系统地研究了
Moral theology/Christian ethics is that branch of theological inquiry that studies in a systematic way the practical implications of God's revelatory intervention in Jesus Christ. It is concerned with the kind of people we ought to be and the kinds of actions we ought to perform or avoid. In pursuing its task, moral theology must draw upon every available source of understanding: scripture, tradition, relevant human sciences (such as psychology, sociology, economics), and human reason. Therefore, any adequate study of moral theology, in elaborating the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world (Vatican II, Decree on Priestly Formation, 16), must be not only thoroughly nourished by scriptural teaching, but also broadly interdisciplinary. Furthermore, it will take ecumenism seriously because it is clear that what the Spirit works in the hearts of others can contribute to our own edification (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, 4). At Notre Dame, the doctoral program in moral theology responds to these broad mandates in several ways. It studies a number of subdisciplines, including social, medical, and foundational ethics. The program encourages interaction with philosophical ethics. While the program concentrates on the Roman Catholic tradition, it engages and is open to a variety of traditions. It demands course work outside of the field of moral theology (e.g., systematic theology, scripture).