Discover Your Calling with Loyola Institute for Ministry

Join a vibrant global community of learners pursuing theology and ministry degrees and certificates—fully online—through the Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM) at Loyola University New Orleans. Our students come from south Louisiana, across the United States, and around the world, united by a commitment to "practical theology"—an approach that constantly asks, "So what? How does this shape my faith, my life, my ministry, and my impact on the Church and world?"

For more information about our Spanish-language program, click here. / Para obtener más información sobre nuestro programa en español, haz clic aquí.

Rooted in Tradition, Designed for Today's Leaders

For decades, LIM has prepared adults for ministry leadership through the lens of Catholic and Jesuit traditions. Our distinctive approach weaves together:

• Ignatian spiritual formation that deepens your relationship with God

• a robust theological foundation paired with specialized courses in ministry and religious education

• practical ministerial skills that develop professional competency grounded in sound theology

• strong emphasis on community and communication, recognizing that ministry happens everywhere people of faith live and work—in parishes, schools, dioceses, and beyond 

Flexible Online Learning That Fits Your Life

Earn your degree on your schedule in a supportive learning community. Our coursework is asynchronous, with thoughtfully designed connection points. Students have the opportunity to attend optional zoom meetings with the instructor and classmates several times per semester and also to meet with classmates throughout the course.

Ready to explore? Take our Self-Assessment and browse the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more.

• Overview
• Brochure
• Orientation
• Student Services
• Online Graduate Course Rotation
• Online Undergraduate Course Rotation
• Semester Course Offerings

Loyola University New Orleans, through its Institute for Ministry, has been a leader in distance education for ministry. Through its extension program (also known as LIMEX, LIMFlex or onsite), it has offered master’s degrees and certificates in pastoral studies and religious education since 1983 through partnerships with local sponsoring agencies in locations across the country and internationally. Students complete 6 core theological courses in a local learning group that meets online.

It is a professionally-oriented graduate program that develops the theological and ministerial competencies of participants through an integration of academic study, theological reflection on ministerial practice, the participants’ lived adult experience as people of faith, and spiritual formation.

The program grounds students in the Catholic biblical and theological tradition. Students then develop ministerial proficiency by combining in-depth study of this tradition with an appreciative and critical understanding of the contexts in which they minister.

See below to find out more:

• Overview
• Brochure
• Learning Groups
• Faculty Presence
• Student Services
• Sponsoring Agencies
• Frequently Asked Questions

Study with us in New Orleans!

Since 1968, we have offered our on-campus program in New Orleans, a city of faith steeped in history and religious culture.We have faculty grounded theologically, committed to teaching excellence, and contributing to research in the field. Our students participate in a welcoming, ecumenical learning community and benefit from being a part of a Jesuit and Catholic university with a national reputation, including an award-winning library.

But because of our location, our education extends beyond the classroom and is influenced by place, including by our churches that range in age from the French Quarter's St. Louis Cathedral, whose predecessor was started in 1718, to the recently opened St. Katharine Drexel Chapel designed by Cesar Pelli. Our historic, above-ground cemeteries are things of marvel, but they also reflect our ancestors' commitment to faith and hope. Time here has rhythm that is punctuated by feasts and festivals--Epiphany, Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Sts. Patrick and Joseph, Jazz Fest, San Fermin, and so on.

We name our approach "practical theology" because it attends not only to the themes of faith but also to the signs of the times and aims at transformation. At the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, we live in one of the world's richest ecosystems that is, with global warming and energy exploration, also one of its most threatened.

What a classroom for studying theology and spirituality for the Church and world today!

On-campus courses are available pending enrollment.

• Overview
• Student Services
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Graduate Course Rotation