Career Development

We provide unwavering professional development support and preparation, rooted in a spirit of vocational discernment, which leads to unparalleled success: 97% of our graduates enjoy placements within six months of graduation.

Through a variety of programming and one-on-one interactions, our Career Services staff and faculty consider how each student’s gifts can best serve the world and then ardently pursue positions that match your talents and interests.

The CSTM global alumni network is also active in building sincere relationships with students and connecting them to relationships all around the world.

Jacqueline Regan

Jacqueline Regan
Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Services 

By the Numbers

4,670

Size of CSTM's alumni network, worldwide

97%

Placement for master's graduates (2024)

Career Preparation Resources

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We offer a number of resources to help students prepare for their next steps beyond the CSTM. These help students develop skills and strategies for job interviews and doctoral applications, as well as providing opportunities to connect with alumni and learn about different ministry options.

Alumni Mentors

Connect with an expansive network of CSTM alumni who have offered to serve as mentors to current CSTM students. Reach out for informational interviews, discernment conversations, and coaching on your job search. This database is shared with current students.

Called to Serve Series

Gathering information, building relationships, and asking good questions are all key elements of a successful job search. Designed for soon-to-be graduates, but open to all, the Called to Serve Series offers an opportunity to jump-start or sharpen your job search skills while bringing you in contact with CSTM alumni working in a variety of ministerial settings. Our alumni panelists and CPE supervisors are eager to talk with you about their discernment process, job searches, and their current ministry as you discern your own vocational path and prepare for job interviews.

Preparing for the Job Search Workshop

STM staff teams up to provide helpful information on job discernment, resume, cover letters, interview tips, and resources available to students at the CSTM including the CSTM Resume Book, the CSTM job board, our alumni network, and individual advising.

Life Directions Retreat

This retreat occurs at the beginning of the spring semester. In addition to reflecting on the art and skill of discernment, it affords an opportunity to weigh two options that a student may be exploring in the context of discernment.

STM Resume Book

At the beginning of the spring semester, CSTM publishes an annual Resume Book of soon-to-be graduates, which is sent to hundreds of employers nationwide. Resumes are due at the end of January.

Job Opportunities

STM maintains job opportunity pages by area of ministry for students and alumni who have access to an CSTM Career site. These are updated during the year with postings from organizations throughout the country. 

One-on-One Consultation

There are plenty of staff, faculty, and alumni willing to support you in this process. Contact Jacqueline Regan, Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Career Services, who will be happy to connect you to individuals in your field of interest.

Applying to Ph.D. Programs Workshop

This session features both faculty and current Ph.D. students, and addresses topics such as selecting a program and a mentor, preparing the C.V., writing your personal statement, asking for letters of recommendation, and more.

 

Where Are Our Graduates Now?

Ministries

Many of our graduating students seek placements in a variety of ministerial and educational settings. Recent placements include:

Theology Teacher, Mount Alvernia High School

Director of Hispanic Ministries, Mary Queen of the Apostles Parish

Resident Chaplain, Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Campus Minister for Liturgy, St. Louis University

Assistant Director for Tutor Engagement/Tutor Chaplain, EV Kids

Religious Studies Teacher, Brophy College Preparatory

Chapter Action and Advocacy Specialist, Catholic Relief Services

Behavioral Health Therapist, Bridge Over Troubled Water

Doctoral Programs

Faculty mentors begin working with students who plan to continue for doctoral studies as early as the student’s first semester. CSTM students gain admission to many of the world’s most selective doctoral programs, testifying to the quality of a CSTM education, the caliber of the student body, and the school’s thorough placement process. Recent graduates have attended a number of universities for doctoral studies, including the following:

Boston College

Boston University

The Catholic University of America

Duquesne University

Fordham University

The Gregorian University

Harvard University

Loyola University Chicago

Marquette University

Oxford University

St. Louis University

University of Notre Dame

University of Toronto

Yale University

Graduate Theological Union


 

Alumni Voices

Meet some of our alumni and read about how CSTM helped them find and pursue their callings.

Photo of Joshua Mayfield Joshua Mayfield Joshua Mayfield

Joshua Mayfield

M.A. Theology and Ministry, 2019

Photo of Joshua Mayfield

The CSTM prepared me to enter the world of ministry feeling equipped and excited to accompany college students.

Hometown
Long Beach, CA

Undergraduate Institution and Major
Loyola Marymount University, Business Marketing

Current Position
Campus Minister for Faith and Justice and Loyola Marymount University

At the CSTM, I have been fortunate to get involved with various aspects of the community. Being a non-denominational Christian it has been great to engage in ecumenical dialogue. In questioning aspects of my peers' beliefs, it encourages them to formulate their own understanding of various practices, as well as allowing me to share about my religious culture and beliefs. Through attending Mass, prayer services, and praise and worship adoration nights, my understanding of the Catholic faith has been enriched, and I have enjoyed adopting specific aspects to my own faith.

Through the integration of theology and ministry, the CSTM provided me a framework and training to effectively minister and best care for those I encounter. Through various internships, campus ministry involvements, and practical learning opportunities, the CSTM prepared me to enter the world of ministry feeling equipped and excited to accompany college students.

Photo of Justin  Hoch Justin Hoch Justin Hoch

Justin Hoch

M.A./M.S.W., 2020

Photo of Justin  Hoch

At the intersection of theology and social work, I grew in my identity as a minister becoming more confident in my ability to address important issues of social justice, identity formation, and trauma healing.

Hometown
Greenwood, Indiana

Undergraduate Institution and Major
Loyola University Chicago, Theology

Current Position
Chaplain, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Campus

In my year of service accompanying students from low-income backgrounds, I was challenged to acknowledge the ways in which mental health, race, sexuality and other identities play a significant role in one's spiritual development. In seeing the need for holistic ministry, I found my way to the MA/MSW dual degree program. While the CSTM offered the rigorous theological education I needed at the foundation of my ministry, the social work degree provided me with the language around mental health and trauma and the counseling skills to better support, accompany, and minister to people.

At the intersection of theology and social work, I grew in my identity as a minister becoming more confident in my ability to address important issues of social justice, identity formation, and trauma healing. With the MA/MSW dual degree, my ministry has become about creating spaces of radical inclusion and true belonging in which all those I minister to can feel loved, included, and authentically themselves, not in spite of, but because their identity is beloved by God.

Photo of Andrea Miller Andrea Miller Andrea Miller

Andrea Miller

M.A. Theology and Ministry, 2020

Photo of Andrea Miller

The CSTM gave me the tools and lens of social justice to grow as an individual and see myself as a minister in service to a larger community.

Hometown
Westminster, MD

Undergraduate Institution and Major
University of Delaware, BA in Environmental Studies

Current Position
Director of Faith Formation, St. Ignatius of Loyola Church, Chestnut Hill, MA

CSTM Community
Community was at the heart of my experience at the CSTM. As a Graduate Assistant, I spent a lot of time in Simboli Hall in addition to my classes each week, and some of the most wonderful people I met during my time happened because of this. I enjoyed stopping in at the Service Center to chat with Mary Magennis and the other GAs, in between classes and at Repast with other students, meeting with professors during office hours, and talking with folks at the front desk at the TML. No matter where I went in the CSTM, a kind soul was there to greet me with a lovely conversation. These were moments of grace for me and reminded me that God is truly present in the people around us.

My Experience
The Practice of Ministry with Youth & Young Adults with Dr. Theresa O’Keefe solidified my desire to work with youth and young adults in a ministerial setting, and challenged me to reevaluate my own understanding of how young people learn about and understand their faith. This class gave me the tools and a lens to better understand how youth learn and grow developmentally, socially, and relationally in their faith.

Why CSTM?
CSTM offered me a chance to explore different aspects of theology and ministry in a time where I wasn’t sure what area of ministry I wanted to work within. The relationships I developed, conversations held, and classes during my 2 years of studies expanded my worldview of my faith and what it means to be Catholic. This was also a space I felt comfortable enough to ask deeper questions of myself, particularly related to my sexual orientation. The CSTM gave me the tools and lens of social justice to grow as an individual and see myself as a minister in service to a larger community.

Photo of Marcus Mescher Marcus Mescher Marcus Mescher

Marcus Mescher

M.T.S. '09, Ph.D. '13

Photo of Marcus Mescher

I felt a sense of community in each classroom in the spirit of cura personalis, mutual respect between faculty and students, and a shared commitment to make the most of this chance to learn from and with one another. I felt known, cared for, and empowered—and fully equipped to do the same for and with others.

Hometown
Milwaukee, WI

Undergraduate Institution and Major
Marquette University — B.A. in English/B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature (minors in Theology and Political Science)

Current Position
Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, Xavier University

Why CSTM?
STM opened my eyes to a depth and breadth of theological inquiry I never knew was possible. Each person I encountered was so deeply invested in serving the church. The diversity of the CSTM community helped me appreciate what it means to be catholic and Catholic; I learned so much from every classroom discussion, the feedback I received from professors, and the opportunity to work as a GA in BC Campus Ministry. My education at CSTM opened the doors that helped me pursue my deepest desires, personally and professionally, in service to the academy, church, and society. 

My Experience
Every professor invested in me; they showed me cura personalis, offered warm support, and meaningful challenges. They shared their passions with me and helped me discover new horizons in theology, moral formation, and its pastoral applications. I am still connected with many CSTM classmates, professors, and staff; one classmate is a godparent for my son. In addition to providing me an ideal preparation for my profession, my time at BC CSTM forged bonds that I will savor for the rest of my life. If pressed, I'd say my favorite class was Richard Lennan's course on The Church -- it almost made me want to be a systematician instead of an ethicist. My very first course was his Foundations of Christian Theology class and right away I knew: I am exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to be doing. (It's also hard to pick against class with Dan Harrington. That was truly extraordinary.) 

Photo of Amirah Orozco Amirah Orozco Amirah Orozco

Amirah Orozco

M.T.S., 2021

Photo of Amirah Orozco

My time at the CSTM was marked by a personal growth in my own vocation as a Latina Catholic minister and theologian. 

Hometown
El Paso, TX

Undergraduate Institute and Major
Boston College, Philosophy and Political Science

Current Positon
Ph.D. Student in Systematic Theology, University of Notre Dame

Community
I experienced community at the CSTM in the classroom and in the chapel. I was always most struck and astonished by the way the community at the CSTM both studied and prayed together. Pope Francis says that the best theology is done on our knees and I think that the CSTM really embodies that on a communal level.

Why CSTM?
I knew I was considering a Ph.D. from before my time at the CSTM, but I was not sure how or what. The M.T.S. program at BC is flexible and allowed me to engage deeply with multiple different topics and subjects. I was able to build my own project that I was then able to use to get into Ph.D. programs, including Notre Dame. Professor Hosffman Ospino's mentorship on my Master's thesis is, to this day, one of the most important building blocks for me in my professional and personal vocation.

Most Meaningful Experience
My time at the CSTM was marked by a personal growth in my own vocation as a Latina Catholic minister and theologian. It was at the CSTM, through my relationships with peers and professors, both from Latin America and Latine from the US, where I came to understand the broader implications of my being bilingual and how that intersected with my interests in Theology and my own baptismal vocation. I worked at Formación Continua, the Spanish-speaking Continuing Education, and also got to engage in events such as masses for Our Lady of Guadalupe, altar building for Día de muertos, and bilingual preaching and liturgies.

Photo of Laura McCormack Laura McCormack Laura McCormack

Laura McCormack

M.Div., 2019

Photo of Laura McCormack

I was immensely grateful for the chance to study and learn alongside Jesuit students in formation, which was instrumental in preparing me to work in collaborative environments with ordained and lay people. I would not be where I am today without the opportunity to attend CSTM. 

Hometown
Gaithersburg, MD

Undergraduate Institution and Major
Loyola University Maryland, English

Current Position
Associate Director of Campus Ministry for Liturgy and Music at Loyola University Maryland

Why CSTM?
Attending CSTM was a transformative experience for me; I now recommend it enthusiastically to any of my students who are considering pursuing a life of ministry. At CSTM, I benefitted from robust academic preparation, deep spiritual formation, compassionate professors and staff, and a vibrant community of students from around the world.

My Experience
When I first came Accepted Students' Day at the CSTM, I knew within a few hours that I was going to attend this school. Why? The word that I kept hearing over and over again in my info sessions was: community. And my experience lived up to this promise: the community of students, staff, and faculty at the CSTM are unmatched. From lively discussions in the classroom, to making friends with students from all around the world, to vibrant formation and recreational activities, the community at the CSTM made me feel at home right away. I graduated from the CSTM with lifelong friendships and colleagues in ministry, connections that will benefit me personally and professionally for many years to come. 

Photo of Adam Dirnberger Adam Dirnberger Adam Dirnberger

Adam Dirnberger

Master of Divinity, 2019

Photo of Adam Dirnberger

The CSTM's intentional integration of the academic and the pastoral made it the ideal formational experience for me.

Home City and Country
St. Charles, MO

Undergraduate Institute and Major
Saint Louis University, Theological Studies & Philosophy

Current Position
Theology Teacher, Loyola Academy & Instructor, Loyola University Chicago

My Experience
As someone moving across the country to attend the CSTM, the Community was absolutely central to my experience. I made lifelong friends and connections that continue to support me in both personally and professionally.

Photo of Justine Worden Justine Worden Justine Worden

Justine Worden

M.Div., 2021

Photo of Justine Worden

The CSTM played a huge role in helping me discern and pursue what I now consider my vocation.

Hometown
Ringoes, NJ

Undergraduate Institution and Major
Georgetown University, Justice and Peace Studies

Current Position
Staff chaplain at Brigham & Women's Faulkner Hospital and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center

CSTM Community

One of the most important sources of community I found was my M.Div. cohort, specifically the lay students. For the first one or two semesters, we had almost identical schedules so we could really rely on each other for academic support.  I also became very close with my coworkers in Campus Ministry. 

Even now, much of my community continues to stem from my experiences at the CSTM. I regularly spend time with a few friends I made at CSTM and half my bridal party is comprised of classmates. One of Jesuits in my cohort is even celebrating my wedding mass. At work, I continue to find CSTM alumni everywhere, which makes me feel all the more at home. I'm so grateful for the many communities I was and still am a part of thanks to the CSTM.

My Experience
One overarching theme that stands out to me still are the experiences I had with women at the CSTM. Professors like M. Shawn Copeland (now Professor Emerita), Melissa Kelley, Sister Meg Guider, and Colleen Griffith were all individuals that made me feel seen and empowered both in and outside the classroom. Hearing Sr. Guider tell me at the end of my synthesis exam that I had learned to “think theologically” was simultaneously one of the proudest and most humbling moments of my degree. The relationships I built with women classmates were, in large part, what sustained me during times where self-doubt threatened to get in my way (and God’s way).

Why CSTM?
Generous financial aid and access to on-campus jobs reserved for CSTM students made it possible for me to even consider moving to Boston and pursuing the M.Div. 

The most impactful way in which the CSTM worked and still works for me was helping me find my way into a career in healthcare chaplaincy.  The connections I made at CSTM were such a huge part of what helped me get into a CPE residency after graduation and even the jobs I hold now. The CSTM played a huge role in helping me discern and pursue what I now consider my vocation.

Photo of Genesis Arocho-Lapierre Genesis Arocho-Lapierre Genesis Arocho-Lapierre

Genesis Arocho-Lapierre

M.T.S. '18

Photo of Genesis Arocho-Lapierre

The friendships I made at the CSTM not only gave me the support I needed during my studies, but they also gave the confidence to persevere when times proved difficult.

Hometown
Los Angeles, CA

Undergraduate Institution and Major
Loyola Marymount University, Psychology & Theological Studies 

Current Position
Religious Studies Department Chair at Marymount High School, Los Angeles

 

Why CSTM?
There are countless reasons as to why the CSTM worked for me however what stands out is their practical approach to graduate studies in Theology. Especially with the M.T.S. degree, studying theology often times stays in the theoretical. Now as a high school teacher, I frequently hear my students comment on how Scripture and/or Tradition can at times seem obsolete. Therefore it is my job to challenge my students in seeing how compatible our Catholic faith is with what is transpiring in our world today. I owe this skill to what I learned back at the CSTM.

Community
Thursday liturgy and lunch! This would often times be the highlight of my week. It was both a formative and restorative time set aside as an opportunity for worship and connecting with my peers and of course, free lunch! Who doesn't love a free lunch?

Photo of Julia Erdlen Julia Erdlen Julia Erdlen

Julia Erdlen

M.Div., 2022

Photo of Julia Erdlen

I was never alone at the CSTM, or out on too far of a limb with a paper or discussion topic. While all of us bring a unique perspective and experience to our studies, I was never on my own in my theological opinions, with a ministerial conundrum, or with thorny spiritual questions.

Home City and Country
Newtown Square, PA

Undergraduate Institute and Major
University of Notre Dame, English

Current Position
Campus Minister for Liturgy, St. Louis University

My Experience
I had the company of wonderful peers, lay and Jesuit, in the classroom, in special projects like clericalism discussion groups and planning creative liturgical experiences, and in Gaudete, our LGBTQ+ student group. I also made dear friends, who picked me up from the airport after job interviews, prayed for me on retreats and pilgrimages, and goofed off with me for non-theological movie nights. These moments of joy sustained me through the piles of books and papers to write. To this day, my former classmates will pick up the phone to talk through a tough pastoral conversation, fact check an obscure liturgical question, or just catch up and laugh with each other.

Most Meaningful Course
Sr. Meg’s Ecclesial Ministry course served as a wonderful capstone for my MDiv. With a class of almost entirely lay students, we grappled with what it means to be lay people going forth to work in the church plagued by clericalism. I was asked to write an integrative theology of ministry paper, and found that when asked to write it down, my theology of ministry was really about how I spend my days, and with whom I spend them, about being proximate to those on the margins.

Alumni Award Recipients

Our alumni emerge as leaders in the church and world, prepared to make an immediate impact on the communities they serve. CSTM is delighted to honor two outstanding alumni each year through the awards below.

Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. Alumni Distinguished Service Award

  • James Martin, S.J., Editor-at-Large, America Media (2018)
  • Gregory Boyle, S.J., Founder, Homeboy Industries (2021)
  • Maryanne Confoy, RSC, Professor of Pastoral Theology, Australian Catholic University (2022)
  • Susan Bigelow Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies, Candler School of Theology (2023)

Young Alumni Leadership in Ministry Award

  • Anna Robertson, Director of Distributed Organizing, Discerning Deacons (2024)

Encounter

A community blog from the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry

Claire Erlenborn

Social Work as a Theological Ministry

CSTM alumna, Claire Erlenborn, reflects on her time in the M.A./M.S.W. dual degree and how she uses those skills in her current job as retreat coordinator.

Read More
Justin Hoch

Integrating the Self in Service to Others

CSTM alumnus, Justin Hoch, reflects on the intersection of his theology studies with his clinical social work through the M.A./M.S.W. program.

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Teresa Quinn

"Open heart, with a backbone."

CSTM alumna, Teresa Quinn, reflects on her time as a dual degree M.A./M.S.W. student and how that helped her prepare for her current clinical work.

Read More
brophy_blog_final

Prepared for the Journey: Formative Experiences at CSTM

Jessica Brophy shares about how her experiences at CSTM prepared her well for her work with youth and young adults.

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financialaid

Alumni Reflect on Faculty Mentorship

Four alumni reflect on faculty mentorship at CSTM.

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lopez-blog

Table Talk: How Liturgy and Lunch Formed Me

JoAnn Melina Lopez shares how CSTM community liturgies—and lunches—were part of her formation experience that now informs her ministerial work.

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social work week

The "Both, And": Intersection of Social Work, Theology and Ministry

As a dual degree student earning her masters in both Theology and Ministry and Social Work, Mary LaVigne shares some reflections in celebration of Social Work Month 2023. Mary's clinical social work internship placement is at the Rian Immigrant Center. Photo: Mary & her Social Work team at Rian Immigrant Center, current field placement, on their recent staff retreat at Arnold Arboretum

Read More

Living The Questions

A CSTM alumna reflects on contuining to pursue key questions through discernment.

Read More

Career Planning

Connect with Alumni

Get in touch with our loyal alumni, who serve as ambassadors of our programs and mentors to our students. They provide professional and personal guidance on a variety of topics.

BC Career Center

The Career Center provides individual guidance and organizes events and programs throughout the year, helping students discern their interests and pursue meaningful careers.

For Employers

Interested in hiring our high-achieving students? Contact us to learn more about how you can connect CSTM students' talents with your needs.

Career Expo

Networks of Support

Between faculty, staff, and alumni, CSTM students have access to countless resources for career discernment and preparation. Recognizing the strong preparation for ministry CSTM offers, employers actively seek out CSTM graduates to hire each year.

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