Some young men start studying for the priesthood in high school. High school seminary programs and free-standing high school seminaries offer a college prep program.
Usually eight years of study after high school is necessary for the priestly aspirant, starting with earning a college degree. Catholic colleges and universities or freestanding college seminaries are available.
The final stage of becoming a priest is graduate school. Theological seminaries grant either Masters of Divinity or Masters of Arts Degrees, focusing on formation as a priesthood candidate, theological studies, and his spiritual journey. One or two years of philosophy studies are a common addition to these studies.
Men wanting to join the priesthood undergo testing to see if they are compatible with the religious and celibate life. The tests are mostly secular, and may be familiar to anyone who has taken basic psychological testing at a large company. Some use a test geared to screening for psychopathologies, a Myers-Briggs-like self-image quiz for characteristics such as introversion or dominance; and a sentence-completion exercise featuring such opening statements as "If I had all the money in the world, I would ..."