Catholic Studies
Program Overview
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Catholic Studies Sitzmann Hall, (55S) (651) 962-5703
Boyle (chair), Deavel, Foote (Director of Catholic Studies Rome Program), Junker, Kennedy, Kidd, Naughton, Schlag
Catholic Studies Department Page
The Department of Catholic Studies is an interdisciplinary program that brings students to an encounter with the breadth and diversity of Catholic culture as an historic reality, shaped by and expressed in philosophy, literature, theology, and the arts, and lived in community. By examining the role it has played in various cultures, students are challenged to engage critically Catholicism's transforming power in every aspect of intellectual, spiritual, and social life.
Faculty are united by a deep respect for both the depth and the breadth of the Catholic Tradition and are committed to a high degree of interaction among themselves as well as with students. Students enter into a community at once faithful and intellectual.
The curriculum can appeal to students of any faith tradition who seek to deepen their knowledge of Catholicism's rich and living heritage. The interpersonal approach of the program and the opportunities for sustained reflection on important issues invite students to a more profound and mature experience of faith.
Students graduated with a major in Catholic Studies will have engaged major Catholic figures from a variety of cultural and historical settings and explored a broad range of resources from the Catholic intellectual tradition. This will permit them to reflect critically upon the history and contemporary significance of Catholicism and to appreciate the complex and broad history of the tradition and the faith that has shaped it.
Requirements for the major and minor:
The major consists of 32 or 36 credits: 12 credits in required core courses, 20 credits in distribution area electives, with an additional 4 credits in electives required for single-majors. At least 7 courses (28 credits) must have a CATH designation.
The minor consists of 20 credits: 8 credits in required core courses, 12 credits in distribution area electives. At least 16 credits (4 courses) must have a CATH designation.
Students who participate in the Catholic Studies Rome program may use up to three courses towards their major or minor course of studies.
Beyond the first course (CATH 101), courses in Catholic Studies are grouped into three categories.
- 2XX-level courses are "Traditions" courses, which explore and reflect critically upon the reality of the Church in its intellectual and practical dimensions and as a community situated in time and place. These courses tend to focus on historical periods, events, or distinct locations in which the Church has taken root.
- 3XX-level courses are "Concepts" courses, which explore and reflect critically upon important themes and ideas in the life of the Catholic Church from an interdisciplinary perspective.
- 4XX-level courses are "Persons" courses, which focus on the work of one person, or on a group of persons, of significance for the Catholic tradition, which could include persons whose work is in dialog or tension with that tradition. These courses would ordinarily require junior standing.
Fast Track B.A./M.A. in Catholic Studies
Students may choose to, in consultation with the department, to enroll in graduate level catholic studies courses (CSMA) and have those courses count towards electives in the B.A. in Catholic Studies as well as count towards the M.A. in Catholic Studies when applying for admission.
Major in Catholic Studies
- CATH 101 The Search for Happiness (4 credits)
- CATH 205 Crisis and Development in the Church (4 credits)
- CATH 301 The Catholic Vision (4 credits)
Plus:
- At least four credits at the 2XX-level ("Traditions" courses)
- At least four credits at the 3XX-level ("Concepts" courses)
- At least four credits at the 4XX-level ("Persons" courses)
Plus:
- Eight credits in CATH electives or a suitable course from another department approved by the chair of Catholic Studies. (Students majoring only in Catholic Studies must take 12 credits)
Minor in Catholic Studies
- CATH 101 The Search for Happiness (4 credits)
- CATH 205 Crisis and Development in the Church (4 credits)
or CATH 301 The Catholic Vision (4 credits)
Plus:
- Twelve credits in CATH electives not all at the same level