The Arthur McGovern, S.J., Catholic Studies Program

The Catholic Studies Program, recognizing the richness, depth, and breadth of the Catholic tradition, seeks to help students understand the Catholic vision, its contribution to various fields of study, and its influence on contemporary life. The course of studies aims at developing a thoughtful appreciation of the living tradition of the Catholic Faith in dialogue with social and personal experience. The program is guided by the principle that faith should inform life in the real world and awaken a responsibility to seek social justice.

Certificate Program:

The program offers a certificate in Catholic Studies upon the completion of 18 credit hours in courses from several disciplines that address six content areas:

• Traditions of Catholic Spirituality and Theology
• Christian Social Justice Traditions
• The Catholic Imagination and the Diversity of Its Expression
• Christian Perspectives on the Human Person and on Human Development
• Church History as It Informs Today's Church and Society
• The Meaning and Importance of Vatican Council II

Core Courses:

9 credit hours required

• CAS 100: Catholic Studies and the Self (1 cr.)
• CAS 200: Catholicism: Spirit and Methods (3 cr.)
• CAS 300: Catholicism's History: Crystallizing Moments (3 cr.)
• CAS 400: Senior Seminar (2 cr.)

Elective Courses:

9 credit hours

The other nine hours of the program are drawn from courses throughout the university

• that meet at least one of the following criteria:
• are taught from a Catholic perspective
• have a Catholic content or a content consistent with Catholic Theology, Spirituality, or Social Thought
• cover a topic in which there is considerable Catholic contribution
• are interdisciplinary with a Catholic component
• raise issues that impinge on religious faith
• deal with topics and issues that have a variety of competing understandings and interpretations, one or more of which are consistent with a Catholic perspective
• have a content that could be augmented by reading and reflection to develop a Catholic content or perspective
• put into practice a Catholic vision, involving spirituality and a concern for social justice
• put into practice a professional skill with a dimension that includes a Catholic vision, involving spirituality and a concern for social justice
• develop a Catholic imagination.

For a listing of courses that can fulfill the elective requirements, please see the catalog entry for the Catholic Studies Program.

Lecture Series:

In an effort to engage the wider university and the wider community of the Detroit area in conversation about a Catholic perspective on contemporary issues in the Church and in society, the Catholic Studies program sponsors a lecture series. The series started in the Winter Term, 2008. Click on the link for access to a video and audio presentation of the lectures.

Winter, 2008:

Fr. Dean Brackley, S.J.
The Challenge of Jesuit and Catholic Higher Education Today.
January 30, 2008

Dr. Robert N. Bellah.
The Challenge of Secularism: Is God Absent?
April 2, 2008.

For more information about the Catholic Studies Program at UDM, please contact: