Catholic Studies Minor

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The Minor in Catholic Studies explores the Catholic tradition in all its cultural diversity and universal scope. Students achieve critical insight into the self-understanding of Catholicism (from Greek katá+holos: ‘relating to the whole’) as transcendent actor for the common good and human flourishing, encompassing the intellectual enterprise, the arts, and relations with other religions in a pluralist society.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Catholic Social Teaching: Demonstrate an understanding of how Catholic social teaching interfaces with religious and secular culture.
Catholic Intellectual Tradition: Articulate the major intellectual, social, historical, and aesthetic perspectives of the Catholic cultural tradition.
Pluralism & the Common Good: Articulate how Catholic teaching interfaces with other religions in a pluralist society.

Minor Requirements (20 Units)

Required (4 Units)

THRS 220 - Catholic Social Thought

Electives (16 Units)

Ordinarily, students will complete one course in each area of study.

This area coverage requirement may be waived by the student’s Capstone adviser, in consultation with the program director, where students show interest and capacity for profitable research on a particular theme with an eye to the Capstone.

In preparing for the Capstone, the student selects an elective course that will be the “wrapper” for her/his Capstone project.

Area 1: History and Society

Area 3: Culture and Aesthetics

The Capstone

All students must complete a Capstone course (4 units), including a Capstone thesis project.