DiscoverCatholic University of AmericaSchool of Theology and Religious Studies
School of Theology and Religious Studies
Catholic University of America
About the School of Theology and Religious Studies Mission Statement The mission of The Catholic University of America is to render service in the United States as an intellectual center of the highest quality where every dimension of truth, natural and revealed, can be examined with competent expertise. The university seeks in particular to maintain a position of excellence in historical & systematic theology, biblical and liturgical studies, church history, religion and culture, religious education, moral theology & ethics, and spirituality. The university accords priority to theology and to religious studies and to programs that explore the Roman Catholic tradition of humanistic learning and its relevance to the needs of society and the Church. To help realize the mission of the university, the School of Theology and Religious Studies sets itself two goals, namely, to promote excellence in teaching, research, and publication in the area of theology and religious studies, and to provide the professional training of lay and clerical leaders who will serve the Roman Catholic community in the United States and throughout the world. History of the School From its foundation The Catholic University of America has given academic priority to theology and religious studies and related disciplines. Initially, the academic programs in these areas were offered in the School of Sacred Sciences (1889). In time there emerged the School of Canon Law (1923), followed by a Seminary Program (1931) and, within the School of Arts and Sciences, the Program of Religion (1932). The original School of Sacred Sciences was later divided into a School of Sacred Theology and a School of Philosophy (1937). In 1970 a Liturgical Studies Program was instituted. After an extensive review of programs and structures, the Board of Trustees approved a recommendation by the Academic Senate to establish a new School of Religious Studies in September 1973. The School was composed of five departments: Biblical Studies, Canon Law, Church History, Religion and Religious Education, and Theology. In 2002, the Board of Trustees, after the recommendation of the Academic Senate, voted that Canon Law be reestablished as a School of Canon Law and that the remaining academic units of the School become programs in a School of Theology and Religious Studies. By thus coordinating existing units, The Catholic University of America established a School of Theology and Religious Studies as a national center of academic research, instruction, and service. The School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. The following degree programs are approved: MDiv., MA, DMin, Ph.D.Commission Contact Information:The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada10 Summit Park DrivePittsburgh, PA 15275USATelephone: 412-788-6505Fax: 412-788-6510Website: www.ats.edu