Catholic Studies Minor

The Catholic studies minor invites students of all backgrounds to explore the multifaceted reality of Catholicism. The minor offers students the opportunity to gain an academic understanding of Catholicism as community, institution, and worldview. Minors in Catholic Studies will progress through an interdepartmental course of study that immerses them in the historical, intellectual, and cultural currents that shape and express Catholic faith and life. From an introductory course in Roman Catholicism through approved electives drawn from across the curriculum, Catholic studies exposes students to the rich variety of the Catholic tradition and provides the opportunity to pursue individual personal and professional interests in relation to this tradition. The Catholic studies minor lies at the heart of Dominican University’s mission to integrate the core curriculum and departmental studies into a larger vision.

Minor Requirements:

Seven courses (21 credits) chosen in conference with advisor. No more than four courses from any one department may be used to fulfill minor requirements, and at least two courses must be taken above the 300 level. At least 15 credits in the minor, including CATH 103 , must be completed at Dominican; students may petition the director of Catholic studies to waive the foundation course if they can demonstrate satisfactory completion of substantively equivalent college-level material.

Requirements include:

• One foundation course: CATH 103  
• One course from each of the following three areas
  • Cultural Expressions: These courses study the relationship between historical or modern Catholic cultures and their artistic and literary productions.
  • Historical Contexts: These courses provide historical perspectives on Catholic institutions and societies, as well as Catholic encounters with other societies and systems of belief.
  • Intellectual Traditions: These courses examine the theological and philosophical foundations of Catholicism.
• Three elective courses chosen from the list of approved elective courses or from designated areas
• Capstone or Intensification Project.
  Minors must either:
  • intensify an approved course and complete an intensification following program guidelines, or
  • complete a capstone project in CATH 395 , CATH 410 , or CATH 495 . The capstone project credit or intensification credit will count toward the elective credits.