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Catholic Studies

Fr Bouck teaching a Catholic Studies class.
  • Program Type
    Major, Minor
  • Degrees Offered
    B.A., B.S.
  • School
    School of Arts & Sciences
Undergraduate Programs

Deepen your knowledge of the Catholic faith and of yourself through the study of multiple disciplines.

Master of Arts in Catholic Studies

Strengthen your personal formation — and enhance your understanding of the Catholic tradition — by earning a Master of Arts in Catholic Studies online or in person.

Learn About Our MA Program

What You'll Learn

Our students explore the interaction of faith and reason within multiple disciplines — exploring the interplay between Catholicism and culture, and experience how Catholic faith can enliven every facet of your life. We designed our program to be a double major and to build a close-knit community of faculty and students across multiple academic and pre-professional programs.

Learn Outside the Classroom

Catholic studies at Mary is much more than a rigorous academic program. You’ll interact with faculty and students in and out of the classroom and experience a full range of co-curricular and extracurricular activities. The year begins with a Catholic studies immersion experience for our new students, providing an introduction to the program within the natural beauty and culture of western North Dakota.

Build Community

Over four semesters in the Catholic Studies Tutorial, you’ll meet weekly in small groups of no more than ten students to integrate Catholic studies into your broader academic and personal life. Central to Catholic studies life outside the classroom is our regular Convivium Mass and Dinner, as well as events by the fire at the Catholic Studies House near campus.

Flexible Learning Options

You can earn your Catholic studies bachelor’s in 2.6 years or complete your bachelor’s and a Master of Arts in Catholic Studies in four years through Mary’s innovative Year-Round Campus program. 

Study in Rome

At the University of Mary Rome campus, you can live and study abroad while learning about Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine heritage firsthand. We particularly encourage sophomores and students in the Catholic studies program to participate in this opportunity. Qualified students can spend either a semester or five weeks of coursework and educational travel in Italy and other countries as well.

Study at Mary College at ASU

In this innovative partnership between the University of Mary and Arizona State University (ASU), you can study for a semester at ASU, while enrolling in Catholic studies courses taught by University of Mary faculty on the ASU campus.

Mary College at ASU is an opportunity for Mary students with a missionary heart to take the Catholic life out into the world.

Program Information

Please visit our catalog for admission requirements and a full list of our courses.

Three students studying abroad in Rome listening to commentary on headsets while admiring a classical painting in a museum

What is Catholic Studies?

Learn about the Key Aspects of Catholic Studies at the University of Mary. 

Careers & Outcomes

Employment Trends

Because the Catholic studies major is intentionally designed as a double major, the program prepares graduates to enter a wide variety of career paths — enriched by their understanding of the Church’s contributions to human thought. From religious vocations to business to law to medicine, Catholic studies alumni are guided by Benedictine values and are servant leaders in their professions and their communities. 

Career Paths

  • Lawyer
  • Entrepreneur
  • Educator
  • Nonprofit Director
  • Engineer
  • Priest or Religious
  • Youth Ministry Director

My experience in Catholic studies is one that has blessed me immeasurably. I learned how receiving the inheritance of the Catholic intellectual tradition integrates the truth of faith with the truth of reason — it enlightens not just the academic mind, but life as a whole. Catholic studies taught me to love truth and to let it lead me to greatness.

Kayla Keller, ’18

Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Catholic Studies Dr. Scott Cleveland and students share what it’s like to study Catholic studies at Mary.

Featured Faculty

W. Scott Cleveland, PhD

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Associate Professor of Catholic Studies

I am a philosopher, teacher, and part of the interdisciplinary community of faculty and students that is Catholic Studies. My scholarly work focuses on virtue, emotion, happiness, philosophy of religion, and philosophical theology. Prior to my time at University of Mary, I conducted postdoctoral research at Saint Louis University on the virtue of intellectual humility. I enjoy running, mountain biking, reading literature, and spending time with my wife, who is also a philosopher, working in metaphysics, and my daughter and two sons, who we hope will come to see the inseparability of ethics and metaphysics.

View Profile

Full Catholic Studies Listing

Mark Heffley, PhD

Assistant Professor of Theology, Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies

Kathleen Kirsch, PhD

Assistant Professor of Classics and Catholic Studies, Director of the Summer Latin Institute

Brendan Thorp

Instructor of Humanities, Instructor of Catholic Studies

Donald J. Bungum, PhD

Director of Philosophy, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Associate Professor of Catholic Studies

Take Your Next Step in Catholic Studies