Sacred Heart undergraduate students may take a 12-credit Certificate in Catholic Studies, which involves the interdisciplinary study of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Students take any four courses from approved Catholic Studies courses. Visit
WebAdvisor for current offerings.
Portfolio and Capstone Paper
To receive the Certificate, the student must compile a portfolio of at least one piece of writing or other creative work that was evaluated for credit in each course. Concurrent with or after the completion of the fourth course, the student will write, as part of the portfolio, a capstone paper. This paper will present the student's personal understanding of the Catholic intellectual tradition, or critically explain two major themes in the Catholic intellectual tradition; the paper must relate this discussion to each of the courses taken. The portfolio is due to the Catholic Studies Coordinator no later than the Add/Drop date of the semester following the semester in which the fourth course was completed.
Learning Objectives for the Certificate in Catholic Studies
Upon completing the four courses and capstone paper, the student will be able to…
1. Explain in detail one major Roman Catholic doctrine, and describe and evaluate how the Catholic theological tradition and major theologians have variously interpreted this doctrine.
2. Describe and evaluate ideas and themes that are characteristic of the Catholic intellectual tradition as these are reflected in at least two works of philosophy, literature, art, and/or film.
3. Using discipline-appropriate sources and methods, explain and critically evaluate (a) the role of Catholic institutions, persons, movements, and/or ideas in a discrete historical period, or (b) the interaction of Catholic and non-religious interpretations of a problem in the sciences or social sciences.
4. Evaluate Catholic ethical and/or social teachings and defend a thesis concerning an ethical issue or a problem in a profession.