Catholic Studies Major

Director: Dr. W. Scott Cleveland

Chaplain: Fr. Dominic Bouck

Degree Types: Bachelor of Arts (default) or Bachelor of Science (alternative)

Locations: This program is offered at the University of Mary Tempe site as well as the main campus in a collaborative relationship with Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

Program Outcomes

The Bishop Paul A. Zipfel Catholic Studies Program invites students to encounter the living tradition of the Catholic Church and to examine the Catholic Church’s comprehensive contributions to human thought and culture as she seeks to be faithful to the person of Jesus Christ. Rather than setting students on a specific career path, the Catholic Studies major is intended to be a second major that enhances the other majors the University of Mary offers. Drawing together faculty and students from across the university, the Catholic Studies Program complements any field of study and pre-professional training. It enhances the other majors by helping students to unite what they learn from multiple disciplines and their faith into a whole, to apply what they learn to their life and relationships, and to grow into integrated and flourishing young men and women.

Students will come to appreciate the vitality of the Catholic faith by:

• exploring the dynamic interplay between Catholicism and culture in different times and places
• encountering the complementarity of faith and reason within multiple disciplines 
• experiencing how the Catholic faith can enliven every part of your life 

Several courses, cross-listed with other disciplines (e.g. theology, history, philosophy, social and behavioral science, psychology, etc.), fulfill University core and liberal arts elective requirements, as well as program requirements for other majors and minors. The program is committed to a high level of faculty-student interaction both inside and outside the classroom. 2.0 minimum required to graduate with the major.