Program Overview
- Emphasizes the Catholic intellectual tradition.
- Offers a fully online liberal arts program for the professional development of catechists, parents, aspiring Catholic school teachers, those seeking a career in the Catholic Church, and anyone else who may later seek a higher degree in the liberal arts.
- Credits earned may be applied toward the BA in Theology Degree.
- May be applied toward degrees at the following Catholic colleges, enabling the AA graduate to earn a bachelor’s degree in a variety of fields and enjoy a campus experience for significantly less than a four-year campus-based education:
The Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts is a two-year program that introduces students to the Western intellectual tradition. Its rigorous, broad, and integrated curriculum is designed to foster a love of learning and the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty. This formation in the sciences and humanities prepares students for further study in a wide range of disciplines.
Program Goals
Students completing the program will be able to:
- Exhibit an appreciation of the unity of truth through serious engagement with the sciences and humanities.
- Explain and apply the relationship between faith and reason.
- Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of the Old and New Testaments in light of Catholic teaching and understanding of how these shed light on human nature and experience.
- Discuss knowledgeably the great sources of the Western intellectual tradition and offer insights into how they are relevant in the world today.
Course Lists
- 60 credits distributed as follows:
- Mathematics/Computer Science – 3 credits from the following
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| MATH 105 | General Mathematics for Liberal Studies | 3 |
| COSCI 101 | Computer Essentials | 3 |
- Natural Sciences – 3 credits from the following
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| BIO 101 | General Biology | 3 |
| BIO 150 | Nutrition | 3 |
- Literature and Composition – 6 credits from the following
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| ENG 105 | Introduction to Composition | 3 |
| ENG 111 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| ENG 310 | Literary Apologetics for Theology | 3 |
- Classical or Modern Languages – 6 credits from the following:
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| GREEK 101 | Biblical Greek I | 3 |
| GREEK 201 | Biblical Greek II | 3 |
| GREEK 301 | Advanced Biblical Greek | 3 |
| LATIN 101 | Latin I | 3 |
| LATIN 201 | Latin II | 3 |
| SPAN 101 | Introduction to Spanish Language and Culture for Ministry | 3 |
| SPAN 201 | Conversational Spanish for Ministry II | 3 |
- Humanities/Social Sciences – 12 credits from the following:
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| CHIST 214 | Church History I: Early Christians to Middle Ages | 3 |
| CHIST 224 | Church History II: Renaissance to Modern Church | 3 |
| CHIST 244 | History of the Catholic Church in America | 3 |
| HIST 201 | Ancient Civilization | 3 |
| HIST 211 | Christian Civilization | 3 |
| HIST 221 | A Global Civilization | 3 |
| HUM 228 | Introduction to Comparative Religions: Judaism and Islam | 3 |
| HUM 260 | Theology of Sacred Architecture | 3 |
- Philosophy – 9 credits from the following:
| PHIL 205 | Introduction to Philosophy with Plato and Aristotle | 3 |
| PHIL 235 | Elements of the Philosophy of the Human Person | 3 |
| PHIL 260/THEO 280 | Catholic Bioethics | 3 |
| PHIL 311 | Ethics | 3 |
- Theology/Scripture – 9 credits from the following:
| SCRPT 103 | Survey of the Old Testament | 3 |
| SCRPT 106 | Survey of the New Testament | 3 |
| THEO 101 | Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part I | 3 |
| THEO 102 | Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part II | 3 |
| THEO 103 | The Moral Life: Living the Virtues | 3 |
- General Electives – 12 credits
Year 1
Fall I
ENG 105. Introduction to Composition for Theology
HIST 201. Ancient Civilization
Fall II
THEO 101. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 1
COSCI 101. Computer Essentials
Spring I
SCRPT 106. Survey of the New Testament
HIST 211. Christian Civilization*
Spring II
ENG 111. Introduction to Literature
THEO 102. Cathechism of the Catholic Church, Part II
Summer
BIO 101. General Biology
HUM 260. Theology of Sacred Architecture
Year 2
Fall I
PHIL 205. Introduction to Philosophy with Plato and Aristotle
SPAN 101. Introduction to Spanish Language
Fall II
PHIL 235. Elements of the Philosophy of the Human Person
CHIST 214. Church History I: Early Christians to Middle Ages
Spring I
PHIL 311. Ethics
SPAN 201. Conversational Spanish for Ministry II
Spring II
HIST 221. A Global Civilization*
PHIL 260. Catholic Bioethics I
Summer
HUM 228. Introduction to Comparative Religions: Judaism and Islam
LATIN 101. Latin I*
THE CATHOLIC INTERNATIONAL ADVANTAGE
In a 2022 survey of Catholic International graduate students, 100% reported that they had achieved their learning goals.
Catholic International Offers:
- Authentic Catholic teaching
- Flexibility to study where and when you choose
- The lowest undergraduate tuition of any U.S.-based online university offering Catholic theology
- A global Catholic community
- Knowledgeable and accessible faculty
- Engaging online courses with discussion forums
- Mobile app for study on the go
- Online library staffed by a theological librarian
- 24/7 technical support
The AA program is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is recognized as a national accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The university is certified as a degree-granting institution by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
