Theology Program

[Slappo]

I added the note about a double major because I got a theology degree at FUS with no double major and now regret not having at least minored in business. Even if you are looking into the religious life, a business background is still immensely beneficial (help make financial decisions for the order, do the book keeping, etc). Really a lot of what is taught in business/accounting is applicable to life, not just to a set of careers :).

 

Also, although the charismatic renewal is kind of the spirituality of the school and res life administration, there is definitely a niche for the traditional minded and it is getting larger.

[Brother Adam]

FUS has a good theology program if you put forth the effort to learn. You can skim through their theology program without taking in a lot of knowledge. A lot of the reading is optional or not tested on and easy to skip. Certain professors are easy A and others are difficult.

 

The program is orthodox. The university is very charismatic when it comes to residence life, but most of the theology staff are much more traditional minded.

 

 

 

If you major in theology, please please please strongly consider a double major in something that you can use to get a non-religious job even if you never have ambitions to do that type of work. Get a business degree or something practical to go along with it. If you want to be a DRE or teach at a Catholic school or be a youth minister, give yourself a strong back up plan. You may find it doesn't suit you, doesn't pay well enough, or you can't find a job in the field. FUS even emphases this. Their theology program is designed to be easy to add a second major.

 

They make you sign a form now that states you know you will not earn a just wage and will probably not find a job in the catechetics field. Competition is brutal. I applied for my job when it was part time and paid squat. I was up against 2 PhD's and a couple of dozen MAs.
 

[homeschoolmom]

I'm sorry to say you won't be going to private colleges without paying for prices that are through the roof. If this is a problem I recommend going to a community college for two years. It really is a smart financial plan, and you won't be missing out on anything if you do.

My daughter would beg to differ.

My top level is around $25,000 per year. Benedictine is in the 30s.


UD used to be on my list, then I put my dreams in the trash with their $40 tuition.

Less than three people have reviewed the schools I'm looking at. Please. I have had Benedictine on my list. UD was on my list. I have narrowed it down to these colleges.

Tell me about Our Lady of Holy Cross

It's likely that no one here knows enough about those schools to comment. I know people here do know about UD, Benedictine, Chistendom, FUS, and U of Mary in Bismarck... so, those are the schools they will comment on.

[Basilisa Marie]

I'm a Mount grad, as is GeorgiiMichael.   What is your goal with majoring in theology?  Ministry?  Academics?  Just a good major while getting a liberal arts degree? 

 

Finances: Yeah, it's expensive...but no one usually ends up paying full "sticker price."  The Mount has big scholarships that you can get just by having a certain SAT and GPA, among other kinds of financial assistance.  Don't scratch it off just yet. 

 

Catholicism at the Mount is very diverse - there are many ways to be Catholic, and they offer many ways to explore Catholicism (adoration, Marian devotion groups, loads of daily mass, service projects, vocation groups, bible studies, small faith-sharing groups, every sports team has a deacon chaplain from the seminary...the full gamut).  So it's a great opportunity to go outside your comfort zone and try a different kind of "living out your faith."  It's what a friend of mine calls "invitational" Catholicism.  It's Catholic culture is very sound, but you get a fair amount of people who aren't Catholic and are comfortable going to school there. 

Theology: This follows with the campus culture.  The Mount's theology department assumes you've already gotten a sound catechetical education, so theology majors are plunged into "doing" more academic theology than just learning about the catechism.  There are some professors at the Mount that are at the forefront of current Catholic moral theology, particularly virtue ethics.  The professors take a strong interest in making sure the majors are doing well as a whole person, and some offer spiritual direction if they don't currently have you in class.  You can also take some upper-level theology electives at the seminary, if you get permission.  The ministry classes are really good, too, and their goal is to prepare you so you can get a job.  The philosophy department is very orthodox, and have a strong medieval/patristics focus. It's very Catholic.  

The business and education departments are also really strong - it's a good school to go to if you want a college that has good majors in addition to theology.  It's also a feeder school for the FBI - the recruit on campus every year.  

They make you sign a form now that states you know you will not earn a just wage and will probably not find a job in the catechetics field. Competition is brutal. I applied for my job when it was part time and paid squat. I was up against 2 PhD's and a couple of dozen MAs.
 

 

WHAT ARE YOU SERIOUS? 

 

Dang.  

 

I guess the moral of the story is to double major and/or prepare for grad school. 

[Nihil Obstat]

The 'rumour' these days, if you want to call it that, is that we are seeing the late stages of a pretty serious graduate bubble right now, as in masters and phd degrees. So something to consider as well.

[LadyOfSorrows]

I have experience at both Ave Maria and the Mount. Both take different approaches to their Theology programs. They are both solid, but it's more of a hit or miss at the Mount with some courses/professors.

 

If you're looking for orthodoxy, I'd go for Ave Maria. PLUS, you get great "bang for your buck." They give fantastic scholarships and I paid half as much as I paid to go to Mount. The professors there are rock solid and are bold because they know that their students are bold. It is a different environment from the Mount in that almost everyone is a practicing Catholic and knew that when they applied. Even in theology classes with non-majors, the students are respectful, interested, kind, willing to learn and contribute. They have some incredible professors who are world renowned. One translated the Theology of the Body into English and another one wrote the popular book "Salvation is from the Jews," and often appears on EWTN. There are "households" on campus that you can join, each taking on a Catholic theme where you can grow in community and do things together. I briefly visited the St. Gianna Household, which is mainly a pro-life group of girls that put on fun events and get together after Mass on Sundays. There is a 24-hour adoration chapel on campus, and the students know how to have good fun on the weekends that isn't overly crazy and done in good taste.

 

The Mount has a good theology program as well, but it's different due to the make-up of the students. It's more like a typical college campus-- although a really beautiful environment due to its history (much more history than Ave Maria). Although I do appreciate the education I've received from the Mount, I can definitely say that in terms of what I've read and been exposed to during my short time at Ave Maria, I would definitely recommend Ave over the Mount for that particular program. If you would like more detailed information about why this is, I could explain it to you over a message...

 

Another poster pointed out that the Philosophy program at the Mount is very good as well. Many Theology majors choose to also major in Philosophy at the Mount. If you were to look at the Mount, that may be a good idea.

 

 

[LadyOfSorrows]

Theology: This follows with the campus culture.  The Mount's theology department assumes you've already gotten a sound catechetical education, so theology majors are plunged into "doing" more academic theology than just learning about the catechism.  There are some professors at the Mount that are at the forefront of current Catholic moral theology, particularly virtue ethics.  The professors take a strong interest in making sure the majors are doing well as a whole person, and some offer spiritual direction if they don't currently have you in class.  You can also take some upper-level theology electives at the seminary, if you get permission.  The ministry classes are really good, too, and their goal is to prepare you so you can get a job.  The philosophy department is very orthodox, and have a strong medieval/patristics focus. It's very Catholic. 

 

The Mount theology department doesn't just assume that you can have a sound catechetical education before going to college. I don't believe this is true and it certainly doesn't seem as if many of the theology grads came in knowing their catechism, and it probably isn't true that any other major would come to college knowing their field.

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

Many have mentioned finances - I've heard good things about the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. They're striving to offer a really inexpensive annual rate, check it out:

http://www.umary.edu/finances/undergraduate/tuition.php

 

Also, there are a few state universities that offer minors in Catholic theological studies, in cooperation with a Newman center, etc. off campus. You might major in philosophy or history, etc. while studying the minor.

[Basilisa Marie]

The Mount theology department doesn't just assume that you can have a sound catechetical education before going to college. I don't believe this is true and it certainly doesn't seem as if many of the theology grads came in knowing their catechism, and it probably isn't true that any other major would come to college knowing their field.

 

Well, technically I never said it was a completely accurate assumption - for what it's worth, I included the need for a mandatory catechism-style class as a 100 level for all majors in my exit interview comments.  I do think you can get a better experience from the program if you already know your catechism.  And I would argue that there's a big difference between "knowing your field" and knowing what the Catechism says...

 

But you probably already knew I'd say something like that.   :saint2:

[OnlySunshine]

What about Aquinas College in Nashville, TN?  It's run (and was founded by) the Nashville Dominicans.  It's actually cheaper than FUS and Ave Maria.

 

Their theology program is rock-solid and they are a liberal arts school.

 

They are recommended by the Newman Guide.

 

http://thenewmanguide.com/TheNewmanGuide/RecommendedColleges/AquinasCollege.aspx

Edited February 6, 2013 by MaterMisericordiae

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

Many have mentioned finances - I've heard good things about the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. They're striving to offer a really inexpensive annual rate, check it out:

http://www.umary.edu/finances/undergraduate/tuition.php

 

Also, there are a few state universities that offer minors in Catholic theological studies, in cooperation with a Newman center, etc. off campus. You might major in philosophy or history, etc. while studying the minor.

If my math is right, the University of Mary is $13,600 per year. Ave Maria is $20,800; FUS is $21,740.

 

They're also on the Newman Guide:

http://thenewmanguide.com/TheNewmanGuide/RecommendedColleges/UniversityofMary.aspx

Edited February 6, 2013 by thedude

[homeschoolmom]

If my math is right, the University of Mary is $13,600 per year. Ave Maria is $20,800; FUS is $21,740.

 

They're also on the Newman Guide:

http://thenewmanguide.com/TheNewmanGuide/RecommendedColleges/UniversityofMary.aspx

Also, if you graduated from a Catholic HS, you can look into having room and board covered at U of Mary in Bismarck.

[Papist]

Belmont Abbey College located in Belmont, NC, which borders Charlotte. Great school with a great Catholic culture. 

 

http://www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/

 

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

I can't really be of much help or offer much advice on this. I'm looking into secular schools because I've found good programs in various specialty fields of medicine sorely lacking in most private Catholic schools. Or at least for what I'm looking for. Cognitive neuroscience with a compatible psychology program is just not something I've been able to find in a Catholic school so far. ;)

Anyway, before I started seriously considering the neuropsychology route, I was really interested in Ave Maria. I've heard really great things about the school.

[Basilisa Marie]

For what it's worth, if you're really serious about saving money, there are a lot of state schools that have a great Newman center, so you can still be involved with a good Catholic culture on campus.  Because for a lot of places, the reality is that you can either go to a Catholic college, or save money.  It's really, really hard to find both.