Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Studies, B.A.(CATH), is a 93 credit program. Newman Theological College’s distinctive Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Studies provides an integrated immersion in the Great Books of Western Civilization and of Catholic culture. The college’s motto, faith seeking understanding, expresses how the unity of faith and reason inspires confidence in the quest for wisdom. By engaging students in the fundamental works of Western theology, philosophy, literature, history, science, and the fine arts, this Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Studies seeks to inculcate what Cardinal Newman called an integrated habit of mind, a power of “viewing many things at once as a whole, of referring them severally to their true place”.

This journey toward wisdom is accompanied by a distinctive pedagogy rooted in the classical liberal arts tradition. Memorization, recitation, lectures, the imitation of beautiful models of prose, and above all, Socratic seminars, equip students to participate in the centuries-long conversation in pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful. Students encounter clusters of courses ordered historically and thematically. In their first year, students experience multiple-semester sequences such as The Catholic Vision, The Way of Beauty, The Divine Word, and The Trivium Alive that provide a foundation for later study, and foster intellectual friendship among students and faculty.

In addition, students not only learn about Catholic thought and culture; they themselves produce beautiful works based upon their study of past and present masters. The wisdom of the classroom comes alive as students perform public orations, sing in a sacred music schola, write icons, debate in medieval-style disputations, and defend their own senior research paper before faculty and peers, all in the midst of a vibrant Catholic community rich with opportunities for growth in the disciplines of the spiritual life.

Newman Theological College’s rigorous Bachelor of Arts degree in Catholic Studies equips graduates to succeed in any vocation or career and serves as a gateway to future service in education, business, law, government, journalism, medicine, ministry, homemaking, and more.

Note: This program is offered pursuant to the written approval of the Minister of Advanced Education effective (August 2020) having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the Minister. Nevertheless, prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (for example, acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies, or other educational institutions).

Admission Requirements

Alberta Students Admission Requirements

Applicants for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Catholic Studies must normally present their Alberta High School Diploma with a minimum admission average of 60% and a passing grade in each Grade 12 level subject as follows:

English Language Arts 30-1
Four subjects from Group A, B, C, or D.

Group A=Humanities
Group B= Fine Art
Group C= Sciences
Group D= Other

For Alberta applicants, admission averages are calculated using the blended grade that appears on the official Alberta Education transcript.

Other Canadian Province Students Admission Requirements

Applicants for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Catholic Studies must normally present their Provincial High School Diploma with a minimum admission average of 60% and a passing grade in each Grade 12 level subject as follows:

Four subjects from Group A, B, C, or D.

Group A=Humanities
Group B= Fine Art
Group C= Sciences
Group D= Other

The admission average is calculated using the best five Grade 12 subjects required for admission to the degree program (including ELA 30-1 equivalent).

Homeschooled Students Admission Requirements

NTC recognises and welcomes applicants from a homeschooled background, provided that they can show equivalency. Alberta High School Diploma Equivalency (with English Language Arts 30-1) can be shown by submission of any of the following up-to-date test scores and giving evidence of prior learning from Grades 10 through to 12:

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) score of 950.
ACT (American College Test) score of 20.
CLT (Classical Learning Test) score of 58.

Self- Recorded Homeschool Transcript in place of an official secondary school transcript. Must show completion of at least five academic subjects at Grade 12 level, including English. A minimum admission average of 60% is required and a passing grade in each 30 level subject as follows:

English Language Arts
Four subjects from Group A, B, C, or D.

Group A=Humanities
Group B= Fine Art
Group C= Sciences
Group D= Other

In either case, we prefer that applicants include a diploma exam result for ENGL 30-1 as an objective measure of a students’ readiness to embark on the reading and comprehensive heavy demands of a great books course; alternatively, a portfolio of high school work can be submitted to the Admissions and Evaluations Committee along with the application package materials.

International Admission Requirements

Applicants from the U.S.A for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Catholic Studies must normally present their Grade 12 diploma from an accredited high school or other educational institution with a 60% admission average, and course equivalents to Alberta Education Grade 12 subject requirements for this program. Equivalency can also be shown by submission of any of the following up-to-date test scores and giving evidence of prior learning from Grades 10 through to 12:

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) score of 950.
ACT (American College Test) score of 20.
CLT (Classical Learning Test) score of 58.

Applicants from Other Countries for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Catholic Studies must normally present their Grade 12 diploma from an accredited high school or other educational institution with a 60% admission average, and course equivalents to Alberta Education Grade 12 subject requirements for this program. Equivalency can also be shown by submission of any of the following up-to-date test scores and giving evidence of prior learning from Grades 10 through to 12:

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) score of 950.
ACT (American College Test) score of 20.
CLT (Classical Learning Test) score of 58.

All international transcripts must be translated into English at the applicant’s expense and by an approved third-party transcript translation organisation such as World Education Services (WES) or the International Qualifications Assessment Services (IQAS).

Degree Requirements

The B.A.(CATH) is awarded upon completion of 93 credits including:

48 core credits; 36 credits in philosophy including a final 3 credit senior research thesis and defence; and 9 credits of required transfer courses.

General Outline

FIRST YEAR COURSES

Philosophy

(9 Credits)

PHIL 110G Historical Introduction to Philosophy I *
PHIL 111G Historical Introduction to Philosophy II *
PHIL 120 Logic and the Art of Reasoning

Foundational Theology

(18 Credits)

FND 110G Introduction to Catholic Studies I *
FND 111G Introduction to Catholic Studies II *
FND 120 Exploring the Catechism of the Catholic Church
FND 130G Way of Beauty: Sacred Fine Arts I *
FND 131G Way of Beauty: Sacred Fine Arts II *
FND 150 Writing and the Art of Rhetoric

Sacred Scriptures

(3 Credits)

SCR 100 Introduction to Sacred Scriptures and their Interpretation

SECOND & THIRD YEAR COURSES

Philosophy

(27 Credits)

PHIL 210G Ancient and Medieval Philosophy *
PHIL 220 Social & Political Thought
PHIL 240 Philosophy of Human Nature
PHIL 243 Metaphysics
PHIL 310G Modern and Contemporary Philosophy *
PHIL 330 Ethics
PHIL 350G Philosophy of Religion *
PHIL 360G St. Thomas Aquinas *
PHIL 400 Senior Research Thesis & Defence

Foundational Theology

(12 Credits)

FND 230 Christianity and World Religions
FND 240 Christianity and Literature
ANY 200 level FND Church History Elective
FND 310G Patristic Theology *

Languages

(6 Credits)

LNG 101 Fundamentals of Latin I
LNG 102 Fundamentals of Latin II

Sacred Scriptures

(3 Credits)

ANY 200 level SCR Elective

Moral Theology

(3 Credits)

MPS 222 Social Teaching of the Church

Liturgical Theology

(3 Credits)

ANY 200 level SYT Elective

Required Transfer Elective Courses

(9 Credits)

Science Course (3 Credits) -100/200 Level Taken in 3rd Year
Math Course (3 Credits) -100/200 Level Taken in 3rd Year
Social or Natural Science Course 200 Level (can be substituted with PHIL 340 Epistemology) (3 Credits)

Note: * Indicates courses coded as Great Books. These are denoted by the suffix “G” and are only open for registration to B.A. students.

Glossary of Terms

Catholic Studies

“true enlargement of mind…is the power of viewing many things at once as one whole”
(St. Newman, Idea of the University)

Catholic Studies, as a multidisciplinary academic discipline inspired by the work of J.H. Newman, arose in the latter half of the 20th century as a response to a perceived lack of organizing principle within the contemporary academy, particularly within Catholic institutions. Well into the 20th century, broad exposure to scholastic philosophy as well as classical literature had provided students within Catholic Colleges and Universities with the metaphysical concepts and speculative habits that made possible a genuine dialogue between faith and reason among the various arts and sciences they encountered. With the loss of prestige of Catholic philosophy, and the reduction of theology requirements, students have increasingly found it difficult to experience the unity of knowledge that justifies an institution’s claim to be a university. Drawing upon the riches of classical and Catholic philosophy, theology, and culture, and benefitting from the broader curricular and pedagogical insights within the Great Books Movement, NTC’s Catholic Studies program aims to make manifest the compelling unity of faith and reason in our time.

Great Books

“Contact with writers of genius procures us the immediate advantage of lifting us to a higher plane…”
(A.G. Sertillanges, O.P., On The Intellectual Life)

The Great Books movement attempts to revive the curriculum and pedagogy of the classical liberal arts tradition in a contemporary setting. Great Books programs, as an organized movement of educational reform, arose in the 1920s in the United States, and later in Canada, as a response to the fragmentation and premature specialization then beginning to undermine the liberal arts curriculum. By returning students to acknowledged and foundational works of Western culture, masterpieces o f culture that stand in the company of Plato’s Republic, St. Thomas’ Summa Theologiae, Shakespeare’s King Lear, and J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, NTC’s Bachelor in Catholic Studies likewise seeks to recover for our time the richness of this tradition of education.

Socratic Pedagogy

“The unexamined life is not worth living”
(Socrates)

The classical liberal arts tradition, whose roots lie in ancient Greece and Rome, has formed the basis of secondary and collegiate education in Europe since the Middle Ages. Among the pedagogical methods utilized for centuries by the great universities of Europe, notably at Oxford and Cambridge, is the dialectical reflection upon a set text or thesis. This method of asking questions to incite exploration, typically among a small group of scholars, and within the context of a shared search after truth, draws its original inspiration from the method of Socrates as exemplified in the Platonic dialogues, and figures prominently within NTC’s Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Studies.

Procedure for Admission

Submit a completed Application Form and $55.00 non-refundable application fee (International Student Application Fee $250.00). Fall intake only for this program.

Arrange for official high school transcripts, SAT, ACT, or CLT test scores, Self- Recorded Homeschool Transcript*, and transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended to be sent directly to the Registrar’s Office from the issuing educational authority.

Letters of reference from two persons qualified to judge the applicant’s character and intellectual ability. Letters of reference should be from referees not related to students.

Autobiographical essay explaining why the applicant wants to study the liberal arts.

* Self- Recorded Homeschool Transcript Templates are available in hard copy in Student Services or online under the Apply & Enrol page of our website.

When all required documentation is received, the Admissions & Evaluations Committee will review the applicant’s file.

This program is a Designated Learning Program and eligible to receive foreign nationals on a study permit. See International Student Admissions for DLI number.

Program Goals and Learning Outcomes

Program Goal: The program will provide: Broad familiarity with the contributions of Catholicism to Western Culture