Certificate in Catholic Apologetics

Participating in the undergrad courses has pulled my focus off the world and all its problems and made me focus on Jesus, His Church, His mother and His truth. Delving deeply into Scripture and the Catechism upgraded my spiritual armor!

Rebecca, Phoenix

The ICT Apologetics program helped me see that faith is not just an emotion, but it is connected to facts and Jesus’ own revelation. Through these studies, I understand how Scripture supports Catholic doctrine and how it applies to my personal life. I will profit from this for years to come. Thank you ICT!

Yelenny, Ontario, Canada

Distance Learning Option Available

Undergrad/Apologetics, Graduate Theology Classes

The ICT Certificate in Catholic Apologetics program aims to introduce students to the study of theology, while at the same time equipping them to articulate, share and live their Christian faith in every aspect of daily life.

To achieve this, formation is directed towards sharing the good news of Jesus Christ:

Catholics should always be respectful of the human dignity of others, including people of different faiths, or no faith at all. Having said that, however, Catholics should not be afraid to embrace their identity or to put their faith into practice in public life. In fact, each of the faithful has a call to evangelization and to share the good news of Christ with the rest of the world.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Catholics in the Public Square

In partnership with Franciscan University of Steubenville, the program can be taken for credit towards a certificate, a bachelor’s degree, or can be audited.

Certificate in Catholic Apologetics Program Description

Benefits of the Program

The ICT Certificate in Catholic Apologetics program is designed to assist adult Catholics, regardless of their age or vocation, to strengthen their love for Christ by introducing them to core theological concepts. The program will help students to:

  • Deepen their Love of Christ: The primary goal of the program is to deepen the student’s love for Christ through the study of Catholic theology.
  • Build Christian Community: Students in the program meet in-person in the in the ICT classroom and at a distance via video conferencing, allowing for the authentic building of community and Christian fellowship supported by instructors from the Phoenix area.
  • Strengthen their Vocation: The formation helps students to articulate their faith in order to strengthen their Christian witness through prayer and charity.
  • Prepare to Engage the Culture: To support the New Evangelization, the program helps students to live and renew the Christian life in today’s complex world.
  • Complement their Educational Goals: For those enrolled at other academic institutions, this program helps them to earn credit towards those degrees while fostering in them a Catholic worldview.
  • Prepare for Further Studies: For those considering a theological degree, the program prepares them to study theology academically, either at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Prospective Students

The ICT Certificate in Catholic Apologetics courses are taught at the undergraduate level and are suitable for any adult, regardless of the level of one’s catechetical/theological formation. The program is specifically geared towards:

  • Current College Students
  • High School Students looking for College Credit
  • Prospective College Students taking a gap year
  • Young Adults
  • Adult Catholics looking to learn and share their faith
  • Adults Seeking Degree Completion
  • Youth Ministry Core Teams
  • Parish Catechists
  • Catholic School Teachers

Course of Studies

Students take one class per semester, and the certificate can be completed in two years. Students are accepted on a rolling basis and may enter the program at any semester and year.

Year A: Academic Years beginning with an Even Number

Fall — Foundations of Catholicism
Spring — The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition

Year B: Academic Years beginning with an Odd Number

Fall — Christian Moral Principles
Spring — Catholic Social Teaching

Instructors

All instructors in the program are in full communion with the Catholic Church and will receive the mandatum from our local bishop and make the Profession of Faith as outlined in Ex Corde Ecclesia. Instructors have at least a masters, licentiate, or doctorate degree.

Homework

Students can expect up to two hours of readings and assignments for every hour of class.

Students who complete all courses with at least a “B” average or greater will receive a Certificate of Catholic Apologetics from the Institute.

Schedule and Location

Courses will be on Mondays from 6pm-9pm. Each semester consists of 14 weeks and offered in-person at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish.

Distance education option available. Classes available for live participation via video conferencing.

Tuition and Books

Undergraduate Tuition: $450/Course, $300/Course for Current High School Upperclassmen/College/University Students

To receive college credit, an additional charge of $150 per student will be made directly to Franciscan University of Steubenville. Details will be made available at the start of the course. Be sure to check with your college regarding the acceptance of these credits.

For those doing homework and interested in continuing education hours, 126 hours of continuing education are available.

Audit (No Homework) Tuition: $150. 42 Hours of continuing education available.

Payment in full due by beginning of class. ICT will discuss payment plans upon request. Tuition does not include textbooks. Students are responsible for obtaining textbooks/class resources.

Course Descriptions

ICT 101: Foundations of Catholicism

This course introduces the student to the teachings of the Catholic Church as it is rooted in Scripture and Tradition and faithfully proclaimed by the Church’s magisterium (teaching office). Besides an introduction to Catholic doctrine, the course will also include some discussion of Church history, prayer and liturgy, the moral life, and Catholic life and theology.

ICT 102: The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition

This course studies God’s self-revelation throughout salvation history as it has been received and handed on by the believing community in the forms of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Based on the Catholic doctrine of revelation and its reception as expressed in Dei Verbum, the course examines the central teachings of the Catholic faith, such as creation, fall, and redemption, Trinity and Incarnation, the Church and the Holy Spirit, as these have been expressed in the Scriptures and developed throughout the history of the Church’s tradition. Emphasis is placed on reading primary sources, including major Biblical texts, writings of Church Doctors and Fathers, major theologians, magisterial documents, and writings from the Franciscan tradition.

ICT 103: Christian Moral Principles

This course elucidates the principles of morality that regulate Christian living. These principles are studied as they are found rooted in the New Testament documents and articulated throughout the history of the Christian community’s lived existence, with a thorough look at the contemporary understanding of Christian moral theology as it is articulated by the magisterium of the Catholic Church and by theologians in union with the magisterium. Students will examine these principles as they apply to some perennial moral issues.

ICT 104: Catholic Social Teaching

This course is a broad study of general Church teaching on social questions with strong emphasis on the papal encyclicals and other Church documents. Major issues explored are poverty and the distribution of wealth, prejudice and racism, war and peace, criminal justice, the Gospel and the State, and international community and business ethics.

Application and Admission

Applications Now Open

Students will apply online, and admissions is rolling.

Fall Semester — Applications open January 15
Spring Semester — Applications open September 15

Courses can be audited (no homework); however, no certificate will be awarded for auditing.

Students must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

Obtaining Academic Credit

Students who transfer to Franciscan University will pay no additional cost for the credit.

Students who transfer to other universities will pay Franciscan University $450 per ICT course for 3 undergraduate credits. Payment to Franciscan University happens at the beginning of the ICT course.

ICT undergraduate courses correspond to the following Franciscan University courses:

Institute of Catholic Theology CourseFranciscan University of Steubenville Equivalent
ICT 101: Foundations of CatholicismTHE 101: Foundations of Catholicism
ICT 102: The Word of God: Scripture and TraditionTHE 110: The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition
ICT 103: Christian Moral PrinciplesTHE 115: Christian Moral Principles
ICT 104: Catholic Social TeachingTHE 320: Catholic Social Teaching

Frequently Asked Questions

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