Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology

The ICT 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!

Purpose

The ICT Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology aims to prepare students for 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 towards a certificate from the ICT as well as college credit from Franciscan.

Benefits of the Program

The ICT Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology 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 Vocations: 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 Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology 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

Required Courses:

ICT 101 Foundations of Catholicism
ICT 102 The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition
ICT 103 Christian Moral Principles

Plus one elective, from any of the other ICT undergrad courses:

ICT 104: Catholic Social Teaching
ICT 105 Theology of the Body
ICT 106 Christian Spirituality
ICT 107 Ministry of the Word
ICT 108 Human and Spiritual Integration
ICT 109 Philosophy of the Human Person

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 Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology from the Institute.

Schedule and Location

Dates, times and locations of courses vary. Please see the events page for upcoming courses.

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

Tuition & Books

Undergraduate Tuition:

- $450/Course

- $300/Course for Current High School Upperclassmen/College/University Students

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.

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

Before the beginning of class, students can pay in full or can select a payment plan.

Tuition does not include textbooks. Students are responsible for obtaining textbooks/class resources.

Upcoming Courses

Course Schedule - Click Here

Course Descriptions

Required Courses

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.

Electives

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.

ICT 105: Theology of the Body

Through a careful study of “the theology of the body” developed by Pope St. John Paul II in Man and Woman He Created Them, this course exams the deep connections between Christian anthropology, sexual ethics, and sacramental spirituality and the significance of embodiment within the Catholic tradition. While addressing specific questions regarding sexuality, love, and marriage and continence for the Kingdom, this course also provides an understanding of how the theology of the body presents a vision the dignity and vocation of the human person through the lens of salvation history and its culmination in the mystery of redemption in Jesus Christ.

ICT 106: Christian Spirituality

Christian Spirituality is designed to open the student to the themes of holiness in Scripture and to point out the different Fathers of the Church and other spiritual masters and the uniqueness in their spirituality. The course will also investigate some modern authors in the spiritual life and provide the principles of growth in holiness, their applications to historical and cultural situations, and their implications concerning life in the modern world.

ICT 107: Ministry of the Word

This course provides a survey of the content, purpose and functions of the ministry of the word, the particular focus on the nature of catechesis and theology. "The ministry of the word, within the context of evangelization, transmits Revelation, through the Church, by using human words (GDC #50)." This course surveys the history, methods, content and contemporary practice of catechesis, inspired by God's Pedagogy of Revelation and the Response of Faith. This course introduces the student to the graduate study of sacred theology by examining the nature and mission of theology as an ecclesial vocation, in light of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 1990 document, "Instruction on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian" (Donum Veritatis). The nature of theology is examined as a "science" in the classical sense, that is, an intellectual habit which certitude is available through rational reflection, in the light of faith, on divine revelation.

ICT 108: Human and Spiritual Integration

Human and Spiritual Integration is a course in contemporary Psychology and Christian Humanism. This interdisciplinary approach is designed to critically examine stage theories, normative behavior, human perspectivity, faith experiences, Christian conversion, and Catholic anthropology. Practical applications of pastoral psychology to issues of human development, character deficiencies, and growth potential will address differing strategies used in pastoral counseling, therapeutic intervention, and spiritual direction.

ICT 109: Philosophy of the Human Person

Studies what it is to say that human beings are persons and have freedom and subjectivity; the different powers of the human person, including the powers of understanding, willing, feeling, and loving; the difference between body and soul in human beings, and the unity of the two; and the question of the immortality of the soul. Some classic texts from the tradition of Western philosophy are read. This is a particularly fundamental course that underlies many of the other courses.

Application Requirements

Applicants must have sufficient mastery of the English language and be able to read college-level texts, execute written assignments with academic proficiency, and be willing to commit to all course expectations.

Students over 18 and out of High School

Students who are 18 years old and out of High School must have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

Students at least 16 years of age and in High School

Students who are at least 16 years old and in grade 11 in High School can take classes, upon acceptance to the program by the director.

Acceptance is based on a first-come, first-served basis.

Application

Want to start working towards a certificate and/or earning college credits?

1) Sign up for the course you want to take. 2) Once registered, locate the course in the dashboard. Start the course. 3) Go to the section entitled ‘Instructions for Certificate and College Credit’ and follow the prompts!

When to Apply

Students will apply online, and admission is rolling.

Fall Semester — Applications open January 15

Spring Semester — Applications open September 15

Summer Semester - Applications open March 15

Students doing homework must register for the course no later than 10 days after the first class.

Obtaining Academic Credit

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.

ICT undergraduate courses correspond to the following Franciscan University courses:

Institute of Catholic Theology Course	Franciscan University of Steubenville Equivalent
ICT 101: Foundations of Catholicism	THE 101: Foundations of Catholicism
ICT 102: The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition	THE 110: The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition
ICT 103: Christian Moral Principles	THE 115: Christian Moral Principles
ICT 104: Catholic Social Teaching	THE 320: Catholic Social Teaching
ICT 105 Theology of the Body	THE 395 Theology of the Body
ICT 106 Christian Spirituality	THE 409 Christian Spirituality
ICT 107 Ministry of the Word	THE 345 Questions in Contemporary Theology
ICT 108 Human and Spiritual Integration	THE 324 Human and Spiritual Integration
ICT 109 Philosophy of the Human Person	PHL 113 Philosophy of the Human Person

Frequently Asked Questions

What universities/colleges will accept these undergraduate courses?

All credits currently accepted at ASU, GCU and NAU. Units are accepted at other schools based on the policies of the particular college/university; please consult those schools directly.

ASU, GCU, and NAU Courses

Arizona State University accepts these courses as follows:

THE 101 Foundations of Catholicism	Elective Credit
THE 110 The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition	REL Department Elective
THE 115 Christian Moral Principles	Elective Credit
THE 320 Catholic Social Teaching	Upper Division REL Department Elective

Click here for more info at ASU

Northern Arizona University accepts these courses as follows:

THE 101 Foundations of Catholicism	REL 100 Level Transfer
THE 110 The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition	REL 100 Level Transfer
THE 115 Christian Moral Principles	REL 100 Level Transfer
THE 320 Catholic Social Teaching	REL 300 Level Transfer

Click here for more info at NAU

Grand Canyon University accepts these courses as follows:

THE 101 Foundations of Catholicism	Open elective
THE 110 The Word of God: Scripture and Tradition	Open elective
THE 115 Christian Moral Principles	HTH-330: Christian Ethics
THE 320 Catholic Social Teaching	Open elective

Click here for more info at GCU

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