English Language & Literature
ENGL 101 – Literature of Western Civilization I
Introduces students to the masterworks of the Western literary imagination through Homeric epics and Classical Greek tragedy, framed by St. Basil the Great’s Address to Young Men on Reading Greek Literature. Students develop analytical reading and academic writing skills.
ENGL 102 – Literature of Western Civilization II
Explores literary and philosophical continuity from late Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including Virgil’s Aeneid, Beowulf, and Dante’s Divine Comedy, with extensive writing practice and research instruction.
ENGL 201 – Literature of Western Civilization III
Covers vernacular literature from the High Middle Ages to the seventeenth century, including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Chaucer, medieval plays, Shakespeare, Milton, and selected lyric poetry.
ENGL 202 – Literature of Western Civilization IV
Examines modern literature in light of the secularization of Western culture, focusing on tensions between Christian and modern views of human nature. Authors studied include Shelley, Hawthorne, Dostoevsky, T.S. Eliot, Evelyn Waugh, and Flannery O’Connor.
History
HIST 102 – History of Western Civilization I: Ancient Foundations of Western Culture
Introduces students to history from the calling of the chosen people to the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD). The course examines Hebrew, Greek, and Roman contributions as preparation for the Incarnation, followed by the birth and spread of the Church within the Greek-Hellenistic and Roman world, emphasizing the providential character of history.
HIST 201 – History of Western Civilization II: Formation and Division of Christendom
Covers Western culture from the fall of the Roman Empire through the Peace of Westphalia (1648). Through Christopher Dawson’s insights, students explore the rise of Christian Europe and the deep divisions between Protestants and Catholics that shaped Western history.
HIST 202 – History of Western Civilization III: Church and World in the Modern Age
Covers the late seventeenth through twentieth centuries, examining the secularization of Western society and the Catholic response. Topics include the Enlightenment, French and Industrial Revolutions, liberalism, fascism, communism, and the world wars.
Philosophy
PHIL 101 – Introduction to Philosophy
Introduces students to Ancient Western philosophy, including pre-Socratic thought, with an emphasis on Plato and Aristotle.
PHIL 102 – Philosophy of Human Nature
A systematic study of the nature of man, focusing on the immateriality of the soul, unity of the person, intellect and will, and man’s natural end in God, based on texts of St. Thomas Aquinas.
PHIL 201 – Ethics
Explores Aristotelian-Thomistic ethics, examining human action, virtue, law, and the ultimate end of union with God. Primary texts include Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and St. Thomas’s Summa theologiae.
PHIL 202 – Metaphysics
An introduction to Christian metaphysics of being, covering essence and existence, proofs for the existence of God, the categories, transcendental modes of being, and cognitional being.
PHIL 302 – History of Modern Philosophy
Surveys modern philosophy from Descartes to Nietzsche, focusing on human nature, epistemology, and knowledge of God. Includes contextual discussion of earlier and later thought.
Political Science & Economics
PSAE 201 – Introduction to Political Theory
Introduces fundamental principles of political theory through major thinkers in the Western tradition, with special attention to classical and Christian political thought and the transition to modernity.
PSAE 202 – Catholic Social Doctrine
Surveys the Church’s social teachings through the social encyclical tradition, examining their natural and revealed sources and their application to modern social problems.
Theology
THEO 101 – Fundamentals of Catholic Doctrine
An introduction to Catholic theology, covering revelation, faith, the Trinity, creation, redemption through Christ, and sanctification through the Holy Spirit.
THEO 102 – Introduction to the Old Testament
Major selections from the Old Testament are read within Catholic exegetical norms, focusing on the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Wisdom literature, inspiring a love of God’s Word.
THEO 201 – Introduction to the New Testament
Examines the Gospels and New Testament texts in light of Catholic exegesis, revealing Jesus Christ as true God and true Man, and introducing key themes from Pauline, Johannine, and Catholic epistles.
THEO 202 – Sacraments and Christian Anthropology
Analyzes how humanity is transformed through incorporation into Christ and the Church, focusing on the Church’s nature, grace, and the sacraments.
THEO 301 – Moral Theology
Studies human acts in light of reason and revelation, exploring beatitude, grace, virtue, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and natural law, recovering the living tradition of Catholic moral theology.
Additional Core Offerings
Classical & Modern Languages
GREK 301
An introduction to the grammar, syntax, and lexicon of Attic Greek to prepare students for studying Classical authors, the Fathers of the Greek-speaking East, and Sacred Scripture.
GREK 302
Continues the study of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to achieve reading fluency, with readings drawn from or modeled on the works of Thucydides, Herodotus, and Aristophanes, supplemented by passages from the New Testament or Cebetis Tabula.
GREK 303
Students read selected writings from fifth- and fourth-century B.C. Greek prose authors, such as Herodotus, Xenophon, Thucydides, Plato, Lysias, or Demosthenes.
LATN 101
An introduction to the grammar, syntax, and lexicon of Latin for students to progress as readers and writers of Latin.
LATN 102
Continues the study of Latin grammar and vocabulary to achieve reading fluency, with readings drawn from Classical authors or the Christian Latin literary corpus, including Patristic, medieval, or modern ecclesiastical Latin.
LATN 203
Students read increasingly sophisticated Latin texts drawn from Classical authors or Christian Latin literature, including Patristic, medieval, or modern ecclesiastical Latin.
Mathematics
To fulfill the core mathematics requirement, students take one mathematics course introducing the basic concepts and methods of the discipline. These courses highlight the role of mathematics in human knowledge, cultivate logical reasoning, and strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Natural Science
To fulfill the core natural science requirement, students take one science course, typically in the junior year. Through a Thomistic framework, the courses integrate modern science into the hierarchy of human knowledge and highlight the insights of both Aristotelian and modern scientific traditions.
Career & Life Skills
Education for a Lifetime
CCOL 101 – Foundations for Career and Life Success
This introductory course helps students understand the lifelong value of a liberal arts education and how it prepares them for meaningful work. Students explore their unique strengths, personality, and goals; learn the fundamentals of career planning and professional behavior; build a complete LinkedIn profile; and gain experience writing résumés and cover letters. Emphasis is placed on networking, involvement in campus activities, and discerning how their education integrates with future vocations, graduate study, and service.
CCOL 301 – Professional Readiness and Financial Literacy
Building upon CCOL 101, this course prepares students for the transition from college to career or graduate school. Students learn about financial literacy—including credit, budgeting, and debt management—while developing professional skills such as interviewing, job offer negotiation, and workplace communication. The course also provides practical training in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to ensure students are ready to succeed in professional and academic settings.