MA in Catholic Studies Program

What does it mean to see the world with Catholic eyes?

It means seeing God’s hand working in human history to save us, guide us, and lead us to him.

It means seeing a world where art and architecture, food and literature, politics and psychology, poetry, and sport can all be occasions for grace because they all can teach us about God and give glory to God.

It also means seeing the true, the good, and the beautiful, understanding that to know the truth is to know God, to desire the good is to desire God, and to love the beautiful is to love God.

In short, seeing the world with Catholic eyes means seeing the world as God always meant us to see it. It means seeing the world as it truly is.

And that is what a fully online Master of Arts in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University of Steubenville Online can give you: the ability to see reality.

The MA in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University of Steubenville is a 100 percent online program, and it can be finished in just one year!

Classes are offered year round in six sessions of eight weeks each. Students can jump in during any session, and since the program is only 30 hours, the full program can be completed in just one year.

Online classes mean maximum flexibility to fit into your life.

Franciscan University’s full online Master of Arts in Catholic Studies offers you an integrated Catholic vision of the world through a cross-curriculum program of study that combines theology and philosophy, history and literature, science and art.

You will take four core courses (course list below) that examine Catholic culture and thought from ancient times until today. To fulfill the remaining credit requirements, you will choose from an array of electives, including courses such as Philosophy of Religion, Natural Law and Natural Rights, Virtues and Morality, and more.

This combination will give you a framework around which you can build your life. It will make it possible for you to ground your professional pursuits—in law, education, business, communications, the arts, or elsewhere—in the Catholic vision of reality.

It will help you cultivate the true, the good, and the beautiful through your work in the wider culture.

And ultimately, it will draw you closer to Jesus Christ—who is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty—and help you follow in the footsteps of the saints, whose faith built a civilization rooted in Christ.

• Catholic Culture and Thought II: Ancient and Medieval, 1-1500
• Catholic Culture and Thought III: Modern, 1500-1900
• Catholic Culture and Thought IV: 1900-Today
• History and Theory of Catholic Arts

• Catholic Social Theory and Practice
• Grace & Conversion in Modern Catholic Fiction
• Introduction to Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of God (Natural Theology)
• Science and Faith
• Technology and Society
• Texts of Augustine and Aquinas
• The Thought of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas
• Virtues and Morality
• The Works of JRR Tolkien
• The Works of Dante

View full course requirements in the Graduate Catalog.

How to Apply for Admissions

Gaining admission to the MA in Catholic Studies program is simple, and we are ready to help you navigate the process. Here are the things we need:

1. Application

2. Provide official transcripts for your bachelor’s degree.
Official transcripts may be emailed to [email protected] Or mailed to:
Franciscan University of Steubenville
1235 University Boulevard
Steubenville, OH 43952
Attn.: Online and Graduate Enrollment

Note: No GRE is required for admission.

Associated Costs

The costs associated with the MA in Catholic Studies program include:

• $600 per credit hour x 30 hours = $18,000 (for the 24-2025 academic year)

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need help please contact Graduate Admissions at [email protected] or 740-283-6226 ext. 1