HI LEVICOFF -- Sorry for the belated answer

Hi Steve,

I don't know if you remember our various discussions on AED about a year and a half ago, in which you were very helpful. I went under the handle "GratianJCL" As an aside, what happened to AED? Anyway, I'm the canon lawyer from Canada who was taking some distance education courses from a DETC accredited institute. You had asked the name of the institute and I had dropped off the group just as you asked.

I apologize for never answering, but just before you asked my wife went into labor, and after that we were adjusting to our first child, and then we moved to a better job in another state. I'm just now getting back into the distance education. Anyway, the name of the DETC accredited institute is the "Catholic Distance University". They more or less fill my need, since CDU is approved by the Congregation of Clergy to grant the Pontifical Diploma in Catechesis and I don't ever see myself using it outside of the Catholic Church anyway.

Again, my apologies for taking so long to get back to you.

JCL

 

Hi, this is not Steve but Craig. How was your experience with CDU? I found them to be a little expensive for a DETC school; did you find the courses to be content rich and well structured? I ask because local (CA) classes in ministry formation that I have attended out here, which I think might have originated out of Loyola Marymont University or the Ministry Formation Institute were horrible--an almost unbearable waste of time. By the way, glad to seee you here on Degreeinfo.

Craig

 

I would also be interested in finding out what what JCL thought of them. They looked interesting. I agree Craig that they are a little pricey and each course seems (based on my sample reading of the site) to contain a fair number of text books which are extra.

On the military base I was on several years ago there was supposed to be a LIMEX (??) program allowing you to earn a Catholic Masters degree. It never got off the ground unfortunately.

As far as I know for DL Catholic Masters degrees that leaves CDU.

North

 

Hi Craig,

I'm still going through CDU, fulfilling requirements for the Pontifical Diploma in Catechesis, although I haven't formally enrolled in the programme yet. I've enjoyed the courses, but admit the material is basic in that the courses I have taken thus far stick fairly closely to the CCC, the Second Vatican Council texts, and recent papal encyclicals. This is what I like about the programme, however, it leaves little room for exploration off the beaten path.

Having said this, since you aren't Steve, I better give full disclosure here. I have a BA in Religious Studies from a Canadian university, as well as a licentiate in canon law from Saint Paul University (in Ottawa, Canada) and the Master's of Canon Law from the University of Ottawa. Therefore, before undertaking CDU's programme, I was in a strange situation in that as far as ecclesiastical qualifications were concerned, I was not qualified to teach CCD in many dioceses, however, I was qualified to teach CCD instructors. What I sought in CDU was the opportunity to teach at the lower level. What interested me
about CDU was not so much their DETC accreditation as their
approval from the Congregation of Clergy (the Catholic Church's
equivalent to accreditation for ecclesiastical degrees.)

Anyway, CDU provided me what I needed. In terms of academia
and higher Catholic education, however, I still rely on my JCL / MCL from Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa.

JCL

 

Hi North,

I've never taken their courses at the graduate level, so I really
cannot comment. WIth regards to textbooks, one of the reasons
they aren't included is that they are for the most part standard
texts a Catholic should own before undertaking any post-secondary Catholic education (texts such as the Second Vatican Council documents, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, an approved translation of Holy Scripture, and a number of key papal encyclicals and curial documents.)

Having said that, I know a number of their courses at the undergraduate level, if taken for DETC credit (which is optional), have been accepted at a few RA accredited universities such as the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Regis University (Denver), Thomas Edison State College, Ohio University, Regents College of the University of the State of New York, International Marian Research Institute of the University of Dayton and University of Dallas.

However, I've never made use of the DETC option since, in my situation, it simply means more money and coursework for something I don't really need at the moment. In the future, I might consider the MA in Religious Studies because it might
meet our diocese's academic requirements for ordination to the permanent diaconate. At CDU it would be much less expensive for me to upgrade than go through the local RA accredited institution. But even in this possible scenario, which my bishop would have to approve, my situation is not a fair measure of CDU acceptance because: 1) The Diocesan Bishop has the power to waive diocesan requirements, and 2) I also have a JCL from a Pontifical university as well as a Master's in a discipline related to theology from a provincially chartered university from back home.

Yet like I mentioned to Craig, what really drew me to CDU was their approval by the Congregation of Clergy, not their DETC accreditation.

JCL

 

Catholic MA in Theology via DL

North:

International Catholic University (unaccredited) offers a DL MA in Theology. The work is completed through ICU and the degree is conferred by the (RA) Holy Apostles College and Seminary (Cromwell, CT).

http://www.catholicity.com/school/icu/icu1.htm

ICU also offers the DL MA in Philosophy (conferred by Holy Apostles College and Seminary)

BruceP

 

Re: Catholic MA in Theology via DL

Thanks for posting that Bruce.

North