Undergraduate Program

University Requirements

All Notre Dame undergraduate students are introduced to the practice of theology as faith seeking understanding through a two-course sequence.

First Requirement

See courses that satisfy the first requirement >

The first course, Foundations of Theology (Theology 10-001/20-002), introduces students to theology as a discipline through an introduction to the Bible and Christian literature of the post-biblical centuries. In all sections students are introduced to the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and some post-biblical developments, though the organization of individual sections will vary according to emphases and themes chosen by the instructor.

While the organization of each section is left to the discretion of the instructor, and individual instructors will give added attention to one or the other of the three foci of the course—Hebrew Bible; New Testament; Early Church—there is sufficient treatment of the Bible so that the course truly qualifies as an introduction to both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. In like fashion, there is also sufficient treatment of post-biblical material so that students are introduced to issues in the reception, interpretation, and/or development of biblical themes.

Second Requirement

See courses that satisfy the second requirement >

Through the second required course, undergraduates are introduced to the riches of the Christian theological tradition; develop their theological skills, facilitating the critical retrieval of the Christian heritage; and, come to appreciate better their rootedness in the ongoing tradition of the believing community.

The course (taken between Theology 20-101 and 20-999): takes up a major theme or set of themes in the Christian theological tradition; subjects the theme(s) to systematic inquiry; develops the theme(s) historically, with attention to the full sweep of Christian history (i.e., the course is not be confined to a single historical period); and, in light of the systematic and historical understanding of the theme(s), explores experiential and pastoral implications. In keeping with the mission statement of the Department, the perspective of the second required course is at once Catholic and ecumenical.

From the first institution of this two-course sequence, there has been considerable variety in the ways these criteria for the second course have been met. While most 20-000 courses (1) focus on a specific strand within the Christian theological traditions (with either doctrine or practice in the foreground), interconnections among doctrines always become apparent, and in some cases (2) the interconnections have become the major focus of a course, which thus seeks to offer students a comprehensive overview of the Catholic faith. The variety among versions of Theology 20-000 testifies to the generative power of the criteria that unify these different courses.

Can I use transfer credit to satisfy my requirements in Theology?

Students sometimes seek to satisfy the university requirement in Theology by taking summer courses at other universities. Any student seeking to satisfy a university requirement by transferring credit from a course taken at another university must have this course approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Theology. In general, the policy on transfer credit in theology is as follows: One of the two university-required courses in Theology must be taken at Notre Dame. The first university-required course, Foundations in Theology (10-001, 20-001, 20-101), grounds students in the discipline of theology through the study of Hebrew Scripture, Christian Scripture, and the theology of the Early Church. It is unusual to find this combination of features at other colleges and universities.

More often, students will be successful in finding a course at another college or university that can be approved as satisfying the second requirement in theology. The second required course (at Notre Dame, those courses numbered between 20-101 and 20-999) examines a central Christian doctrine or theme within the context of the developing tradition, from the Patristic Era to the present. As with the first course, the second required course is taught explicitly from the standpoint of theology. Transfer courses receiving approval to satisfy either requirement must match closely the characteristics of the courses offered at Notre Dame.