Research
Theology students are invited each semester to enroll in 1-credit research apprenticeships with a member of our faculty. Opportunities vary semester to semester, but past projects have included research on Our Lady of Guadalupe, translation of St. Hildegaard of Bingen, and Catholic Social Teaching and community medicine.
Students who wish to complete a research project on a topics not routinely offered in coursework are welcome to design their own 3-credit "Directed Readings" course with available faculty.
Past courses have taken up topics such as the writings of St. Augustine, feminist biblical interpretation, theology and sport, and Christian spirituality.
Theology Honors Thesis
Senior theology majors with a qualifying GPA are invited to write a 40-45 page theology honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty member.
Proposals are submitted in the spring of one's junior year and, if accepted, require three credits of work in each semester of one's senior year.
Past theses have addresses topics such as Palestinian Liberation Theology, Joseph Ratzinger's theology of history, liturgical prayer for the dead, the Christology of Basil Moreau, biomedical ethics, nonviolence and the carceral state in America, and many others.
Bound copies of past theses are on display in 130 Malloy Hall.
Funding
The Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) can help you develop and find funding for many different kinds of research to help you make the most of your Notre Dame experience and expand your intellectual life at the University.
CUSE also assists students in applications for national programs such as Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, and Gates Cambridge Fellowships.
Rosemary Agwuncha traveled to Nigeria to research her thesis with funding from the Kellogg Institute.
Thesis Spotlight | Compassionate Care in Anambra State, Nigeria: Perceptions and Obstacles
"My research explores perceptions of compassionate care from the viewpoints of patients and health care providers in Anambra State, Nigeria.
Understanding these perceptions, the obstacles to compassionate care, and how compassionate care affects patient satisfaction are important components in creating better health systems.
I wanted to understand what the concept of compassion means for patients in the region of Nigeria I call home.
Through this research, I want to promote higher quality care that offers a more holistic and dignified experience for patients because this work has not commonly been prioritized."