Religious Colleges and their Curriculum

College Search & Selection Christian Colleges
#1

Dear CC Community,

I’m recently considering applying to a program that is offered at many many schools, but is also offered at Gannon University. I’m applying to it, and is wondering if undergraduates at religious universities are really required to take theology/sacred scriptures/religious courses in order to graduate. Am I able/allowed to select to not take those courses? I have no religious affiliation, and I can see myself struggling to answer questions presented in these courses, that ask for answers demanding very faithful answers. I’m not sure I can survive these course!

Thank you,
New CC Member

#2

It depends completely on the specific university.

Gannon takes it’s faith very seriously (see [url=<a href=“http://www.gannon.edu/Student-Life/A-Catholic-University/On-Catholic-Identity/%5Dhere%5B/url”>http://www.gannon.edu/Student-Life/A-Catholic-University/On-Catholic-Identity/]here[/url]. I don’t know if they require you take any specific courses, but it almost doesn’t matter: the odds are good that if the thought of taking a theology course makes you uncomfortable you are not going to feel at home on a campus of people who have chosen a college that is overtly, deeply faith driven.

Fwiw, it is unlikely that theology classes at Gannon are catechism-type classes (ie, teaching you specific dogma). More likely they are about exploring a deeper understanding of the scripture.

As the program is offered at many, many schools, why are you looking at Gannon?

#4

Where else are you applying? Have you visited any of them?

Your GPA and scores looks solid for Gannon, but…there are required theology classes ([url=<a href=“https://issuu.com/gannon.university/docs/undergraduatecatalog16-17/66?backgroundColor=%5Dhere%5B/url”>https://issuu.com/gannon.university/docs/undergraduatecatalog16-17/66?backgroundColor=]here[/url).