Academics

Degree: At the end of the senior year and upon completion of all requirements, students will earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree (133 credits).

Course Delivery: The college is, and must be, a residential program in order to fulfill its mission as a formative institution.  There are residential faculty to assist with that formation, to instruct students in courses, and to take care of the various administrative needs of the college.

Accreditation: The college is seeking accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.  The permitting process, which The Collegium underwent for the State of Maryland, mirrors the accreditation process.  Therefore, we meet the requirements for accreditation.  We must go through the process. We are currently in the pre-application stage of the process.

Formative, Faithful, and Classical Liberal Arts Education

The college’s first concern is the preparation of students for a life that will lead them to heaven:

The Collegium exists to “cooperate with divine grace in forming the true and perfect Christian, that is, to form Christ Himself.” (Pope Pius XI, Divini Illius Magistri). To achieve this proper end, the Collegium assists the family and the Church in guiding the souls committed to its care toward the purpose for which God created them: to know, to love, and to serve Him,* so that they might share His everlasting happiness in heaven.**

The college, then, is as concerned about formation as it is about information. Thus, the residential aspect of the college is critical. The residential component of the college constitutes a program of prayer, centered on the traditional Latin Mass*** and parts of the Divine Office, work, study, and recreation. The formation is essentially contemplative in nature, to which the traditional forms of prayer are more naturally aligned. (This also serves the needs of traditional Catholics, for whom there is currently no college devoted to such a traditionally oriented formation.) In addition, a contemplative-oriented formation offers an excellent preparation for a life that continues to be anchored in prayer and work performed in the service of God, regardless of whether that life is active or contemplative, religious or secular.

The formative components of the college program are described as follows:

​Prayer: Lauds and Vespers are sung daily in the traditional Benedictine manner. All students are taught the requisite Latin and psalmody for singing these Offices. Mass is sung in the extraordinary form.

Work: The Collegium has an auxiliary enterprise, a corporate internship program, that helps to support the college. All students work in this program, for the spiritual benefits of work, to give them work experience, and to help offset the heavily discounted price. See some of the internship possibilities here.

Study: Students take five courses each semester. These courses are carefully planned and designed as part of an integrated liberal arts curriculum. The curriculum is discussed in more detail below.

​Recreation: There is time daily for hobbies, exercise, activities, sports or however students wish to spend this free time. The college does not participate in inter-collegiate sports, but intramural sports are organized according to the inclinations and motivation of the students.

In Sum…

The college provides a formation in Catholic living oriented toward the attainment of heaven through regular prayer (including Mass and parts of the Divine Office), opportunities for every student to work in support of the mission of the college, an integrated liberal arts curriculum, and, co-curricular activities that will support intellectual inquiry, spiritual formation, and moral discernment. The college’s fully integrated program also gives students knowledge and skills that can be applied to numerous vocations and professions. Finally, the college also provides a faculty/staff that is committed to providing exemplary models of Catholic living. Every member of the faculty and staff at the college is a practicing Catholic in full communion with the Church of Rome, is fully supportive of the purposes of the Collegium, and has signed the Collegium’s pledge of fidelity to the magisterium of the Catholic Church and its oath rejecting the philosophy of Modernism.

​^{* “Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth; where the rust and moth consume and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven; where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)}

^{** “Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him.” (I Corinthians 2:9)}

^{*** As the Collegium opens, the extraordinary form of the Mass will be available on Sundays, Mondays, first Saturdays, Holy Days of Obligation and major feast days. As circumstances permit, the Collegium hopes and intends to offer this Mass on a daily basis, but no particular time line can be offered at the present time.}

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Course Delivery: The college is, and must be primarily, a residential program in order to fulfill its mission as a formative institution.  There are residential faculty to assist with that formation, to instruct students in courses, and to take care of the various administrative needs of the college.

At the same time, The Collegium does offer online instruction

• to high school students seeking dual enrollment;
• to students who are not ready for a full-time residential program;
• to students of any age seeking to expand their knowledge of the faith and the Church.

For information about online courses at The Collegium, follow the link below:

Link

Music

Music is a particularly integral and distinctive feature of the curriculum. The daily Offices, i.e., Lauds and Vespers (One of these is replaced by Mass on days when Mass is celebrated.) are sung by the entire student body and faculty. The Collegium’s Mass is a Missa Cantata. The schola sings the more complex chants and works from the treasury of the Church’s sacred polyphony. Students with musical training will have opportunities to further their studies (at additional cost) and to use their skills in the service of the liturgy.

• Humanities: HUM 102 Ancient Greece, HUM201 Ancient Rome, HUM202 Early Middle Ages, HUM301 Late Middle Ages, HUM302 Renaissance, HUM401 Enlightenment and Americanism, HUM402 Modernity
• Theology: THL101 Scripture: Salvation History, THL102 Scripture: Revelation, Faith & Reason, THL201 Fathers of the Church, THL202 Aquinas: Creation & Providence, THL301 Catholic Doctrine, THL302 Moral Theology, THL401 Theological Science I: Summa Theologiae, THL402 Theological Science II: Summa Theologiae
• Philosophy: PHIL 102 Plato: Intro to Philosophy, PHIL 201 Philosophy of Nature, PHIL 202 Aristotle: Philosophy of Man, PHIL 302 Aristotle: Ethics, PHIL 401 Political Philosophy, PHIL Aristotle: Metaphysics
• Catholic Seminar: CAT101 The Mass and the Divine Office, History, Structure, and Theology, CAT201 Apologetics and Externals of the Faith, CAT301 Catholic Literature
• Art History: ART302 Classical and Byzantine Art, ART402 Medieval to Baroque Art
• Music History: MUS101 Music History I, MUS102/CAT102 Music History II, MUS201 Music History III, MUS301 Music History IV
• Catholic History: CAT101 Divine Office/History, CAT201 Apologetics and Externals of the Faith, CAT301 Catholic Literature
• Science: SCI101 Physics, SCI101 Biology, SCI101L Biology Lab, SCI401 Natural Philosophy and Modern Science
• Mathematics: MTH 102 Philosophy of Mathematics, MTH 201 Math Applications: Intro to Programming, MTH 401 Statistics
• Trivium: TRV 101 Logic I: Grammar and Language, TRV 201 Readings in Written Rhetoric, TRV 202 Written Rhetoric II: Composition, TRV 301 Oral Rhetoric I, TRV 402 Senior Thesis
• Latin: LAT 101 Elementary Latin I, LAT 102 Elementary Latin II, LAT 201 Intermediate Latin I, LAT 202 Intermediate Latin II, LAT 301 Advanced Latin I, LAT 302 Advanced Latin II, LAT 401 Advanced Latin III, LAT 402 Advanced Latin IV­­

Spring 2024

Art History

ART 401 – Medieval to Baroque

• Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 12^thEdition. (https://www.amazon.com/Gardners-Through-Ages-Fred-Kleiner/dp/0155050907); can be found cheaper used; Catholic Art and Culture (https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Art-Culture-I-Watkin/dp/1952826764/)

Catholic Seminar

CAT 101 – Catholic Seminar (Divine Office/History of the Liturgy/Pre-Science)

• Kwasniewski, Peter. The Once and Future Roman Rite: Returning to the Traditional Latin Liturgy after Seventy Years of Exile. Gastonia, NC: Tan Books, 2022. Either hardback or Kindle edition is acceptable.
• Fiedrowicz, Michael. The Traditional Mass: History, Form, and Theology of the Classical Roman Rite. (Brooklyn: Angelico Press, 2020). Any edition, that is, hardback, paperback, or Kindle, is acceptable.
• Other texts provided in class.

CAT 201 – Catholic Literature

• Alexander, Calvert, S.J. The Catholic Literary Revival: Its Development from Newman to Chesterton. Cluny Media (April 19, 2021)/ Paperback‏: ‎ 368 pages, ISBN-10: ‎ 1952826624, ISBN-13‏: ‎ 978-1952826627

CAT 301 – Apologetics/Externals of the Catholic Faith)

• Bellarmine, Robert. On the Marks of the Church. Translated by Ryan Grant. Mediatrix Press. 2015.
• Garrigiou-Lagrange, Reginald. On Divine Revelation: The Teaching of the Catholic Faith. Vol. I. Translated by Matthew K. Minerd. Emmaus Academic, 2022.

​Humanities​

HUM 102 – Ancient Greece

• Nagle and Burstein. Readings in Greek History: Sources and Interpretations. 2nd Edition. ISBN: 978-0199978458
• William A. Johnson. The Essential Herodotus: Translation, Introduction, and Annotations. ISBN: 978-0199897957
• Pomeroy, Burstein, Donlan, Roberts, and Tandy. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. 3rd Edition. ISBN: 978-0199846047

HUM 201 – Ancient Rome

• Boatwright, Mary, Daniel Gargola,‎ Noel Lenski, et al. The Romans, From Village to Empire: A History of Rome from Earliest Times to the End of the Western Empire. 2nd edition. Oxford University Press, 2011. (9780199730575).

​Latin

​LAT 101 and LAT 102 – Latin I and II

• Orberg, Hans. Lingua Latina per se Illustrata. Pars I: Familia Romana. Hacket Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 978-1-58510-420-8.

*In addition ALL students will need to enroll in the online Lingua Latina platform that will provide copious exercises.

• Cassell’s Latin Dictionary; ISBN: 0025225804
• Colloquia Personarum; ISBN: 1585101567

LAT 201 – Latin III

Required:

• Orberg, Hans. Lingua Latina per se Illustrata. Pars I: Familia Romana. Hacket Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 158-5-10223-7.

*In addition ALL students will need to enroll in the online Lingua Latina platform that will provide copious exercises.

• Cassell’s Latin Dictionary; ISBN: 0025225804
• Fabulae Syrae; ISBN: 1585104280

Recommended:

• Sermones Latini; ISBN: 1585101958
• Introduction to Latin Prose Composition; ISBN: 0865166722

​Mathematics

MTH 401 – Statistics

• Diez, David, et al. Open Intro Statistics. (4th Edition). The text is available in a free PDF or a print edition. See https://www.openintro.org/book/os/.

Music History

MUS 101 – Music History I

• Texts provided.​​
• Recordings: Music examples for the text on the site https://www.edwardschaefer.net/singlepost/2017/06/30/Recordings-of-Music-Examples-in-Catholic-Music-Through-the-Ages
• Manuscripts (Provided in class)

• • St. Gallen, CH-SGs 39 – https://www.ecodices.ch/fr/searchresult/list/one/csg/0359

• • Hartker St. Gallen, CH-SGs 390 and 391 https://www.ecodices.ch/fr/searchresult/list/one/csg/0390 https://www.ecodices.ch/fr/searchresult/list/one/csg/0391

• • Laon 239

• • Perotin Alleluia nativitas and Viderunt Omnes

MUS 201 – Music History II

• Edward Schaefer. Catholic Music Through the Ages. Hillenbrand Press, 2008. (978-1-61833-019-2).​​​
• Recordings: Music examples for the text on the site https://www.edwardschaefer.net/singlepost/2017/06/30/Recordings-of-Music-Examples-in-Catholic-Music-Through-the-Ages

Philosophy​

​PHL 102—Plato/Intro to Philosophy

• Plato, Republic. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. Various editions.
• Plato, Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo (Hackett Classics) 2nd Ed. (978-0872206335).

PHL 201 – Philosophy of Nature

Required

• Basic Works of Aristotle, Modern Library
• Rizzi, Anthony. The Science Before Science: A Guide to Thinking in the 21st Century. Author House. (478-1-4184-6504-9)
• Garragou-Lagrange, Réginald. The Order of Things: The Realism of the Principle of Finality. Minerd, Matthew, trans. Emmaus Academic. (1949013723).

Recommended

• Aristotle. Physics, or Natural Hearing. William of Moerbeck Translation Series. Coughlin, Glen, trans. St. Augustine’s Press. (1587316293).

​PHL 202 – Philosophy of Man

• Feser, Edward. Philosophy of Mind. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2005. Reissued 2006. (ISBN-10: 1-85168-478-6. ISBN-13: 978-1-85168-478-6).

PHL 401 – Political Philosophy

• Basic Works of Aristotle, Modern Library

Science

SCI 101 – Physics

• Rizzi, Anthony. Physics for Realists. (https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Realists-Anthony-Rizzi/dp/0981647006)

Theology​

THL 101 – Old Testament

• Brant Pitre and John Bergsma. A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament. Ignatius Press, 2018. ($40-$52). (978-1586177225).
• Brant Pitre. Jesus and the Last Supper. Eerdmans, 2017. (978-0802875334).
• Papal Encyclicals – (Provided in class)

• • Pope Leo III, Providentissimus Deus,

• • Pope Benedict XV, Spiritus Paraclitus,

• • Pope Pius XII, Divino Afflante Spiritu.

• Other selections provided in class.

THL 301 – Catholic Doctrine

• Muaro Gagliardi. Truth is a Synthesis. (https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Synthesis-Catholic-Dogmatic-Theology/dp/1645850447/)

THL 401 – Theological Science I: Summa Theologia

• Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologiae (available online)

Trivium​

TRV 101 and TRV 102 – Logic I and Logic II

• Basic Works of Aristotle. Mckeon, Richard, ed. New York: Modern Library, 2001. ISBN: 0375757996.
• Kreeft, Peter. Socratic Logic: A Logic Text Using Socratic Method, Platonic Questions, and Aristotelian Principles. St. Augustine Press, 2010. ISBN: 1587318075

​TRV 201 – Logic III

• Plato. Gorgias; and Aristotle. Rhetoric. Focus Philosophical Library. Sachs, Joe, ed. (1585102997).
• Hamilton, Alexander; Madison, James: Jay, John. The Federalist Papers With the United States Constitution: The Eighty-Five Federalist Articles and Essays, Complete and Unabridged. Pantianos Classics, 2018. (1720610525).

If a student wishes to prepare for a medical profession, it will be necessary to take courses during the summers that are not a part of The Collegium curriculum.

The table below is a general guide giving the courses that are required for various professions in the medical field. Students can use this guide to plan their summer courses.

NOTE: This guide is general. Students should check with institutions they would want to attend to be sure of specific requirements.