Catholic Theological Union (CTU) at Chicago is dedicated to offering quality theological education and ongoing formation for laity, religious, and clergy who are preparing for or who are already engaged in ministry in the United States and around the world. Institutional structures tasked with oversight of quality assurance and academic integrity include the faculty curriculum and development, academic policies and procedures, and assessment committees. Further, each program possesses learning outcomes which identify and measure academic and pastoral competencies. Course evaluations, student surveys and interviews, and program candidacy reviews further inform and measure the quality of student learning.
CTU is committed to assisting students with their financial and vocational needs. Through various forms of financial assistance – government loans, scholarship money, paid internships and student worker stipends – CTU is able to provide meaningful monetary support to those who need assistance. Approximately 65-70% of our lay students receive financial aid, much of which comes from internal sources of support such as our full-scholarship programs and general scholarship funds. CTU’s current lay scholarship initiative, Building the Church of the Future, continues its mission of raising substantial scholarship support for a new generation of lay leaders.
Moreover, educational effectiveness is measured by students’ ability to attain employment in respective career fields. Today, on average, 95% of our graduates find employment within 1 year of graduation. CTU alums now exceed 3,500, serving the Church across the United States and in 65 countries worldwide. They work in parishes, homeless shelters, prisons, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities, gang ministry, hospices, social service organizations, and myriad other ministry settings.
CTU’s health and vitality is contingent upon our ability to offer quality, accessible, and effective programs for those seeking theological and ministerial training. To this end, we take seriously the need to continuously monitor and evaluate, update and enhance our programs when and where necessary to ensure our programs meet standards for academic and pastoral excellence.
For questions and inquiries about CTU’s educational mission, assessment and effectiveness efforts, please contact the Academic Dean’s Office at deansoffice@ctu.edu or by phone at 773.371.5422.
