STEP at the University
of Notre Dame and
Mary Immaculate
College in Limerick, Ireland,
collaborate to offer accredited online theology courses
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STEP is pleased to announce a new partnership with Mary
Immaculate College (MIC) in Limerick,
Ireland
beginning January 2010.
Since 1999, the Satellite Theological Education Program
(STEP) at the University of Notre Dame has offered quality theological
education to adult Catholics all over the world. STEP is a part of Notre Dame's Institute for
Church Life (ICL) which exists as an integral component of the University's
larger mission of teaching, research, and service to society and to the
Church. "The goal of STEP has been to
raise the level of theological understanding and discourse among the
faithful. The medium of the Internet allows us to try to accomplish our
mission in a truly global context. We are gratified and excited to
partner with NOSTRA to serve the faithful of Ireland," says Thomas Cummings,
STEP Director.
MIC's Department of Theology and Religious Studies NOSTRA (New
Openings in the Study of Theology and Religion for Adults) programme first
started in 2005 to enable adult learners to pursue an accredited, certified
course of study in a manner that is flexible and adaptable to their
lifestyle. They offer a range of modules, all of which result in credits
towards a Certificate in Theology and Religious Studies. Following on from the success of the past
four years, MIC has moved the NOSTRA Programme to the next level; with STEP's
help they are launching its first accredited online theology course.
Professor Eamonn Conway, Head of the Department of Theology
and Religious Studies, MIC, said that the internet has opened up huge
opportunities for education. "People who previously might not have
considered it possible to take a course in Theology and Religious are now able
to do so in a manner that fits comfortably into their busy lives. The
NOSTRA Programme is one of the most innovative and flexible courses on offer
which enables students to study at their own pace and select the modules that
most closely match their interests and needs. We're delighted to be able
to partner with the University of Notre Dame's STEP Programme to deliver this
online course. STEP has pioneered the use of online learning to deliver a
range of Theology courses up to post-graduate level. That expertise is
now being made available to us here in Limerick
and will benefit those adults who choose to study in this way."
This is the first collaborative venture between MIC and STEP. This is also the first time that STEP has
collaborated with a college outside the United States. Courses will begin February 15, 2010.
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