Certificate in Social Justice

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Audience

  • Certified catechists
  • Catholic School educators
  • Persons working in Social Justice offices in dioceses and parishes
  • Anyone working in Social Justice ministry

Prerequisites

  • You are highly advised to complete the Survey of Catholic Social Teaching course before registering for this certificate program.

Requirements

  1. Recommended: Complete the course Survey of Catholic Social Teaching.
  2. Complete the application form (use the link found below).
  3. Complete the 5 required courses for the Certificate in Social Justice.
    1. It is recommended that the course Parish and Social Action be taken last.
    2. Normal course fees apply.
    3. You are responsible for self-registering for all courses.
  4. Prior VLCFF courses required for the Certificate in Social Justice may count toward the completion of the certificate.
  5. Up to two courses taken with a diocese may be applied toward the Certificate in Social Justice.
    1. The Diocesan Catechetical Leader is required to submit a letter and course syllabus to the Director of the VLCFF indicating that the course/s was equivalent to 2.5 CEUs (25 clock hours of work) and met the equivalent VLCFF course objectives.
  6. It is your responsibility to keep track of your progress in the program: Keep track of the courses you have taken, and when you have finished the program, contact Richard Drabik with your request for your certificate of completion.
  7. Upon registering for this certificate program, you will need to register for your first course in either January or July. You are NOT automatically registered for the first course by completing this application.

Required Courses

  1. Advanced Catholic Social Teaching
  2. Scripture and Justice
  3. History of Catholic Social Action
  4. Poverty in the U.S. and Around the World
  5. Parish and Social Action - Capstone Course (should be taken last)

Textbooks

For required texts, please refer to the Course Catalog and note the descriptions for each course.

Register

If you are new to the VLCFF, please complete a user profile (in the Become a New Student page, click the link to create your profile). You must be logged in to see the registration link.