CDU develops beneficial relationships with a variety of educational institutions and Catholic organizations. With convenient online non-credit (CEU) continuing education programs for all who wish to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Faith.
Let CDU support your group or diocese in its mission of lifelong learning in the faith. Constraints such as geography, staffing, time, and money often get in the way of providing a systemic program of study for adult faith formation, for laity.
Group Subsidy Plans
These plans offer a cost-effective way for your group: parish, diocese, community to provide high quality online programs in adult faith formation delivered in a convenient, flexible, and adult-friendly format. CDU handles all the details of course registration, eliminating additional responsibilities for your staff. Educational institutions and organizations seeking partnerships with CDU are encouraged to contact continuingeducation@cdu.edu for more information.
Dioceses
CDU partners with the Diocese of Arlington to provide high quality online programs and courses in adult faith formation. The online option gives each person in the diocese the opportunity to study the Catholic Faith alone or with a group in a convenient, flexible, and adult-friendly format.
Click below to learn more. As a subsidy partner, you can take the required seminars and courses at a discounted tuition rate.
Online Three-Week Group Seminars
Online Independent Study Courses
Non-Credit courses in Spanish for Catechist Certification
Catechist Certification Opportunities
Basic Certificate in Catechetics
Advanced Certificate in Catechetics
Anyone who obtains the CDU Lifelong Learning Advanced Certificate in Catechetics will also receive the diocesan level Advanced Catechist Certificate.
Catechists who have a Basic Catechist Certification may also attain a Specialized Catechist Certification.
Individuals are also invited to work towards receiving a non-credit certificate. The courses and seminars required for each of the noncredit certificates provide a systematic way to grow in knowledge of the Catholic Faith.
Online seminars and Independent Study Courses may be used towards the requirements for Specialized Catechist Certification in these subjects:
Apologetics
Church History
Morality
Faith Formation and Spirituality
Catechist Certification Renewal
Every three years, 10 additional clock hours (1 CEU = 10 clock hours) are needed to renew a Basic or Advanced Certification in the Diocese of Arlington.
CDU’s online seminars and independent study courses found on the Adult Faith Formation page
may be used for individuals looking to renew
The access code for the Diocese of Arlington is CDU15ARLINGTON. Click here to register for CDU’s Lifelong Learning courses.
CDU partners with the Diocese of Brooklyn to provide an online option for the Living and Leading by Faith formation program. The online option gives each person in the diocese the opportunity to study the Catholic Faith alone or with a group using a convenient, flexible, and adult-friendly format. By using the Brooklyn access code, all members of the diocese are able participate in short, non-credit, online seminars and courses at no cost to you.
Diocese of Brooklyn Catechetical Programs
Initial Faith Formation Component
The courses in this category are for those who are new to the Diocese of Brooklyn, have no previous catechetical experience, or need to complete a program of initial faith formation. For the granting of the Initial Faith Formation Certificate of Completion, 50 hours (1 CEU = 10 clock hours) of faith formation during the first four years of service are required. The four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church–Creed, Prayer, Morality, and Sacraments–need to be taken through the diocese The Catholic Identity component may be taken on CDU’s online portal using the following independent study course.
N066 The Catholic School: Identity and Leadership
Ongoing Faith Formation Component
After catechists have received the Initial Faith Formation Certificate of Completion, they will begin participating in the Ongoing Faith Formation component. To earn the Ongoing Faith Formation certificate, a minimum of 50 additional hours during a five-year period is required. The CDU online noncredit courses and seminars may be used to attain these additional clock hours.
Enrichment Faith Formation Component
After catechists have received the Ongoing Faith Formation Certificate of Completion, they have the option of choosing from a variety of seminars or courses, depending on their position, ministry, area of need, etc. Ten hours of catechist faith formation are required each year.
Approved seminars and courses for Ongoing Faith Formation and Enrichment Faith Formation
Online Three-Week Group Seminars
Online Independent Study Courses
Noncredit Certificates
Click here to register for CDU courses.
Forgot your access code? Visit the Brooklyn diocesan page to find it.
Holy Spirit Institute for Service and Leadership
CDU partners with the Diocese of Brooklyn the Holy Spirit Institute for Service and Leadership in the formation and education in both Spanish and English to select men and women called to serve as missionary disciples.
Visit the Brooklyn Diocese Website to learn more.
CDU partners with the Diocese of Corpus Christi to provide high-quality online non-credit courses and seminars for certification. The online option allows the diocese to provide solid formation and knowledge of the Catholic Faith in a convenient, flexible, and adult-friendly format.
To meet the updated Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department (TCCB-ED) Guidelines, PreK-8 Catholic School Teachers of Religion must fulfill “150 clock hours of undergraduate-level coursework appropriately distributed among courses in Catholic doctrine, Sacred Scripture, morality/social justice and sacraments/liturgy… [consisting of] online, non-credit courses offered by an accredited Catholic University.”
The following complete series of non-credit online independent study courses offered by CDU meet the TCCB-ED Guideline Requirements as approved by the Diocese of Corpus Christi Superintendent of Catholic Schools for PreK-8 Teachers of Religion in Catholic Schools and Certification in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
Accepted course series for certification:
| Course Number | Course Title | CEUs 1 CEU = 10 clock hours |
| SCRPT N004 | Introduction to Scripture and the Gospel Message | 1 |
| THEO N005 | The Profession of Faith | 2 |
| THEO N006 | The Celebration of Christian Mystery | 3 |
| THEO N007 | Life in Christ | 3 |
| THEO N008 | Christian Prayer | 2 |
| RELED N042 | Forming Disciples: Basic Tasks of Catechesis | 1 |
| THEO N004 | Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church | 2 |
| SCRPT N113 | The Way Catholics Use Scripture: Pope Benedict’s Verbum Domini | 1 |
Be sure to use access code 16CORPUSCHRISTI when creating your user profile on the website to receive the discounted tuition rate.
To Complete CDU Online Independent Study Courses
- View and/or listen to lesson lectures
- Complete graded assignments [open book – Grade of 80 or higher required to receive credit]
- Complete course within allotted two months
- After successfully completing a course, download a course certificate or transcript from the Lifelong Learning website that confirms completion of the course and the corresponding CEU’s/clock hours awarded.
- Provide one copy of the course certificate(s) to their school principal in order to receive partial reimbursement for the $45 fee.
- Provide one copy of the course certificate(s) or along with the application for certification to
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Diocese of Corpus Christi
620 Lipan St.
Corpus Christi, Texas 78403
or send by Fax: 361-693-6731
or send by email: Nannette Hatch
(nhatch@diocesecc.org) AND
Heath Garcia (hgarcia@diocesecc.org)
- The individual must assure that the application is complete. Incomplete applications will be returned.
CDU partners with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis to provide high quality online certificates and courses in adult faith formation. The online option allows the Archdiocese to provide solid formation and certification delivered in a convenient, flexible, and adult-friendly format. This partnership also permits members of the Indianapolis Archdiocese to experience CDU noncredit seminars and noncredit Catechism courses at a discounted tuition rate of $75 per seminar or course. Members are also invited to obtain any of CDU’s noncredit certificates. The required courses and seminars offer a systematic approach to grow in knowledge of the Catholic faith. Click below to learn more. As a subsidy partner, you can take the required seminars and courses at a discounted tuition rate.
Basic Catechetical Formation
The following courses have been approved by the archdiocese for Basic Catechetical Formation. All of these courses are in the independent study format.
Ministry Specific Essentials
Any of CDU’s online seminars may be used for individuals looking for noncredit formation in specific diocesan and parish ministries. Visit the Online Seminar page to learn more.
Adult Faith Formation
Faith formation is a lifelong journey. Just as we are required to stay current in our professional lives, the Church calls us to continue growing in knowledge of our faith. CDU’s noncredit courses and seminars offer adults a carefully designed curriculum of doctrinal, moral, and spiritual formation that combines high quality, faithful teachings in a convenient online learning format.
The access code for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis is CDU16INDIANAPOL. Click here to find out how to register for a course or seminar.
Visit your diocesan page for more questions.
CDU offers something stimulating for every Catechist and every adult in the archdiocese:
For Catechists Certification:
- Basic Certificate in Catechetics: For Catechists and Coordinators of Religious Education (CRE) who do not hold a Master’s in Theology or related field are encouraged to pursue the Certificate in Catechesis offered by CDU.
- CDU courses correlate to the 14 curriculum standards.
- 60+ online independent study courses and seminars
- Non-credit certificates
Adult Faith Formation
For all Adults in the Archdiocese for the Military Services who wish to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Faith:
- Choose from one of CDU’s short noncredit seminars or independent study courses for busy adults!
- Earn a CDU noncredit certificate
Click HERE to register. To receive your discount, be sure to apply the AMS access code: CDU15MILITARY
CDU partners with the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston to provide basic catechetical certification online for all catechists and Catholic school teachers.
Click here for information about the following certificates:
Basic Certificate in Catechetics
Advanced Certificate in Catechetics
Basic Certificate in Catholic Education
Click here for a list of all CDU Independent Study courses.
Click here for Online Three-Week Group Seminars on Apologetics.
The access code for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is CDU20DIOCESEWC. When registering for a course, be sure to use this access code to ensure that the Diocese pays 100% of the course tuition. Click here to register for CDU courses.
