Throughout its 2,000-year history, the Catholic Church has had a strong commitment to the work of education. It was the Church that built the first universities in Europe where the disciplines of theology and philosophy, law and medicine were studied and advanced.  

While promoting the pursuit of truth at the highest level, the Church also has a particular commitment to expanding educational opportunities for all people, no matter their circumstances. Great saints like Elizabeth Ann Seton and Katherine Drexel, for example, devoted their lives to educating the poor and immigrants, those whom others had neglected or forgotten.

The Church’s commitment to education is rooted in our faith. We believe that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and is made to know, love, and serve God. We believe that every person is of inestimable value. And we believe that for every person God has a unique purpose and plan.

Inspired by this faith, the Metropolitan School of Professional Studies at The Catholic University of America is dedicated to providing adult students the opportunity to receive an academically rigorous education based in the Catholic intellectual tradition. Academic programs at the Metropolitan School are designed to meet the unique needs of every adult student and to give students the practical and intellectual skills necessary to advance their careers. Grounded in the rich teachings of the Catholic Church, our programs also provide students the moral principles to guide them as they strive to live out their vocations.