History
From its foundation The Catholic University of America has given academic priority to theology and religious studies and related disciplines. Initially the academic programs in these areas were offered in the School of Sacred Sciences (1889). In time there emerged the School of Canon Law (1923), followed by the Seminary Program (1931), and, within the School of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Religion (1932). The original School of Sacred Sciences was later divided into The School of Sacred Theology and The School of Philosophy (1937). In 1970 The Liturgical Studies Program was instituted. After an extensive review of programs and structures, the Board of Trustees approved a recommendation by the Academic Senate to establish a new School of Religious Studies in September 1973. The school was composed of five departments: biblical studies, canon law, church history, religion and religious education, and theology. In 2002, the Board of Trustees, in accordance with the recommendation of the Academic Senate, voted that the canon law department be reestablished as the School of Canon Law and that the remaining academic units of the school become programs in the School of Theology and Religious Studies. By thus coordinating existing units, The Catholic University of America established the School of Theology and Religious Studies as a national center of academic research, instruction, and service.
The School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.