Catholic Distance University (CDU), located in Hamilton

Hamilton, Virginia

Hamilton is a town in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 562 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, is a private undergraduate and graduate institution that is "in the vanguard of Catholic distance learning." Established in 1983 in the Arlington diocese

Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 68 located in the 21 northern-most counties within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Clarke,...

 by Bishop Welsh

Thomas Jerome Welsh

Thomas Jerome Welsh was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Arlington and as Bishop of Allentown .-Early life and education:...

, CDU offers an accredited bachelor degree in theology completion program, a masters degree in theology

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

, and a variety of catechetical certificates. There are no residency requirements for earning a degree at CDU.

The goal of Catholic Distance University is to provide "accredited education that reflects a commitment to academic excellence." The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia authorizes CDU to grant degrees, and the Distance Education and Training Council

Distance Education and Training Council

The Distance Education and Training Council is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions.- History :...

 (DETC) has accredited CDU's degrees since 1986. In 2005, CDU launched its online campus. According to Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, in the academic year 2007-2008, CDU was the top Lay Ecclesial Ministry Program by number of enrollments.

CDU's programs take their cue from Ex Corde Ecclesiae

Ex Corde Ecclesiae

is an Apostolic constitution issued by Pope John Paul II regarding Catholic colleges and universities.Promulgated on August 15, 1990 and intended to become effective in the academic year starting in 1991, its aim was to define and refine the Catholicism of Catholic institutions of higher education...

. CDU is one of the leading providers of Catholic distance education

Distance education

Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...

, and was the first Catholic institution to offer an MA in Theology with no residence requirement. Several Catholic dioceses partner with CDU to help train their catechists. The school stays closely connected with the local Catholic bishop, Most Rev. Paul S. Loverde

Paul Loverde

Paul Stephen Loverde is the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington in Northern Virginia.-Early life:Bishop Loverde was born in Framingham, Massachusetts on September 3, 1940. He received his secondary school education at La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island, followed by an...

, who is chair of the Board of Trustees.