Civil and Ecclesiastical Degrees to Serve the Church

As the only Catholic Canon Law program in the United States, students of Catholic University’s School of Canon Law are uniquely prepared for professional practice in dioceses around the world.

Our comprehensive curriculum presupposes a background in theological and philosophical training, otherwise known as the First Cycle. Once students have completed a graduate degree in theology or have received extensive training in philosophy, they will be ushered into the Second Cycle, which grants the J.C.L degree, the licentiate in canon law. The Third Cycle follows, bestowing upon students the J.C.D. degree, the doctorate in canon law.