Frequently Asked Questions
Aquinas College is a Catholic institution of higher education operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. Through academics, formation, and outreach, the College serves the Church by forming teachers, seminarians, catechists, religious sisters, and lay faithful in the pursuit of Truth.
Aquinas serves a diverse community that includes Dominican Sisters, seminarians, traditional college students, graduate students, educators, catechists, and adult learners pursuing personal and professional enrichment.
No. Many students enroll as auditors or non-degree students for personal enrichment in theology, philosophy, history, literature, and the liberal arts.
While teacher formation remains central to our mission, Aquinas also forms seminarians, religious sisters, catechists, parish leaders, and lay faithful through a variety of academic and formation programs.
Aquinas College provides academic formation for first-year seminarians of the Diocese of Nashville through the College’s Certificate of Propaedeutic Studies program.
We currently offer undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degrees in English, History and Liberal Arts; undergraduate Bachelor of Science degrees in teacher education for elementary and secondary education, and graduate degrees leading to initial licensure in either elementary education or secondary education. More information on each program can be found under the Academics link on the website. We also regularly enroll adult learners in courses for audit or personal enrichment purposes.
Inquire about our undergraduate courses & programs.
Inquire about our graduate courses & programs
Inquire about study for audit or personal enrichment purposes
Inquire about our new Certificate of Catholic Social Emotional Learning
We offer individual theology and philosophy classes each semester, which are open for enrollment. We are not accepting any new students in the BA Theology or BA Philosophy programs at this time.
No. Through the years, Aquinas has sought to be responsive to the needs of the Church and the local community, as manifested in the various programs of study that have been offered. Currently, Aquinas College recognizes the Church’s urgent need for well-formed educators and has responded by intensifying its focus on the mission upon which it was founded: the preparation of Catholic teachers. We offer our students a holistic, human formation in the liberal arts as well as professional formation to prepare them to serve as Catholic educators.
In a typical semester, our student body runs between 60-90 students, allowing for highly individualized instruction in each classroom and a familial atmosphere among students and faculty and a student to faculty ratio of 5:1.
No, we do not have on-campus residential life. We have a strong community of faculty, staff and students who participate in our regularly scheduled events, lectures, Masses, & Confession opportunities.
Aquinas College offers a variety of scholarships in addition to providing assistance with private loans. We do not participate in federal or state funding programs.
Aquinas forms those who form others. Through the formation of teachers, religious sisters, seminarians, catechists, and lay leaders, the College helps strengthen Catholic schools, parishes, and communities throughout the Church.
