Academic Programs

In its founding principles, the United States Constitution responds to a Christian anthropology that acknowledges fallen human nature, free will, and the inherent dignity of man as imago Dei. Our Founding Fathers understood that political theory and practice must remain rooted in such fundamental realities. They established this country with the firmest faith in the wisdom of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Today, our country desperately needs to restore this essential conviction. As a nation, we need to understand and conduct government work without ignoring our moral foundations. And we need to pursue public policy that adheres to Christian anthropology and the rule of law and justice. Academic programs that form students in faithfulness to these principles are absolutely necessary to restoring our foundation in Truth and promoting policies that affirm human dignity.

Working alongside the Belmont House and harnessing Belmont Abbey’s track record of educational history, relationships in Washington D.C., and longstanding Benedictine tradition, our Washington, D.C. Academic Programming will include a Summer Honors Program for high school students, a D.C. Semester for undergraduates, and online master’s degrees in Government and Public Policy and in Political Journalism.

With a strong foundation in natural law and a faculty of exceptional scholars, policy leaders, and business people, these programs will emphasize virtue and professional work as natural expressions of the will and the intellect. Undergraduate and graduate students will have access to internships at all levels of government and in both national and international NGOs. A strong Advisory Board of policy experts will remain actively involved in mentoring graduate students and alumni and helping them build an invaluable and dynamic network of peer and professional relationships.