A new partnership in the nation’s capital will give Catholics preparing for a career in public policy an edge, with a solid foundation in policy and Catholic Social Teaching.
The Catholic University of America and the Faithful Citizenship Institute (FCI) have teamed up to help students who complete a graduate-level Catholic Social Teaching Certificate Course through FCI to continue their public policy studies. They now earn three credit hours toward a master’s degree in public policy from The Catholic University of America, in addition to other benefits.
Catholic University’s Master in Public Policy (MPP) program is the only graduate public policy program in the nation’s capital that puts the common good and dignity of the human person at the center of the curriculum, integrating current social science research with an ethically and philosophically robust framework.
Expert faculty are drawn from disciplines across Catholic University, including politics, economics, history, philosophy, business, and information sciences.
“This exciting new collaboration is centered on our shared mission to use Catholic Social Teaching to inspire the formation of better public policy in the United States. This brings together the practical training offered by FCI and the rigorous professional training of the MPP program. That creates a pathway for policy professionals to gain the skills necessary to put Catholic Social Teaching into practice,” said Richard Gallenstein, founding director of the Master of Public Policy program.
In addition to FCI graduates receiving course credits, all MPP students will have access to FCI’s soon-to-launch formation and networking platform, Fratelli. The two organizations will collaborate on events and programming, public policy professors may teach in the FCI program, and the MPP program may support FCI’s efforts to develop an online platform.
FCI’s Catholic Social Teaching Certificate Course launched in September 2025 with an inaugural cohort of 15 Washington, D.C.-area public policy professionals. Taught by faculty from Catholic University and national policy experts, the program pairs theological and philosophical instruction with practical application. Participants learn to apply principles such as human dignity, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity to today’s most pressing policy challenges.
“Our current political culture is marked by deep division that extends beyond Capitol Hill – even to our church pews,” said FCI President and Co-founder Jennifer Daniels. “By forming public policy professionals in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, they will reflect the light of the Gospel in civic life to serve the common good.”
The collaboration reflects broader interest in Catholic Social Teaching in the wake of the election of Pope Leo XIV. By connecting coursework, mentorship, and academic credit, Catholic University and FCI will equip participants to move beyond partisan frameworks and carry Catholic Social Teaching into roles across government, advocacy, and civic leadership.
FCI is currently accepting applications for the Catholic Social Teaching Certificate Course for Catholics working in public policy scheduled for fall 2026.