USD, in collaboration with the Office for Schools and the Office for Evangelization and Catechetical Ministry at the Diocese of San Diego, offers the only program specifically designed for teachers to earn their Basic Catechetical Formation Certificate, a requirement to teach religion in a Catholic school in San Diego.
Designed to provide professional development for religious educators to grow in their personal, intellectual, and technical capacities, this course offers a comprehensive presentation of the core elements of Catholic faith and practice. Through the study of Scripture and the teaching of the Church's tradition, learn how you can provide quality, effective religious instruction among the diverse people of God. Build the foundation of your pastoral, spiritual and theological knowledge online and then come to the beautiful campus of the University of San Diego for further inspiration and to learn best practices for teaching religion with your fellow teachers.
This program is in alignment with the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools. Specifically, completion of the program supports the following NSBECS Benchmarks: 2.1through 2.5, 3.4, & 4.1 through 4.5.Program Details
This course is 30 hours, 21 of which occur at your own pace online via the online instructional platform Canvas. Along with an instructor, you will determine a pace for completion that works with your schedule. All online instruction must be completed by July 31, 2026.
- Spiritual Formation (5 hours), which must be completed by May 29.
- Theological Formation (8 hours)
- Pastoral Formation (6 hours)
- Methods for Religious Instruction (2 hours)
- The remaining 9 hours occur at the Teaching Religion Summit, scheduled on Tuesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 8:30-2:30 PM
- Attendance at the Summit is required for successful completion of the course.
- The cost of this course is being covered by the Office for School of the Diocese of San Diego at no cost to teachers.
Upon completion, this certificate is valid for three years and subject to renewal.
Registration is now closed.
For questions, please contact ccs@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-7936.