Nesti Center for
Faith and Culture
Formation at the Intersection of Faith and Culture
Apply to an Academic Program Today!
About the Program
An Ongoing Dialogue Between Faith & Culture
The Nesti Center for Faith and Culture at the University of St. Thomas offers graduate graduate-level degrees and certificates designed for ministers and lay professionals seeking deeper formation for leadership within today’s cultural and social realities.
Founded in 1994 by the Rev. Donald Nesti, CSSp, the Center follows the Second Vatican Council in approaching culture not as an obstacle to faith but as the human space in which God’s love is continually incarnated and communicated. Through scholarship, dialogue, civic experience, and prayerful discernment, the Nesti Center seeks to form disciples whose human, spiritual, social, and intellectual dimensions are fully integrated in service to the Church and society.
Faithfully rooted in in the Catholic intellectual tradition, our academic programs blend research, reflection and dialogue to help students evangelize contemporary culture, attentive to where God is already at work. Through a renewed encounter with Christ, students are called to deeper participation in the life of the Church and to faithful citizenship that upholds the common good and the dignity of each person.
Our Curriculum
Programs of Study
The Nesti Center for Faith and Culture offers a range of graduate opportunities, including:
- Master’s Degree in Faith & Culture (MAFC) — a formational program engaging Catholic teaching and spirituality in dialogue with contemporary American culture
- Graduate Certificate in Faith & Culture — may stand alone or be applied toward the MAFC degree
- Master’s in Catholic Women’s and Gender Studies — a distinctive program exploring contemporary questions of gender and sexuality informed by Catholic teaching about the human person
- Specialized Graduate Certificates, including:
- Catholic Approaches to Sexuality and Gender
- Catholic Feminism
- Women’s Health and Wellness
- Gender and Family Policy
Students pursuing a Master’s in Liberal Arts (MLA) through the School of Arts and Sciences may also choose a concentration in Faith & Culture offered through the Nesti Center.
Academic Programs
Chart Your Course
Explore certificate and masters programs in the Nesti Center for Faith and Culture
Scholarship in the service of faith
Nesti Center for Faith and Culture Leadership
Dr. Kevin Stuart
Under the leadership of Dr. Kevin Stuart, the Nesti Center for Faith & Culture provides education and formation to help people examine, discern, and live out the relationship between the Gospel’s universal call to love and the values of the dominant American culture. Working at the intersection of academia, faith and ministry, the Nesti Center aims to transform hearts and lives through a sustained conversation about meaning, human dignity and fulfillment, and the enculturation of faith.
Student Experience
Holistic Formation,
Personal Transformation
As a student of the Nesti Center, you’ll join a community of fellow believers and ministers striving to live their vocations with deeper hope, faith and love. Together, we seek to discern how the Gospel transcends, challenges, and renews American culture, and how Christ is calling each of us to “full, active, conscious, participation” in the mystery of His saving love for the world. Each of our courses explores a particular aspect of the relationship between faith and culture, guided by Church teaching and enhanced by social science research, spiritual reflection and group discussion. Graduating students will apply coursework to their individual ministries or careers in a final service-learning project.
The Nesti Center serves:
- Professionals integrating faith with vocation and leadership
- Parish and diocesan leaders seeking deeper formation
- Men and women discerning paths of service within Church and society
- Those drawn to thoughtful engagement with faith and culture
Program Overview
Considering Faith and Culture at UST?
Find answers to common questions about academic focus, degree pathways, and student experience within the Nesti Center for Faith and Culture.
What is Faith and Culture as a field of study?
At the Nesti Center, we recognize that faith and culture are profoundly connected. Human cultures shape how people search for meaning, build community, and live out their deepest values. We believe that as a human creation, every culture reflects both strengths and weaknesses and stands in need of God’s transforming love. Our programs explore the essentially relational nature of the human person, called to grow and participate in the common good, and ways that persons and communities flourish when culture reflects and upholds the sacred dignity of each human being.
Who should consider studying Faith and Culture?
Our programs serve students seeking integrated formation of mind and heart to live out their faith and serve others. Studies include ecumenical and interpersonal dialogue, American history and public policy, social science research, virtuous civic engagement, and Catholic theology and anthropology. Programs are well–suited for those seeking interdisciplinary study grounded in the liberal arts and seminar-style courses.
What degrees and certificates are offered through the Nesti Center for Faith and Culture?
The Nesti Center offers graduate degrees and certificate programs designed to support academic study, professional development, and applied research in faith and cultural engagement.
How does the program approach contemporary cultural issues?
Our programs prepare students to serve faithfully and effectively within the complexities of contemporary culture and in service to the common good. Coursework and research explore questions related to ministry, family life, gender, social and economic policy, interfaith dialogue, and religious liberty. Rather than offering quick answers to cultural debates, we emphasize deep spiritual and intellectual formation in fidelity to Church teaching, combined with insights from the social sciences, experience, group dialogue, Scripture, and prayerful discernment.
How are students supported academically?
Students benefit from faculty mentorship, interdisciplinary insights, and access to academic programming and research initiatives hosted by the Nesti Center for Faith & Culture. Students are encouraged to form meaningful relationships with faculty and peers to continue the dialogue and scholarship well beyond the classroom.
Join Our Community
Engaging Faith Within Culture
Whether you seek deeper formation, advanced study, or new insight into the relationship between faith and culture, the Nesti Center welcomes you into a school of dialogue, discernment, and transformation rooted in the Gospel message and its relationship to the American way of life.