At the National Catholic Reporter, Heidi Schlumpf advocates for required theology courses at her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, which is currently rethinking the role of theology in its core requirements. She shares her experience:

I probably would not have taken theology courses had I not been “nudged” by the requirement. And while I hated my first required theology course — a dry survey of the Old Testament during which I constantly had to refer to a “cheater” timeline to keep everything straight — my second theology course was with Holy Cross Fr. John S. Dunne, an award-winning teacher and author. I was captivated by his lectures in the old business building. I remember his energy (he was in constant motion) and how I poured out my life story and struggles in a required journal, on which he scrawled some very encouraging words.
 

See the rest, here. 

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including America, Commonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator