Pastoral Administration

This cross-disciplinary certificate program is designed for students who seek to combine the principles of ministerial administration, human resource management and organizational models. 

Students choose from four distinctive tracks to determine the best fit for his/her undergraduate degree and work experience. Each track offers a variety of courses, including Theology of Community and Leadership, Legal Issues in Organizations and Accounting and Finance. Key program outcomes include understanding the relationship between pastoral resources, theological content and organizational leadership.

Program Outcomes
Students who complete the certificate in Pastoral Administration will:

• Identify resources for management and evaluation of human, financial, spiritual and physical resources in implementation or pastoral planning.
• Adapt and integrate pastoral resources, theological content, and theories of organizational leadership for addressing questions and opportunities in ministerial leadership.
• Critique the effectiveness of principles of organizational models, ministerial administration and human resources management in situational ministerial problem solving.

Religious Education

Designed for religious educators, this certificate program helps students become knowledgeable about the learning process as well as the nature of faith and spiritual formation. Course offerings include Cognition Across Cultures, Educational Psychology and Ethics for Educators. Key program outcomes encompass understanding educational practices, possessing skills necessary to lead theological conversation and understanding the certification process as well as National Standards for religious educators.

Program Outcomes
Students who complete the certificate in Religious Education will:

• Integrate human learning theory, educational practice and fundamental applications in a catechetical context.
• Facilitate theological reflection, having gained the skills necessary to lead theological conversation using a variety of methods and models.
• Construct, implement and evaluate learning models based on the nature of faith and spiritual formation theory.
• Assess one’s professional identity as a leader in religious education, having gained skills necessary for doing continuing education as a religious educator, in light of the diocesan certification processes and National Standards for religious educators.

Note: Students seeking Diocesan Certification in Religious Education may be required to complete additional course work in Theology/Religious Studies.

View course schedules and descriptions for Religious Education

Spiritual Direction

This certificate program prepares students to spiritually companion others in one-on-one and group models of spiritual care, providing a foundation for knowing and using diverse styles of prayer and techniques for spiritual direction. Courses in spiritual direction as well as three practicums, which will take place at the Sisters of Charity Spirituality Center, enable students to learn, apply and share an in-depth knowledge of Christian spirituality.

Program Outcomes
Students who complete the certificate in Spiritual Direction will:

• Describe the distinctive character of spiritual direction in the Christian Tradition.
• Apply and evaluate appropriate methods and models of spiritual direction in a ministerial setting.
• Assess one’s ministerial identity as a spiritual director.
• Demonstrate continuous improvement of one's style of spiritual direction in a supervised environment. 

Spiritual and Pastoral Care

For those seeking a special focus in spirituality and pastoral care, this certificate increases a student’s knowledge of self and spirituality, enabling him or her to think theologically about a pastoral care situation for the individual, family, congregation, and the community. Built upon the current Concentration in Spiritual and Pastoral Care, course offerings include Theology of Ministry and Pastoral Care, Socio-Ecological Dimensions of Pastoral Care and Faith, Crisis and Adult Development.  

Program Outcomes
Students who complete the certificate in Spiritual and Pastoral Care will:

• Increase their knowledge of self and their spirituality and be able to use that knowledge in providing competent pastoral/spiritual care.
• Examine, assess and respond to a pastoral situation in terms of a systems perspective: individual, family, congregation, and community.
• Think theologically about themselves as a pastoral care providers and the nature of pastoral care. 

View course schedules and descriptions for Spiritual and Pastoral Care

For more information about these certificate programs, e-mail John Trokan, D.Min., at john_trokan@mail.msj.edu, or call (513) 244-4272.