The IPS Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) offers a unique Health Care Chaplaincy concentration to prepare students for the entire process to be certified as a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) with The National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC).
This 36-credit hour degree program consists of the eight Core Courses of the MAPS degree, three health-care related electives, four units of CPE, two workshops, and the Health Care Integration Project.
All components of the MAPS—Health Care Chaplaincy concentration, except for CPE, can be completed online or on-campus. Some courses are also available in the summer through the IPS Rome program.
Curriculum
MAPS - Health Care Chaplaincy Concentration Curriculum
Eight Core MAPS Courses
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| IPS 570 | Introduction to Theology and Ministry | 3 |
| IPS 416 | Introduction to New Testament | 3 |
| IPS 417 | Introduction to the Old Testament | 3 |
| IPS 402 | Church and Mission | 1-3 |
| IPS 531 | Christian Doctrine | 3 |
| IPS 541 | Liturgy and Christian Sacraments | 3 |
| IPS 553 | Moral Theology and Christian Ethics | 3 |
| IPS 555 | Human Person and Psychological Development | 3 |
Three Health Care Related Courses
- IPS 564 Foundations of Pastoral Care
- IPS 404 Theologies of Suffering
- A variety of health care ethics courses offered through the IPS and Loyola's Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics Institute: http://hsd.luc.edu/bioethics/
Four Units of CPE
Based on the requirements for Board Certification as a chaplain, the MAPS—HCC concentration requires students to complete four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). More information on CPE can be found here.
Two Workshops
The NACC also recommends that those preparing for chaplaincy complete at least two workshops related to issues in health care.
The Health Care Integration Project
The final program requirement is IPS 493 Health Care Integration Project Portfolio. In IPS 493 Health Care Integration Project Portfolio, students are mentored in the process of preparing the materials required to sit for board certification.
More information about the vocation of chaplaincy can be found here.
Students interested in becoming Board Certified Chaplains with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) can do so by pursuing the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree and choosing electives aimed at meeting APC competencies. The APC certifies Protestant chaplains as well as chaplains in an array of religious traditions.
To learn more about the Health Care Chaplaincy concentration, please fill out our request for information form or attend an information session.
Learning Outcomes
MA in Pastoral Studies
By completing the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, students will be able to demonstrate:
- A fluency with the theological, ministerial, and interpersonal resources that make successful service to the church and world feasible in positions of formation, scholarship, or ecclesial leadership.
- The capacity to understand and critique the social and cultural contexts in which the graduate will be called to serve, always with an eye toward the marginalized, excluded, and systems of oppression.
- The ability to articulate with rhetorical skill and persuasion convincing command of relevant theological and ministerial themes and applications to various potential audiences, both orally and in writing.
- Personal engagement with, and an ability to draw upon, spiritual and psychological insights and scholarship that will nourish them as they make successful ministerial or academic contributions to their particular settings and contexts.
