Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministries

Dr. Mercedes Iannone, Program Coordinator
ATLAS Alumni/ae Project

Admission Requirements:

St. Thomas University’s Pastoral Ministries program utilizes a selective admissions process to insure the compatibility of applicant’s needs with our programs.

1. All students must meet standard Graduate Program admissions requirements, including satisfactory letters of recommendation, transcripts, and test scores, as stated in the Procedures for Admissions section of this catalog.
2. A minimum of 15 undergraduate credits in Religious Studies or the equivalent in life experience and personal study. Applicants with proof of the equivalency in personal study and life experience may be considered for probationary admission by the program coordinator.
3. Students must take the graduate writing assessment test.
4. In addition to the two required letters of recommendation, a third letter of recommendation must be submitted by a Church representative attesting to the candidate’s service to the community whether informal or professional.
5. A two-page autobiography, which includes background, experiences, involvement in ministry and current ministerial objectives.
6. An admissions interview with a member of the Pastoral Ministries faculty.
7. Students in the M.A. Program with the Deaf must meet the ASLstandard set by the University.

M.A. in Pastoral Ministries

Course Requirements 36 Credits
Pastoral Foundations 24 Credits

The foundational courses provide a theological base for understanding, exploring, and reflecting on the truths and richness of the Christian Faith experience as these apply to concrete ministerial situations.

IPM 600 Sacrament and Symbol
IPM 601 Christ and Discipleship
IPM 602 Determining Ministerial Roles
IPM 603 Adult and Family Life Cycles
IPM 605 Foundations of Practical Theology
IPM 606 Old Testament
IPM 607 New Testament Foundations
IPM 781 Forming Moral Consciousness

Pastoral Skills 9 Credits

These courses enable the student to gain skills in specific areas of ministry. Students may choose courses according to their needs. The program includes the following specializations:

* Adult/Family Ministry
* Campus/Young Adult Ministry
* Deaf Ministry
* Ecology and Human Spirit
* Peacemaker of the Community
* Youth Ministry

Courses may be chosen from the following:

IPM 542 Western Cosmology and the Human Experience
IPM 543 Human Consciousness and Ecology
IPM 544 Bioregionalism and Sustainability
IPM 562 Theology and Strategies of Non-Violent Action
IPM 565 Principles of Non-Violent Conflict Resolution
IPM 570 Spirituality, Death, Dying, & Healing
IPM 580 Parish Leadership with Older Adults
IPM 590 Deaf Studies
IPM 591 Pastoral Ministries in the Deaf Community
IPM 593 Spirituality and Prayer in the Deaf Community
IPM 604 Scriptural Foundations
IPM 700 Basics of Pastoral Counseling
IPM 702 Group Counseling
IPM 730 Religious Education and Evangelization
IPM 731 Models of Campus/Young Adult Ministry
IPM 736 Theory/Practice of Youth Ministry
IPM 772 Leadership and Pastoral Administration
IPM 775 Ministering in a Multicultural Church
IPM 782,783 Issues in Pastoral Ministries I, II
IPM 784 History of Christian Spirituality
IPM 785,786,787 Group Spirituality I, II, II (1 credit)
IPM 788 Psychology and Spirituality
IPM 789 Directed Readings
IPM 797 Directed Ministerial Project

Pastoral Integration (3 Credits + Major Ministerial Project)

This level enables students to integrate their learning through field experience and theological reflection. Those specializing in a particular ministry must follow that field of study through their work in Practicum and Major Ministerail Project.

IPM 791 Practicum I
IPM 792 Practicum II
IPM 793 Practicum III

Major Ministerial Project

A Pastoral Project is the exit requirement for the M.A. in Pastoral Ministries. Through it, students demonstrate their integration of the cognitive, affective and practical aspects of the program in the form of a concrete project. Using the methodology of practical theology students identify a need, research it appropriately, implement a pastoral response and evaluate it. Students then reflect on their experience in the light of the courses they have taken and develop an integrative statement. Students present their work for evaluation to a panel consisting of at least two peers and two faculty members.