Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) Program Requirements

1. A minimum of 40 credit hours must be earned through completion of the course of study.

2. A maximum of 13 hours may be applied to the degree from other institutions or from other credit earning options.

3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2 .5 is required.

4. This program must be completed in six years after matriculation. Under extenuating circumstances, a student may request an extension in writing to the dean of studies. Readmission does not extend the six-year completion requirement.

5. Students must participate in an assessment of the academic program, including completion of a Graduating Student Questionnaire during their final year of study.

Course of Study (40 credit hours total)
Theological Core (24 credit hours)

ST 500 The­o­log­i­cal Foun­da­tions (2 cr)

SS 521 Method and Pena­teuch (3 cr)

SS 525 Syn­op­tics (3 cr)

SS 625 Pauline Lit­er­a­ture (3 cr)

ST 5351 Human Per­son and Grace (2 cr) 

ST 650 Trini­tar­i­an and Chris­to­log­i­cal Foun­da­tions of the Chris­t­ian Faith (3 cr)

MT 675 Foun­da­tions of the Chris­t­ian Moral Life (3 cr)

SP 740 His­to­ry of the Chris­t­ian Spir­i­tu­al Tra­di­tion (2 cr)

LS 580 The Church and Her Sacra­ments (3 cr)

Pastoral Theology (4 credit hours)

ST 501 The­ol­o­gy of Mis­sion and Min­istry (2 cr)

EV 500 Evan­ge­liza­tion and Cat­e­ch­esis (2 cr)

Pastoral Theology Electives (8 credit hours)

Stu­dents choose 8 elec­tive cred­its. See sug­gest­ed cours­es below.

AT 660 Pas­toral Coun­sel­ing (2 cr)

EV 680 Pas­toral Care Across Cul­tures (2 cr)

HS 715 Patris­tics (2 cr)

PM 520 Dynam­ics of Parish Lead­er­ship (2 cr)

SP 660 Nature and Prac­tice of Spir­i­tu­al Direc­tion (2 cr)

SP 690 Human and Spir­i­tu­al Adult Devel­op­ment (2 cr)

SS 621 Johan­nine Lit­er­a­ture (3 cr)

SS 737 Psalms and Wis­dom Lit­er­a­ture (3 cr)

XX XXX Oth­er elec­tives of the student’s choosing

Integrating Studies (4 credit hours)

IS 883 MAPS For­ma­tion (2 cr)

IS 891 MAPS Super­vised Min­istry** (2 cr†)

or

IS 8921 MAPS Inte­grat­ing Project: Research & Design** (1 cr)

IS 8922 MAPS Inte­grat­ing Project: Imple­men­ta­tion** and Writ­ing (1 cr‡)

Stu­dents in dia­conal for­ma­tion should refer to the Per­ma­nent Dia­conate Aca­d­e­m­ic Pro­grams” sec­tion of the Aca­d­e­m­ic Catalog.

**To be tak­en in the student’s final year of the MAPS pro­gram. Guide­lines for IS 891 and IS 8921, 8922 are avail­able upon request from your MAPS aca­d­e­m­ic advisor.

IS 8911 Con­tin­u­ing MAPS Super­vised Min­istry (1 cred­it) is pro­vid­ed for the stu­dent who does not com­plete his/​her super­vised min­istry dur­ing the semes­ter for which he/​she reg­is­tered for IS 891. The stu­dent must reg­is­ter for IS 8911 each semes­ter beyond the ini­tial semes­ter that is nec­es­sary for the stu­dent to com­plete the super­vised min­istry. These accu­mu­lat­ed cred­its do not count toward a degree nor are they fig­ured into the student’s GPA. Stu­dents are encour­aged to main­tain fre­quent con­tact with the course instruc­tor through­out their super­vised min­istry experience.

IS 8923 Con­tin­u­ing MAPS Inte­grat­ing Project (1 cred­it) is pro­vid­ed for the stu­dent who does not com­plete his/​her inte­grat­ing project dur­ing the semes­ter for which he/​she reg­is­tered for IS 8922. The stu­dent must reg­is­ter for IS 8923 each semes­ter beyond the ini­tial semes­ter that is nec­es­sary for the stu­dent to com­plete the inte­grat­ing project. These accu­mu­lat­ed cred­its do not count toward a degree nor are they fig­ured into the student’s GPA. Stu­dents are encour­aged to main­tain fre­quent con­tact with their Inte­grat­ing Project direc­tor until they com­plete their inte­grat­ing project.

Spiritual Direction

All MAPS students are required to be in spiritual direction with an approved director.

Interviews with the Dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry

MAPS students are required to meet individually twice with the dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry (ILM) to discuss the student’s progress in human, intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral formation and to set ongoing formation goals. These meetings are to occur during a student’s first semester of graduate coursework and after having completed half of the required credit hours in the MAPS program. (This requirement is waived for men accepted into diaconal formation.)

Day of Reflection

MAPS students are required to attend at least one MAPS Day of Reflection sponsored by the ILM during their matriculation in the MAPS program.


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