Overview | | The 36-credit Master of Arts Degree in Pastoral Care is designed to prepare students engaged in ministerial work to be competent and effective pastoral caregivers in their present and future ministries. The program nurtures in-depth study, meaningful reflection, and the interdependence of theory and practice. A major goal is to provide students with the knowledge and understanding of the nature and purpose of pastoral care, increased effectiveness with pastoral care interventions, and sustained theological reflection on the application of pastoral care in specific situations of ministry. In combining theory and practice, students learn to integrate theology and psychological knowledge to increase effectiveness in pastoral ministry. The program advances the general practice of pastoral care in its many forms as well as the expertise in specialized areas of pastoral diagnosis.
At the core of the MA program in Pastoral Care are philosophical, theological, historical, psychological, sociological, and cultural foundations. Various modalities of theological reflection are utilized: pastoral and practical theology, psychology, developmental theory, spirituality, and cultural and multicultural perspectives. In keeping with Fordham University’s Jesuit mission the program gives special, though not exclusive, attention to Ignatian pedagogy and spirituality. A major goal, therefore, in keeping with the mission of Jesuit education, will be to explore the role that pastoral care can play in dealing with issues of crisis, suffering, and emotional and spiritual healing.
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M.A. in Pastoral Care 