GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

This program is specifically focused on the ministry of spiritual direction and is an 18 credit program, half of the master’s degree. It does not require either a thesis or an overview upon the completion of the program. Should students discover they need greater breadth or depth in foundational areas for the ministry they can apply these credits to a M.A. or an A.P.D. degree within the school.

The program views spiritual direction as a specialized pastoral relationship in which a competent guide helps another person grow in the spiritual life by attending to the directee’s concrete religious experience and its implications in the life of the directee. In the longstanding tradition of the Christian churches, spiritual direction is essentially a charism. The spiritual direction sequence is designed to identify the participant’s potential for becoming a spiritual director, to assist the participant in discerning a call to this ministry, to formulate a model of spiritual direction, and to develop the specific skills required to serve as a spiritual director.

Directed by: Dr. Janet K. Ruffing, RSM

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Course Sheet - 18 credit hours
Note: additional admissions procedures for those not anticipating completing a Master’s Degree.

I. REQUIRED SPIRITUAL DIRECTION FOUNDATIONS
The minimal core pastoral competencies and underlying theological foundations are covered in the 12 credit required core: Theology and Practice of Spiritual Direction, Basic Skills, and the Supervised Practicum in Spiritual Direction. These courses are taught in a fall/spring sequence, and students must compete the first two courses before proceeding to the practicum in the spring. The decision to continue with the practicum is based on the student’s performance in basic skills and in the theology and practice of spiritual direction. If a student is not admitted to the practicum, he or she may decide to resign from the program or consider the master’s degree with a general spiritually focus. At the end of the supervised practicum, the supervisor with the student assesses any particular needs for developing the necessary knowledge base in theology, psychology, or scripture based on the intern director’s experience working with directees.

II. ELECTIVES
In addition to this required 12 credit sequence, participants elect two additional courses from among the following: History of Spirituality I, II, or the Discernment of Spirits through Selected Mystics, Meditation: East and West, Contemporary Christian Spirituality, Foundation in Mental Health: Special Issues, Retreat Direction Practicum, Human Development I and II. At the discretion of the program director other electives may be considered.