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Master
of Arts Degree in Pastoral Counseling
Suggested
reading in pastoral counseling
What is Pastoral
Counseling?
Pastoral counseling is a
form of therapy or counseling in which a pastoral counselor, as a
representative of a religious tradition or community, uses the insights
and principles of religion, theology and modern behavioral sciences in
working with individuals, couples, families, groups and institutions
toward the achievement of wholeness and health.
An important ingredient
which makes pastoral counseling different from other forms of counseling
and psychotherapy is the conviction that life’s crises and transitions, as
well as emotional dysfunctions, are best met by both the wisdom of
religious teachings and the knowledge and skills of the human behavioral
sciences such as psychiatry and psychology.
Purpose of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling
Degree Program
The goal of this program
is to assist individuals in becoming knowledgeable and competent
practitioners in the counseling ministry. The degree program is designed
to help candidates to achieve a personal synthesis of theological
understandings of ministry and contemporary counseling theory and
practice.
The degree program is
intended for those who plan to become full-time practitioners of the
counseling ministry. The program has also been designed for those who
intend to do pastoral counseling as part of a more general pastoral
ministry.
Prerequisites
In order to qualify for
admission, an applicant must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0
average. It is also expected that the applicant will already have earned
at least 12 quarter credit hours in the social sciences (e.g., psychology,
sociology, anthropology) and 12 quarter credit hours in theology or
religious studies. The latter must include at least one course or the
equivalent from the areas of biblical studies and moral theology. In
addition, the applicant must show evidence of personal qualities requisite
for a professional pastoral counselor.
Application and Admission
In order to apply for
admission to the degree program three things are necessary:
1) submission of an
application form, which is available from the Office of the Registrar
(513-231-2223), to the Dean of the Athenaeum
2) psychological
evaluation, and
3) an interview by the
director of the program
A student who is
matriculated in the Master of Divinity program can apply for admission to
the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling program at the completion of his
second year of seminary-based study.
In order to be considered
for admission to this degree program, an application must be submitted
either by May 1 for autumn quarter admission or by October 1 for winter
quarter admission.
Candidacy
At the completion of 24
hours of course work in the degree program, a student’s work is reviewed.
The director of the program seeks input from the faculty and conducts an
interview with the student. If all is judged satisfactory (including a
3.0 average), the student is admitted as a candidate for the degree.
Academic Requirements
A student must obtain a
minimum of 68 hours of course work to earn the degree and must have a 2.5
grade point average at the end of the first year of study for the degree,
or the first 18 credits, whichever comes last, and a cumulative grade
point average of at least 3.0 at the end of each quarter thereafter.
Students falling below the required average are on probation with regard
to this program. More than two successive quarters on probation will
necessitate faculty action for the student to continue in the program.
Curriculum
The curriculum of the
degree program integrates academic course work in the theological,
psychological and counseling disciplines by means of the required courses
listed below. In addition, the professional training component emphasizes
the application of theory within the context of supervised pastoral
counseling experiences. This occurs in two forms: 1) two practicum
courses, 2) an extensive Internship experience undertaken in a pastoral
counseling placement.
The basic curriculum is
designed as a three-year program for full-time students (nine quarter
hours per quarter), although the program may also be pursued on a
part-time basis. Required and elective components are:
PA 375 Career
Counseling (3)
PA 380 Research and
Evaluation (3)
PA 385 Social and
Cultural Foundations (3)
PA 401 Pastoral
Counseling I (3)
PA 402 Pastoral
Counseling II (3)
PA 404 Human
Development and Spiritual Experience (3)
PA 406 Group Process (3)
PA
407 Professional, Legal and
Ethical Issues in Pastoral Counseling (3)
PA
408 Pastoral Counseling
Practicum I (3)
PA
409 Pastoral Counseling
Practicum II (3)
PA
410 Appraisal of the
Individual I (3)
PA
503 Integrating Spirituality
into Assessment and Treatment Planning (3)
PA
500 Internship (20)
Four Elective Courses
(two in theology) (12)
Theology electives must
be chosen from Athenaeum offerings in Biblical Studies, Christian Living,
Historical Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies or Systematic Theology.
Those seeking licensure
in the State of Ohio should take Clinical Content courses as their
non-theology electives.
Clinical Content Courses
The clinical curriculum is designed as a supplemental program
for those students seeking licensure in the State of Ohio. In addition to
the basic curriculum leading to the master’s degree in pastoral
counseling, a student must complete a minimum of 30 quarter hours of
instruction in the following areas:
PA 550 Diagnosis of
Mental and Emotional Disorders (4)
PA 551 Professional
Interaction and Treatment Planning (4)
PA 553 Clinical
Psychopathology (3)
PA 554
Methods of Intervention and Prevention
(3)
PA 555 Appraisal of the Individual II (4)
Electives (12)
PA 352 Chemical
Dependency (3)
PA 403 Theories of
Personality (3)
PA 412 Couple and Family
Counseling (3)
PA 415 Introduction to
Clinical Hypnosis (3)
PA 416
The Psychology of Human Sexuality (3)
PA 552 Counselor
Supervision (3)
PA 417 Counseling
Children and Adolescents (3)
Membership, Certification, Licensing
Because many professional
counselors seek membership in professional societies as well as
professional certification and licensing, the MAPC program endeavors to
assist the candidate in this pursuit. The State of Ohio Counselor and
Social Worker Board has approved the Athenaeum of Ohio counselor training
program for the PC and PCC levels. Although the administration of the
MAPC degree program can offer advice and such information as it has at its
disposal, it should be understood that it is ultimately the student’s
responsibility to make sure that all academic requirements for licensure
have been met. To this end, it is usually best for the student to be in
regular contact with the state licensing agency.
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