Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care (MAPSC)

The MAPSC is a two-year professional degree that is designed to help students be professional spiritual and pastoral caregivers in hospitals, congregations, and various secular and faith-based chaplaincy settings. The program equips students to provide professional spiritual care in a way that respects diversity and differences in race, culture, gender, sexual orientation and spiritual/religious practices.

Years Full Time

Year Part Time

Quarter Credits

Tuition Cost Per Year

Alexandra Ravenscroft

Email: aravenscroft@iliff.edu
Phone: 303-765-3125

Who should pursue a Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care degree from Iliff?

Those who want to learn interreligious spiritual care that respects the beliefs, values, and spiritual practices of others. You will learn socially just spiritual care that laments and interrogates the ways that religious beliefs have contributed to injustice. You will learn a research-literate approach assessing how spiritual struggles may be harmful or lead to growth. You will learn experientially how to use your own spiritual practices to clarify your values and beliefs. This spiritually integrative pedagogy helps you spiritually care for yourself while you care for others.

MAPSC Graduates Fulfill Spiritual Care Vocations As

  • Chaplains in healthcare, hospice, the military, educational, nonprofit, and business settings
  • Pastoral and spiritual caregivers in communities of faith
  • Spiritual Directors in private practice, communities of faith, schools, or retreat centers
  • Meet our students

Additional Choices

Students who have earned a Master of Divinity degree from an accredited institution may complete the abbreviated version of the Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care degree in 40 quarter credits.

Master of Social Work Cooperative Program

A cooperative arrangement between Iliff School of Theology and The Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver allows qualified students to pursue concurrently the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care, Master of Arts in Social Justice and Ethics, or Master of Theological Studies with the Master of Social Work degree. The cooperative degree program offers students the opportunity to apply theological learning to social service settings. Each school allows students to transfer a predetermined number of credits from one degree program into the other, which allows students to complete both degrees in a shorter amount of time. Details are listed in the Student Handbook.

Degree Requirements

The MAPSC offers an opportunity to engage in a full array of theological studies, including Clinical Pastoral Education and personal and professional formation. Students must meet the requirements as specified in the Student Handbook of their year of matriculation. Degree requirements for previous years can be found at the bottom of the online Student Handbook main page.

Requirements Include

  • First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar (4 Credits)
  • Core Requirements (28 Credits) one class from each of the six curricular areas
  • Pastoral and Spiritual Care Courses (16 Credits)
  • Personal and Professional Formation Courses (8 Credits)
  • Clinical Pastoral Education (8 CPE Credits)
  • Other Courses (16 Credits)

Example Classes in the MAPSC Program

  • Moral Stress, Resilience & Spiritual Integration
  • Trauma-informed Spiritual Care
  • Spiritual Care in Death and Dying, Grief and Loss
  • Spiritual Care and Sexuality
  • More information – Student Handbook