“ The first of its kind, the GTU’s Interreligious Chaplaincy Program prepares students for careers in spiritual care where they are competent to care for diverse communities while grounded in their own faith or spirituality. The impact of this program, and the work of the leaders it will train, will be felt locally and internationally.”
Dr. Kamal Abu-Shamsieh, Director Interreligious Chaplaincy ProgramThe GTU’s innovative Interreligious Chaplaincy Program (ICP) is designed to equip leaders with the skills and interreligious understanding necessary to offer spiritual care among increasingly diverse populations in a wide variety of contexts and life stages. The one-year program offers those who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Interreligious Chaplaincy.
Recent shifts in North America’s religious landscape have created an increased demand for spiritual caregivers equipped to engage religious diversity more effectively. Spiritual care is a vital need in hospitals, universities, prisons, militaries, airports, racetracks, legislative bodies, and social justice movements. The GTU’s new Interreligious Chaplaincy Program offers training for spiritual caregiving in multireligious environments, building skills and knowledge relevant to offering traditional pastoral care as well as spiritual care in non-traditional contexts.
Throughout their coursework, students in the Interreligious Chaplaincy Program work closely with the GTU’s Centers for Jewish, Dharma, and Islamic Studies, and with affiliate institutions to increase their competency in traditions underrepresented among institutional chaplains.
The Certificate in Interreligious Chaplaincy is a 24-credit program designed to provide spiritual caregiving skills applicable in a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional contexts, as well as prepare students to meet requirements for board certification to practice chaplaincy. Coursework incorporates practical spiritual care and interreligious training, as well as counseling, theology, and ethics.
The Interreligious Chaplaincy Program offers two learning modalities: hybrid and fully online. Some classes may be taught in person. A fully online curriculum is available for students who are residents in certain states. Please refer to the ICP website for more information: gtu.edu/icp, or contact the Admissions office: admissions@gtu.edu
The Certificate in Interreligious Chaplaincy is open to students who have completed a qualifying bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution. In addition, a letter of recommendation from a peer in the spiritual care field, a religious leader, or a faculty adviser is required for all applicants.
