Most chaplaincy positions require that you obtain a Masters of Divinity. As such, we have designed this concentration with the focus of helping you obtain a career position after you graduate. However, those choosing to do Movement or Entrepreneurial Chaplaincy may find their educational grounding in our MASC program instead. In either case, we have maintained our focus on radical education, sacred activism, multi-religiosity, and social justice.
Questions? Email Matthew Waterman, Director of Admissions, at mwaterman@sksm.edu.
MDiv or MASC Chaplaincy Concentration
Are you fueled by a desire to serve your community as a chaplain? If so, the Starr King Chaplaincy Concentration provides a path for those seeking to become a chaplain, board-certified or not, in a variety of settings, including: hospital, hospice, military, law enforcement, and more.
Courses to Fulfill the Chaplaincy Concentration:
In the MDiv and MASC programs, students are asked to take courses fulfilling eight different learning Thresholds. The Chaplaincy Concentration requires students to take a series of specific courses in the Spiritual Practice and Care of the Soul Thresholds, and a combination of courses in the other areas. Please see the degree matrixes (MDiv or MASC) for the complete list.
| Required for all MDiv: | Spiritual Practice & Care of the Soul(numbered as Sequence for Chaplaincy): |
|---|---|
| Leadership Core course | 1) Spiritual Practices for these Times |
| CJSC-ECO Core course | 2) Illness, Health & Healing |
| Multi-religiosity Core course | 3) Forgiveness & Moral Repair |
| 4) Deep Listening for All Forms of Ministry | |
| 5) Depth Psychology for Chaplains | |
| 6) A “Pastoral Care” or “Pastoral Counseling” course | |
| 1 Unit of CPE is also required for Graduation in the Chaplaincy Concentration (in either program) | (Optional) 7) Movement Chaplaincy 8) Entrepreneurial Chaplaincy |
A Unique Feature of the Chaplaincy Concentration
Our “Pastoral and Professional Formation” sets Starr King apart from many other seminaries in the United States. As we are offering a program to assist any one of any religious or spiritual tradition, we are in collaboration with several ordaining bodies to assist those who graduate from our program to become ordained. As a result of this, we offer a unique set of courses known as “Pastoral and Professional Formation” that will will provide our Chaplaincy students with a group to go through the formation process with — in preparation of ordination with whatever ordaining body they choose (see the growing list below). For those on a regular 3 year track, they will stay with the “Pod” with which they started; for those on longer tracks, this Formation process will be provided in their last 6 semesters. These courses will detail the requirements of working as a chaplain in a multiple settings; how to function pastorally within boundaries and using pastoral authority; group dynamics and organizational behavior; as well as organizational culture, system and relationships; and finally, attention to each individual’s formation process. Each pod course is a 1.5 unit per semester [for a total of 9 units].
Endorsing/Ordaining Body Options
Inclusive
Other seminaries center around mainstream faith traditions, their theologies, and the voices and identities within them. This is a deterrent for those who have been marginalized. Starr King has its foundation in Unitarian Universalism and is inclusive to those with “the call” and who are accountable to their community by being well prepared to embody it. That means if you consider yourself to be pagan, spiritual-but-not-religious, or in another marginalized spiritual tradition, you too can have a career in Chaplaincy, like those in traditional religions. There are many seminaries in the United States that offer Chaplaincy — but what sets Starr King apart is our focus on radical learning, sacred activism, multi-religiousity, social justice, and a commitment to educating to counter oppression (ECO) and antiracism — which has been a major part of the curriculum since the late nineties. In connection to this ECO commitment, Starr King is not only UU, but multi-religious, a multi-religiosity grounded in justice concerns.
Questions? Email Matthew Waterman, Director of Admissions, at mwaterman@sksm.edu.