Course details

Summary

The aim of the Master of Chaplaincy (MChap) degree is to enhance chaplaincy in a whole range of contemporary settings, through engagement with current scholarship into the practice of chaplaincy.

The Master of Chaplaincy is designed as a professional qualification for those who serve as chaplains in a variety of settings and who seek advanced professional education to enhance their work, and for those who want to train to be chaplains.

The admission requirements are a degree or equivalent three-year qualification with satisfactory grades. In cases where a person’s prior qualifications do not include theological study, he or she may be required to undertake one or more 300-level papers in theology in order to satisfy the prerequisites for specific 400-level papers in Biblical Studies (BIBS) and/or Christian Thought and History (CHTH).

The coursework component of the degree consists of six 20-point 400-level taught papers, of which three are core papers in the area of Chaplaincy and three are selected from a list of additional papers offered in the areas of Biblical Studies, Christian Thought and History and Ministry Studies.

The degree also involves the completion of a Research Project worth 60 points in some area of Chaplaincy of around 20,000 words, related to issues emerging from the contemporary practice of Chaplaincy. PAST 212 Research Methods, or an equivalent paper, is required as a prerequisite for enrolment in the Research Project (MINS 590). The degree is designed to enhance a graduate's professional practice of Chaplaincy and to enable advanced reflection and research on the practice of Chaplaincy.

All the papers offered for this qualification will be taught by Distance Learning.

Papers

The programme of study shall consist of six papers and a research project, worth a total of 180 points:

MINS 409 Chaplaincy Studies (Advanced) (20 points)

MINS 410 Pastoral Care in Dying, Grief and Loss (20 points)

MINS 411 Chaplaincy in Diverse Contexts (20 points)

Three papers with a combined value of 60 points chosen from BIBS 413, CHTH 415, CHTH 416, CHTH 420, CHTH 422, MINS 405, MINS 408

MINS 590 Research Project (60 points)

Note: PAST 212 Research Methods, or an equivalent paper, is required as a prerequisite for enrolment in MINS 590.

Entry criteria

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).
Every applicant must either

• be a graduate and normally have achieved an average of B+ in the 300-level papers of his or her degree programme, or
• have alternative qualifications or experience acceptable to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).

English Language Requirements: IELTS - Score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 95 with a minimum writing score of 22.; Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 587 (TWE 4.5); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); APIEL Advanced Placement International English Language Examination - Grade 4 or higher; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 64 with no communicative skills score below 57; University of Otago Foundation Studies Ltd: Completion of 'English for Postgraduate Academic Purposes' with a grade of C or higher.