Spiritual Care and Counseling 

JTS’s MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling welcomes people who feel called upon to bring healing to a troubled world by becoming a spiritual care professional. Inspired by Judaism’s rich tradition of caring for others during significant and challenging times, JTS’s program offers both a traditional in-person and a flexible online pathway for developing the skills and capacity to support, comfort, and accompany people through difficulty. Our program prepares people for work in chaplaincy and other contexts for providing spiritual care.  

MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling 

JTS’s innovative Masters in Spiritual Care and Counseling provides students with both theoretical academic knowledge and practical experiential learning in the field of spiritual care and counseling. While newly launched, the MA builds on seventy years of academic teaching and fifteen years as an accredited center for supervised chaplaincy internships. This multifaith program welcomes students from diverse backgrounds.

Students will focus on providing care to people during difficult times, including death, trauma, illness, hospitalization, and incarceration, and in settings such as hospitals, congregations, schools, camps, or prisons. This MA will help fulfill the educational requirements for board certification as a Professional Chaplain. 

The Master’s in Spiritual Care and Counseling is available as a full-time or part-time, online, or in-person program. The program consists of 30 credit hours, with 18 credits of academic, theoretical work, 6 credits of experiential learning through an internship, and 6 elective credits. These supervised internships in spiritual care, known as Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), are accredited by ACPE: The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, the premier accrediting agency in the United States. 

Program Breakdown

  • 18 Academic Credits 
  • 6 Credits of internship through one unit of CPE
  • 6 Elective credits (more spiritual care, other courses at JTS, or an additional unit of CPE) 

The program offers flexibility for students to move through their requirements at their own pace. The shortest length of program is 15 months, with most students typically completing the program within 2–3 years.  

The program will conclude with a culminating project, The Capstone, which can be an academic research paper, the development of a professional tool, an artistic expression, or a relevant alternative that is pre-approved by the Program Director. The Capstone should represent the culmination of work in the program, integrating the theoretical and experiential elements of learning that have taken place throughout the course of study.    

Students will also be advised throughout the program and will receive guidance on career options.  

Courses 

  • Foundations of Spiritual Care and Counseling  

Gain an understanding of the history of spiritual caregiving and appreciation for the contemporary professional fields of chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education and the many contexts in which they are practiced. 

  • Spiritual Care Across Difference 

Explore the balance between caring for all people out of a sense of shared humanity and affirming and engaging the differences in experience and identity that exist between caregiver and care-receiver.  

  • Dying, Death, Grief, and Bereavement  

Learn wisdom and insights from Judaism, other religious and cultural traditions, the behavioral sciences, and chaplaincy literature about caring for people through dying, death, and bereavement. 

  • Music, Art, and Texts of Comfort  

Discover the vast range of avenues for spiritual care, including language, text, objects, and rituals from an array of religious, spiritual, and cultural sources. Engage the wisdom of your own religious, spiritual, or cultural perspective in ways that inform and inspire your practice of caregiving. 

  • Mental Health and Healing of Spirit 

Learn about and how to support others who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge, how to make referrals to mental health professionals, and the role of spiritual care in promoting healing and wellness. 

  • Psalms and Spiritual Care 

Engage in an in-depth study of the Book of Psalms as a source for spiritual caregiving. 

  • Professional Ethics in Spiritual Care  

Grapple with issues of ethical conduct as approached by the spiritual care and chaplaincy fields, including issues of power dynamics, confidentiality, consent, and bioethics.  

  • The Capstone  

In relationship with fellow students and advisor, propose, develop, and bring to fruition a final project, which could be an academic research paper, the development of a professional tool, an artistic expression, or a relevant alternative that is pre-approved by the Director. 

Internship

Students must complete at least one CPE internship, referred to as a “unit” of CPE, totaling 400 hours of clinical and educational work. The internship must be accredited by ACPE: The Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) or the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS). While we encourage participation in our own internship program, admission to the master’s program does not guarantee a placement in it due to limited availability. Our faculty and staff are available for guidance in exploring the over 400 accredited ACPE programs around the country. A directory can be found here. Learn more about JTS’s CPE internship program here.

Costs 

MA IN SPIRITUAL CARE AND COUNSELING

For information about tuition and fees, please reference this page under “Graduate School MA & DHL.” Most students in the MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling program are charged on a per credit basis. 

Please note: Though the MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling does not currently offer, all academic credit for CPE (6 credits for 1 CPE internship or 12 credits for 2 CPE internships) are charged a reduced rate, significantly lowering the total cost of the 30-credit degree.  

Application Deadlines

SemesterPriority Deadline
Fall 2025The priority deadline has passed; applications are being accepted on a rolling basis.  

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis for the 2025–26 academic year. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there advanced standing? 

Students may transfer credit for up to 2 units of CPE internship (accredited by either ACPE or CASC), totaling up to or 12 credits. Students may transfer up to 6 credits, or 2 courses, of approved academic coursework in Spiritual or Pastoral Care and Counseling. Courses in Pastoral or Spiritual Care and Counseling previously taken at JTS are automatically approved. Students may apply for a review for approval of courses taken at other institutions.  

What kind of work does this degree prepare me for? 

The MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling equips students with academic learning and the development of skills and competencies to practice spiritual care as a chaplain or to enhance professional work in other fields. 

Do I have to be Jewish to apply for this program? 

The MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling at JTS is a multifaith program open to students from diverse backgrounds. 

Where can I learn more about Clinical Pastoral Education? 

ACPE: The Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE)  
The Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS)

 

What is board certification for chaplains, and how does this program help meet the requirements for certification? 

Board certification is a process by which a chaplain or spiritual care giver demonstrates a mastery of advanced knowledge and skill and capacity for providing spiritual care. Though it is not a government issued and legally required licensure, it is the credential issued by the professional chaplaincy associations and is required by some institutions for employment. Membership in professional associations provides a community of professional peers and opportunities for continuing education.  

Do I need faith group endorsement to become board certified? 

Faith group (or ecclesiastical) endorsement is required by some, but not all, certifying associations. We advise that you contact the associations directly to learn what is required. 

Where can I learn more about the requirements for board certification? 

APC: Association of Professional Chaplains
CASC: Canadian Association for Spiritual Care
NACC: National Association of Catholic Chaplains
NAJC: Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains

Where can I learn more about the chaplaincy fields: 

Association of Muslim Chaplains 
Association for Spiritual Care in Israel
Chaplaincy Innovation Lab
Jewish Welfare Board (for US Jewish Military Chaplains)
The Spiritual Care Podcast
Transforming Chaplaincy