Chaplaincy Studies, Graduate Certificate

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The Religious Studies Department offers a Pathway to Chaplaincy in partnership with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) through which students will earn the MA in Religious Studies (Coursework Intensive Track) along with the Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies. The Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies (GCCS) prepares individuals to provide caregiver, pastoral, and spiritual support in an institutional, hospice, military, university, or sports setting. The program’s curriculum includes instruction in historical and contemporary religious traditions and spiritual care and practice.

The GCCS requires the completion of 12 credit hours. A student who earns the MA through the Coursework Intensive Track, which requires at least 36 credit hours, will leave their third year of study with a minimum of 48 credit hours.

Required Courses (6 Hours)

RELS 6660 - Ethics in Health and Medicine 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6789 - Applied Religious Studies: Internships, Projects, & Papers 3 Credit Hours

Elective Courses (6 Hours)

The remaining 6 hours can be completed by taking one of the RELS courses listed below or by petitioning the DGS to accept an alternate course. RELS 8960, 8970, 8980, or 8985 will not be accepted as credit toward the certificate.

In addition to these course offerings, students may enroll in classes offered at area institutions through the ARCHE Cross Registration Program should they wish to take courses in subjects not offered at GSU. Examples may include, but are not limited to, courses in pastoral care and counseling, etc.

RELS 6001 - Topics in Indigenous Religious Traditions 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6002 - Topics in Hinduism 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6003 - Topics in Buddhism 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6004 - Topics in Judaism 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6005 - Topics in Christianity 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6006 - Topics in Islam 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6080 - Religious Dimensions in Human Experience 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6090 - Jesus Inside and Outside the Gospels 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6150 - Religion and Aging Credit Hours
RELS 6200 - Religions in America 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6225 - Psychology and Religion 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6230 - Religion and Mental Health 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6240 - Death and the Afterlife 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6245 - Cognitive Foundations of Religion 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6250 - African-American Religion 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6255 - Religion, Race, Nation 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6260 - Religion and Literature 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6270 - Women and Religion 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6280 - Womanism and Social Change 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6281 - Racial Thought in Religion and Philosophy 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6300 - Spiritual Care and the Study of Religion 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6465 - Religion in the American South 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6540 - Moral Development 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6630 - Comparative Study of Mysticism 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6645 - Religion & Sex in Pop Culture 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6650 - Religion and Ethics 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6700 - Issues in Religious Studies 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6770 - Religion and Health 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6775 - Issues in Religion and Health 3 Credit Hours
RELS 6890 - Religion On-site in Atlanta 3 Credit Hours
RELS 8210 - Seminar in Religious Studies 3 Credit Hours

Certificate Progress Policy

After completing three credit hours or one academic semester, whichever comes first, certificate students are evaluated for continuation in the program. At this point, students with a GPA below 3.0 in GCCS courses will be terminated from the certificate program. If extraordinary circumstances warrant an exception, students may continue with permission of the graduate director and chair. Students seeking an exception to this rule may make a request of the graduate director in writing two weeks after being notified of their termination from the program. While they may continue to enroll in RELS graduate courses, such courses may not count toward the completion of the GCCS until a determination of the students’ status is completed.