Loyola University
Master of Pastoral Studies

Online

DEGREE TYPE

Master degree

DURATION

1 year

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

EARLIEST START DATE

STUDY FORMAT

Distance Learning, On-Campus

Key Summary

About : The Master of Pastoral Studies offers a comprehensive program designed for those seeking to enhance their skills in pastoral care and leadership. This program equips students with theological knowledge and practical skills necessary for effective ministry. Students will engage with various aspects of pastoral work, including counseling, preaching, and community outreach.

Career Outcomes : Graduates can pursue diverse career paths such as church leadership, counseling, non-profit management, and community service. They can also work in educational settings, providing spiritual guidance and support to students.

Christians are called to “go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Lay people can do so as professionals or volunteers in churches and schools or in their everyday lives at home, work, and the larger communities to which they belong.

This pastoral studies online degree program is practical, transformative, international in scope, and open to students of all faiths. It prepares students to work in a variety of contexts, including parishes, schools, diocesan offices, secular workplaces, non-profits, or public sector work and the helping professions, such as healthcare and social work.

Auto [Expedited] Admit Program for LOYNO Students

Are you a Loyola New Orleans graduating senior or a current alum? You could be eligible for the auto-admit program. The Pastoral Studies program will auto-admit eligible Loyola New Orleans students who meet the following criteria:

students with a 3.0 GPA or higher and submission of a resume will be automatically admitted.

The master of pastoral studies program at Loyola University New Orleans provides the biblical, theological, and spiritual grounding on which to build specializations in youth ministry, spirituality, and pastoral care. It also enables people of faith to connect ministry to leadership, the environment, digital culture, and the working world.

Degree overview

Loyola’s master of pastoral studies degree online consists of 36 credit hours, which includes:

Core courses (18 credit hours)
Focus area courses (9 credit hours)
Elective courses (6 credit hours)
Capstone course (3 credit hours)

Core courses

Core Courses (18 credits):

LIM 703: Introduction to Practical Theology (3 credits)
LIM 704: Spirituality, Morality, and Ethics (3 credits)
LIM 711: Jewish Roots of Christian Faith: Intro to Old Testament (3 credits)
LIM 712: Christian Origins: Intro to New Testament (3 credits)
LIM 714: Grace, Christ, and Spirit (3 credits)
LIM 722: Church, Sacraments, and Liturgy (3 credits)

Focus areas

Focus Areas (9 credits)

Pursuing a Master of Pastoral Studies degree allows students to gain specific competencies in the focus area of their choice while earning a master’s degree from an institution with a long-standing reputation for excellence in education and ministerial formation. Students in the Master of Pastoral Studies online program choose from the following focus areas.

Christian Spirituality for Ministry
Digital Culture and Ministry
Marketplace Ministry
Pastoral Life and Administration
Religion and Ecology
Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Pastoral Care
Individualized Program

Given their unique ministries, some pastoral studies students find that a combination of courses from different focus areas may suit their needs best. Such students, in consultation with their advisors, may develop an individualized track for the MPS degree. Coursework will include:

Two focus area courses (chosen in consultation with an advisor)
Pastoral Leadership and Organization

Electives and capstone

Electives (6 credits)

M.P.S. students take six additional credit hours of electives. Normally, two elective courses are chosen – in consultation with a student’s academic advisor – from one of the focus areas listed in the previous tab.

Capstone (3 credits)