The Buddhist Chaplaincy program provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel as Buddhist practitioners working in the field of professional chaplaincy.

The program is designed to meet the needs of those who wish to engage in spiritual care and counseling work and to become properly trained and certified professionals.

The program incorporates the requirements of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) by offering 72 semester hours covering the nine core educational areas specified by the APC. These nine core areas are:

• Ritual and liturgy
• Comparative religions
• Religious education
• Pastoral care and counseling
• Spiritual formation
• Religious history
• Institutional organization and administration
• Sacred literature
• Theology/philosophy

This program requires regular attendance on campus for classes, group processes, and other events. It is designed to serve local students and is not a low-residency or online program.

Applicants should be prepared for long hours spent on campus and intense interaction with fellow students. Living near or on campus is highly recommended.

Although this program can be completed on a part-time basis, full-time attendance is strongly recommended to facilitate the student’s required spiritual formation.

Courses are designed to be taken in a prescribed sequence and not on an ad hoc basis.

Full-time students are expected to take four classes, or 12 units, per semester to graduate in the specified three-year time period. Full-time students taking three classes, or 9 units, and part-time students should not expect to graduate in three years.