Master of Pastoral Care & Counseling

The Antiochian House of Studies’ Master of Pastoral Care & Counseling is a 66-credit degree program, with a specific focus of training clergy, chaplains, health care professionals, and laity to provide complex supportive care to individuals and families from a uniquely Orthodox Christian pastoral theological foundation. Although some sociological and psychological methodologies are employed, our focus is centered around patristic Tradition and spiritual therapy.

The program consists of three parts: 1) 54 credits of blended coursework in applied Orthodox pastoral theology and crisis care; 2) a 6-credit, 400 hour supervised pastoral care practicum accomplished over two years, focused on locally-placed ministry experiences; and (3) a 6-credit research project culminating in a thesis, and focused on developing an integrated response to a current issue arising in local ministry.

Three required intensive, week-long in-person Residency courses are required (one before the first Fall term begins, another before the second Fall term begins, and the third before the third Fall term begins). These courses offer students the opportunity to engage in focused academic lectures, group process engagements, skills development training, and individual and group supervision.

As is the case in any educational program, the keys to each student deriving the maximum benefit from our courses is 1) self-discipline to pace steadily through the assignments, and 2) a firm commitment to their peer group in the learning processes. In order to become a candidate for the Master of Pastoral Care & Counseling degree and to matriculate into the thesis portion of the program, each student must have completed the two-year curriculum in full, with no course failures.

The Master of Pastoral Care & Counseling is fully-accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).

The MPCC program accepts a new cohort of students every other year, in odd-numbered years (2023, 2025, 2027, etc.).

Course Schedule for MPCC Program:

PC 5300

Summer, Year One
PC 5300 Introduction to Pastoral Counseling
PT 6100 Christology and Human Suffering in the Patristic Tradition
Residency Week, Year One
PC 5301 Clinical Pastoral Practicum Part I: Fundamentals

Fall, Year One
PC 5311 Ethics of Pastoral Care and Counseling
PT 6111 Hypostatic Theology and Pastoral Ministry
PC 5333 Introduction to Pastoral Counseling Theory

Spring, Year One
PT 6122 Curing Spiritual Illness in the Patristic Tradition
PC 5322 Human Development
PC 5366 Clinical Assessment and Treatment Planning

Summer, Year Two
PT 6155 Issues in Human Sexuality
PC 5355 Cultural Diversity in Pastoral Care and Counseling
Residency Week, Year Two
PC 5302 Clinical Pastoral Practicum Part II: Special Populations

Fall, Year Two
PC 5344 Group-based Pastoral Care and Counseling
PC 5377 Parish-based Crisis Response and Disaster Spiritual Care
PC 5380Stress Management and Professional Burn-out

Spring, Year Two
PT 6133 Sanctification of Marriage and Family Life
PC 5388 Pastoral Interventions with Families in Crisis
PC 5399 Psychopathology and Referral
Residency Week, Year Three
PC 7000 Thesis Proposal Development

Fall, Year Three
PC 7001 Guided Research in Pastoral Care and Counseling I 

Spring, Year Three
PC 7002 Guided Research I Pastoral Care and Counseling II

Faculty and Staff of the MPCC Program
Rev. Fr. Michel E. Najim, Ph.D. – AHOS President
Rt. Rev. Fr. Fadi Rabbat, Ph.D. – Academic Dean
Very Rev. Fr. Isaiah R. Gillette, D.Min. – Co-Director & Director of MPCC Practicum
Very Rev. Fr. Elias G. Boulos, D.Min., Ph.D. (ABD) – Co-Director
Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Longofono, Ph.D.
Khouria Maggie Hock, Ph.D.

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