Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry

Program Description 

The Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry is designed for those called to a specialized ministry of theoretically informed spiritual care. With a focus on holistic well-being, students develop foundational counseling skills, leadership abilities, and the capacity to advocate for ethical practices in healthcare, community, and organizational settings. The degree allows those with an existing graduate degree in theology or religion to acquire hours needed for BCCI board certification. It can also be taken for those with an interest in spiritual care who do not desire board certification. Skills and knowledge attained in this program may be transferrable to other areas of ministry including university, military, and prison chaplaincy. 

Mental and Interpersonal Prerequisites 

Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry program must: 

1. Have communication capabilities to interact professionally and clearly with others in verbal and written form. 
2. Possess the critical thinking skills to think clearly and act appropriately in stressful situations.
3. Possess the interpersonal skills to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. 
4. Be competent in the use of computer word processing software, search engines and can adapt to other web-based applications necessary for research. 

Admission 

Applicants to the Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry program must:

1. Apply online with a nonrefundable $50 application fee.
2. Present evidence of a bachelor’s or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.¹
3. Present current official transcripts from all undergraduate and/or graduate institutions attended. Admission GPAs will be calculated based on credits and grades from regionally accredited institutions only. Transcripts must be mailed or delivered electronically to the Office of Enrollment Services from each institution attended. Transcripts will be considered official only when received directly from the institution and not hand-delivered by the applicant or faxed by the institution attended. Failure to disclose all colleges previously attended could result in denial or dismissal. Additionally, transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by approved credential evaluation companies. Please see Foreign Transcript Evaluations (http://www.wes.org) for more information.
4. Present official transcripts for each College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) examination taken only if the applicant would like them to be considered for fulfillment of prerequisite requirements. CLEP scores reported on an official college transcript are also acceptable for this requirement. 
5. Present a minimum undergraduate or graduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale from the degree granting institution. 
6. Present an updated résumé. 
7. Complete a personal essay or goal statement outlining career goals, the applicant’s desire to attend a faith-based institution, specifically AdventHealth University, and an explanation of the applicant’s call to pastoral ministry in a specialized context. 
8. Submit two reference letters. One must be from a pastor or faith community leader and the other from one of the following:
   1. Someone who knows your academic performance (e.g. teacher, advisor)
   2. Someone who knows your work ethic/experience (e.g. employer, supervisor, work colleague) 
   3. Someone who has known you for more than 5 years (e.g. friend, church member) 
9. Successfully complete the personal interview.

Note: Meeting the minimum standards for admission does not guarantee admission to the program. 

MACM Transfer Credit Policy

Students may transfer up to 30% of the credits towards the Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry if each course meets the following criteria: 

• It was completed at a regionally accredited institution within the past ten years.
• It is three semester hours (or equivalent) and was passed with a grade of “B” or above (a “P” grade will not be considered). 
• The content is equivalent to a course in the MACM program as evidenced by the title, description, and syllabus. 

The following courses must be taken at AdventHealth University and will not be considered for transfer credit: 

• CHPL 699 . Capstone Action Project 
• RELP 543 . Grief and Loss 
• RELT 568 . World Religions 

Reapplication 

Applicants who are not admitted to the MACM program during a specific admission cycle may reapply to the program for the next admission cycle as long as they have successfully met the minimum admission requirements. Reapplicants are expected to meet the published admission deadlines by submitting the following additional information to the Office of Enrollment Services: 

1. An online application with a non-refundable $50 reactivation fee. 
2. Updated official transcripts from any accredited institutions attended since the original application was submitted. 
3. An updated resume. 

Graduate Progression Policy

Full time students in the Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry program at AdventHealth University are expected to advance through the curriculum within four years while maintaining high standards of academic performance and exhibiting professional conduct. Part-time students must complete the program within six years. Students who fail to meet these standards may be placed on probation and/or dismissed from the program.  

Standards of Academic Performance 

The following guidelines are used to measure standards of academic performance: 

1. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above while in the program. 
2. A student who receives a grade below a “C” for the first time may progress in the program if her/his GPA remains at 3.0 or above, but the course must be repeated for a passing grade. 
3. A student who receives a grade below a “C” for the second time will be suspended from the program for at least one trimester, and the course must be repeated for a passing grade upon readmission. 
4. A student who receives a grade below a “C” for the third time will be dismissed from the program. 
5. A dismissed student may qualify for a graduate certificate if she/he has passed all eligible courses for that certificate with a grade of “C” or above.

Readmission Process 

If an individual who has been dismissed from the Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry program for academic concerns desires readmission, he/she must submit a formal request to the Program Director and undergo an interview with the program admissions committee. The request must detail the reasons for underperformance and provide a compelling plan for successful completion. If the program admissions committee approves the request, the student’s advisor may design an individualized course of study for her/him, which may include directed study and the repeating of coursework that may have already been successfully completed during initial enrollment.  

Time Commitment

The program is designed with the working adult in mind. The recommended course load for each trimester is nine hours. Courses run for either seven or fourteen weeks, with a normal distribution of one fourteen-week course and two seven-week courses. Successful students should expect to devote up to thirty hours per week each trimester. During course design, the following calculations are used to determine total course load: 

Course Credits	7 Week Courses Weekly Hours	14 Week Courses Weekly Hours
1	6-7	3-3.5
3	18-21	9-10.5

Completion 

A student is considered eligible for graduation when she/he has met the following requirements: 

1. Completed all required courses in the Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry curriculum with grades of “C” or better and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00. 
2. Completed one unit of ACPE accredited CPE.
3. Finished all required courses in the Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry curriculum within 36 months of their acceptance into the program if full time and 60 months if part time. 

Employment Considerations 

• Students seeking employment as a BCCI Board-Certified chaplain will need additional courses if they do not have a total of seventy-two graduate hours (for details see https://www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/becoming-certified/professional-competency-courses/.  
• Seventh-day Adventist students seeking employment as a Board-Certified Chaplain at AdventHealth who have not completed a bachelor’s degree in theology, religious studies, or similar degree from a AAA accredited Adventist university or college, should complete the SDA Ordination Track Coursework as part of their MACM degree. 
• Other students should consult with their faith tradition concerning requirements for denominational endorsement and board-certification.