Knox College, Canada

The Master of Psychospiritual Studies program (formerly known as the Master of Pastoral Studies program), equips persons for leadership in helping professions.

Students are required to take seven faith foundation courses. In the general track, five of these are courses in Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Ethics, and Christian History.

Students enrolled in the Jewish Focus take courses in Tanakh, Rabbinic Literature, Modern Jewish thought, Jewish spiritual practice, and Jewish History in place of the above Christian-oriented courses.

All students take a course on interfaith leadership and an additional faith formation course specific to the MPS program.

At Knox College, MPS students choose one of two vocational foci:

• Spiritual Care – Provide spiritual care and therapy in faith communities, private practice offices, social service agencies, or public institutions such as healthcare institutions, long-term care facilities, hospices, prisons, and educational institutions.
• Social Services – Provide leadership in faith-based organizations, non-profits, or secular social agencies.

Both foci include courses in human development, counselling theories and skills, and integration of faith and practice, as well as an appropriate placement. Each focus also includes courses specific to the vocation served by the focus: for Spiritual Care, courses in assessment and treatment; for Social Services, courses in social justice.

Students need to work with their faculty advisor to ensure they move efficiently through the program.

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent degree from a university, college, or Indigenous Institute recognized by the University of Toronto
• CGPA 2.7/4.0 or greater (70%; B-) for the entire degree
• A student without an undergraduate degree or demonstrated educational equivalent (reviewed and approved by TST) cannot be admitted to the SCP Cert.
• Meeting the admission requirements for the MPS does not automatically mean that the admission requirements for the SCP Cert. are met

NOTE: If your undergraduate degree was conferred by a post-secondary institution that uses a grading scale other than the 4.0 GPA scale, please review your transcripts to confirm CGPA equivalency before applying to Knox College.

• English-Language Proficiency
• Academic or professional reference and pastoral reference

The MPS program requires 20 semester-long courses. It is 2 academic years of full-time study.

Master of Psychospiritual Studies program learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrates knowledge at a basic level in various theological disciplines, in the Reformed or another tradition. [* the student may come from another tradition]
2. Demonstrates an appropriate spiritual and professional identity formation in relation to specialized practice.
3. Demonstrates knowledge and skills in spiritual care and therapy, grounded in appropriate theories, for professional practice and leadership in community and institutional settings.
4. Writes and speaks in English sufficiently well to engage in professional practice.

See Tuition/Financial Aid for helpful information on tuition estimates, bursaries, and scholarships.