Fall Semester

• REL 410 Early Buddhism (3)
• REL 565 Developments in Buddhist Psychology (3)
• REL 405 Buddhist Meditation Traditions (3)
• MDIV 410 Communication Skills for Chaplaincy (3)
• (practicum w/ Buddhist Meditation Traditions) (0)
• (practicum w/ Communication Skills for Chaplaincy) (0)

Goals:

Students will acquire a clear understanding of the basic concepts and practices associated with chaplaincy. Students will also be able to attend to others in accordance with fundamental principles for effective spiritual care and counseling. In addition, students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins of Buddhism. They will also be able to articulate clearly the tradition's ideas about human psychology. Students will also begin or continue their practice of meditation, giving special attention to its importance and applications in their work as caregivers.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to do the following:

1. Practice active listening and assess needs in the context of counseling/caregiving.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the history of early Buddhism
3. Demonstrate an understanding of Buddhist psychology, particularly as it was taught by the Buddha and later discussed in the Abhidharma texts
4. Practice meditation and articulate something about its importance and applications in their spiritual care and counseling work

Spring Semester

• - REL 411 History of Indian Buddhism (3)
• - REL 646T Seminar on Mahayana Schools (3)
• - REL 590 Comparative Study of Religion (3)
• - MDIV 415 Groups, Systems, and Chaplaincy (3)
• - (practice/meditation requirement) (0)
• - (practicum w/ Groups, Systems, and Chaplaincy) (0)

Goals:

Students will acquire a clear understanding of the basic concepts and practices associated with chaplaincy in the context of working with groups and/or systems. Students will also be able to work with groups and/or systems in accordance with fundamental principles for effective spiritual care and counseling. In addition, students will demonstrate an understanding of the history of Indian Buddhism and the comparative study of religion. They will also gain a nuanced understanding of schools of thought within the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Students will also continue their practice of meditation, with special attention placed on how to teach meditation to others for the purposes of stress reduction and/or self-care.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to do the following:

1. 1.Offer care and counseling in group/system settings.
2. 2.Demonstrate an understanding of the history of Indian Buddhism
3. 3.Demonstrate an understanding of the comparative study of religion
4. 4.Demonstrate an understanding of the various schools of thought within Mahayana Buddhism, particularly the Madhyamika and Yogacara schools
5. 5.Practice and teach meditation and articulate something about its importance and applications in their work as caregivers.