Post-Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Leadership

The Post-Graduate Certificate is an advanced credential oriented towards ministerial leadership. Its purpose is to enhance the practice of ministry for persons who hold a master’s degree and who have engaged in substantial ministerial leadership. The Post-Graduate Certificate is appropriate for persons who work as pastors, associate pastors, pastoral associates, directors of religious education and analogous roles, chaplains, college faculty members, and diocesan agency staff.

The Post-Graduate Certificate Certificate at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake is specialized in pastoral leadership. The course work is drawn from our Doctor of Ministry program. The overall goal is to enhance the understanding of the nature and practice of ministry, develop competencies in pastoral analysis and ministerial skills, and to integrate these through a practice of ministry in which theological integration is transformative.

The certificate program consists of 18 semester hours of course work drawn from the doctoral courses offered in a two-year cycle.

Admission Requirements are: 

a) full-time employment in some form of Church ministry; 

b) possess a Master’s degree in theology, pastoral studies or similar field (M.A., MAPS, etc.); 

c) have completed at least three years of full-time ministry and 

d) participation in a personal interview. Applicants should demonstrate intellectual capacity for advanced theological and ministerial education; personal capacity for the group-oriented education that characterizes the program; willingness and availability to make this education a high priority in terms of time and attention; potential value to the life of the church.