Divinity - Naropa University

Divinity from Naropa University is a Campus Master Religious Studies degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. The Master of Divinity degree prepares people for professional work in the fields of pastoral care, Buddhist chaplaincy and/or interfaith chaplaincy, dharma teaching and community development. This three-year program is firmly grounded in Buddhist Studies concerning both its philosophy and its practice of meditation practice, and strongly emphasizes an interreligious approach to individual and community care, and a pluralistic view of working with life and diversity. The MDiv is a professional degree for employment in the larger field of human services. This degree will allow people to seek employment as, among other things, chaplains, counselors, caregivers and change agents. In particular, completion of a MDiv degree has traditionally been an important credential in preparing a candidate for ministry as a Buddhist or interfaith chaplain. The established job opportunities for Buddhist or interfaith chaplains include positions in hospitals, hospices, prisons and the armed forces. Other available career paths include work in the not-for-profit community-based sector and other nontraditional ?ministries? such as social activism, interfaith ministry or community development. The program includes significant internship and fieldwork experience, designed to meet the interests and needs of individual students wherever possible. This training develops individuals who can actively manifest wisdom and compassion in the world. Having a genuine interest in studying the Buddhist path is required, though identifying oneself as a Buddhist is not. The Master of Divinity degree prepares students through four streams of learning including relevant fieldwork. These four areas of study are referred to as ?streams of learning\\\\\\\" because of the fluid interdisciplinary nature of how they weave together, each adding to the other, until a stronger body of learning emerges, a powerful river capable of transforming the world through which it moves. Buddhist Studies?an in-depth understanding of the basic texts and doctrines of the religion both in historical and present day context; Community?the ability to apply these teachings, and the other elements learned in the program, including peacemaking skills, the contemplative approach to leadership, and the establishment of ?engaged\\\\\\\" communities in a variety of communal settings; Interfaith Pastoral Care Training?the ability to serve the spiritual and human needs of a diverse community in a ministerial/chaplaincy role while embodying the principles and practices of one?s primary tradition; Practice and Meditation?the spiritual practice of sitting meditation drawn from the Buddhist tradition, incorporating both shamatha (calm abiding) and vipashyana (clear seeing) meditation. The fieldwork placements, which are made based on individual student interests, provide a live context for students to integrate all four streams of learning through applying them to the needs of real world situations, initiating, at the same time, the process of lifetime learning through their work. These fieldwork placements or experiential learning internships may incorporate a more traditional chaplaincy model, Buddhist chaplaincy model, interfaith chaplaincy model or that of the contemplative social activist. Students choose between two sets of courses for the central Buddhist Studies component of their degree: the History of Religions emphasis or the Tibetan Tradition emphasis. For information on these two sequences see the Degree Requirements section. View more details on Naropa University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Religious Studies courses.