Path to Chaplaincy

Program Goals

The Path to Chaplaincy prepares students to become compassionate, knowledgeable spiritual caregivers through a unique partnership between Yeshiva University and Gratz College. Students begin at Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, earning a master’s degree in Jewish Studies while completing additional coursework that fulfills key academic requirements for chaplaincy. Through study at Revel and select courses at YU’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, and the RIETS Graduate Program in Bioethics & Jewish Law, students gain a strong foundation in Jewish learning alongside interdisciplinary professional training.
Students then continue at Gratz College, where they complete Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and advanced coursework in Jewish spiritual care, preparing them to serve in healthcare, military, correctional, campus, and community settings. Open to both men and women, the program provides a pathway to becoming a Board Certified Chaplain without requiring rabbinic ordination. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply for Board Certification, the gold standard in professional chaplaincy.

Professional Certification

The program is designed to fulfill the requirements for board certification through Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains, the professional certifying body for Jewish chaplaincy. Guidance is also provided for students pursuing certification through alternative chaplaincy organizations.

Program Structure

The Path to Chaplaincy is a 72-credit program anchored by Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and completed in partnership with Gratz College.

Yeshiva University (39 credits) 

• Students complete 39 credits at Yeshiva University.
• At least 30 credits must be completed at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, leading to the award of a Master of Arts in Jewish Studies.
• The remaining Yeshiva University credits may be completed at Revel, the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, or the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology.

The 39 Yeshiva University credits break down into two parts: a 30-credit MA in Jewish Studies and 9 additional credits, detailed below.

Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies — MA in Jewish Studies (30 of the 39 credits)

• 9 credits of introductory (5000-level) coursework drawn from at least two of the following fields: Bible, Medieval Jewish History, Modern Jewish History, Jewish Philosophy, and Talmud & Ancient Judaism. Students without prior Hebrew knowledge must take BIB 5201 – Beginner's Biblical Hebrew I as three of these 9 introductory credits.
• 15 credits of advanced coursework (6000 level and above).
• 3 credits of electives, which may be taken at either the 5000 or 6000 level.
• 3 credits of medical ethics, fulfilled by HAL 6301 Bioethics & Jewish Law I (more information is available here.)

Additional Credits at Wurzweiler, Ferkauf, and Revel (9 of the 39 credits)

• Human Development (3 credits)
  • SWK 6100 – Human Behavior in the Social Environment
• Group Dynamics / Organizational Behavior (3 credits) — choose one course from the menu below:
  • Wurzweiler School of Social Work
    • SWK 5005 – Counseling Individuals and Families Facing Aging and Serious Illness
    • SWK 5132 – Psychosocial/Spiritual Approaches to Aging and Serious Illness
  • Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
    • PSM 6120 – Basic Principles of Counseling
    • PSM 6193 – Counseling Skills Development
• Diversity (3 credits) — choose one course from the menu below:
  • Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies
    • JHI 6654 – Topics in Modern Jewish History
    • JST 6001 – Seminar in Jewish Studies
    • JHI 6652 – The Jewish-Christian Debate in the Middle Ages
    • JHI 6221 – Hebraism & Hellenism: Greco-Roman Culture & the Rabbis
    • JHI 6237 – Topics in Jewish History
    • JHI 6240 – Topics in Jewish History
  • Wurzweiler School of Social Work
    • SWK 5645 – Cultural Diversity and Social Work Practice
    • SWK 6135 – Interfaith Perspectives on Aging

Gratz College (33 credits)

Students earn an Advanced Certificate in Chaplaincy from Gratz College, comprising required coursework and Clinical Pastoral Education.

• Required coursework (12 credits) — four courses, each 3 credits:

  Spiritual Care A — "A Part Of and Apart From": Jewish Chaplaincy in a Multifaith and Interdisciplinary Context

  Spiritual Care B — "The Wounded Healer": The Role of the Chaplain in Mental Health, Crisis, and Trauma-Informed Care

  "How We Die": Jewish Pastoral Methods in Palliative, Hospice, and Bereavement Care

  "Prophet, Priest, or Person?": The Unique Leadership and Clinical Interventions of Spiritual Care Providers

• Clinical Pastoral Education (21 credits)

  The remaining 21 credits are derived from four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), or one unit of CPE and a residency.

For additional details about coursework at Gratz, visit the Gratz College Jewish Chaplaincy Program.

Prior Learning and Competency Review

Upon acceptance into the program, students will be evaluated by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) Certification Commission to determine whether prior academic study, professional experience, and other relevant personal or life experiences satisfy certain chaplaincy certification competencies. Such determinations may reduce the number of credits required for NAJC chaplaincy certification.