Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Spiritual Direction

Study online, on campus or a combination of both. Receive 100+ hours of direct, hands-on training!

With Merrimack’s spiritual direction master’s program, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge to accompany people of all faiths on their spiritual journeys.

Spiritual Direction Master's Degree at a Glance

Mode of Study

Online, On-campus, Hybrid

Est. Time

2 years full-time (part-time study available)

Start Terms

Fall, Spring
View Application Deadlines

Credits

Evening Classes

Available

Accreditation

NECHE

Fellowships

Not Applicable

Tell Me More About Merrimack's Spiritual Direction Master's Degree

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Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction Tuition

Published Tuition

$725 per credit (32 credits). Tuition for 2024-2025. Rates are subject to change.

Average Aid Amount

Scholarships can significantly reduce the tuition for most of our students.

Average Tuition Cost

After scholarships.

Typical Tuition Savings for the M.A. in Spiritual Direction

Merrimack College offers generous scholarship opportunities to offset your graduate tuition.

Double Warrior Alumni Scholarships are awarded to all Merrimack College alumni, covering $7,656, or 33% of tuition, for recent graduates (25% for previously graduated alumni).

33%

Dean Scholarships are merit based aid awarded to all students, ranging from $2,500 to $11,000 and average $4,700, or approximately 20% of tuition.

20%

Visit the page below to find all up-to-date tuition and fees information.

Overview of Merrimack's M.A. in Spiritual Direction

Merrimack’s Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction prepares students to accompany individuals on spiritual journeys, drawing from diverse religious traditions and practices. The program blends Catholic theology with insights from Jewish, Protestant, Muslim, and Eastern spiritual teachings, fostering an inclusive, ecumenical approach to spiritual guidance. Students engage in hands-on training, and benefit from personalized mentorship in a close-knit, supportive community. Graduates are equipped to pursue careers in chaplaincy, counseling, spiritual leadership, and community outreach, making a positive impact across various sectors, including healthcare, education, and the arts.

During the spiritual direction master’s program, you’ll gain extensive experience and build proficiency as a listener, counselor, teacher and mentor. You’ll practice these roles through a pair of two-semester courses, held concurrently:

Seminars in spiritual life that foster individual and group reflection on the experience of acting as a spiritual director.

A year-long spiritual direction practicum, in which you’ll provide spiritual direction for one or two individuals under close faculty supervision.

Why Choose the M.A. in Spiritual Direction at Merrimack?

PRACTICAL AND RELEVANT

In Merrimack College’s spiritual direction master’s program, you’ll learn to guide people of all faiths on journeys of spiritual exploration. The program equips you with specific techniques to help people discover meaning in their lives, embrace codes of ethical behavior and exert a positive influence on their communities and environment.

INTERFAITH AND INTERDISCIPLINARY

Unlike many spiritual direction training programs, our master’s degree takes an inclusive approach that applies to all faiths. Along with Catholic theology (which aligns with Merrimack’s institutional mission), the curriculum draws upon Jewish, Protestant, Muslim and Eastern spiritual traditions. Our spiritual direction program caters equally to ordained clergy and laypersons.

COLLABORATIVE AND COMMUNITY-ORIENTED

Like all academic programs on Merrimack’s close-knit campus, our master’s degree in spiritual direction fosters strong relationships among classmates and faculty. You’ll belong to a welcoming community of fellow spiritual seekers who support, encourage and constructively challenge each other.

EXPERIENCE-BASED

Spiritual direction can only be learned through direct, hands-on practice. Merrimack provides you with two semesters (totaling more than 100 hours) of supervised training in spiritual direction, with ongoing feedback and reflection from faculty and fellow students.

Career Outlook: Where Can a M.A. in Spiritual Direction Take You?

Average Annual Salary

for Spiritual Directors in 2025

0 %

Hold a Master’s Degree

among clergy members

0 %

Rise in Employment

for directors of religious activities and education

Source: Career Explorer, Salary.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2025

Jobs with a Spiritual Direction Master's Degree

Merrimack College’s spiritual direction master’s degree aligns with modern attitudes about spirituality, religion and tolerance. The desire for a greater spiritual dimension in daily life is increasing around the world, both within and outside of organized religious faiths. Spiritual directors are uniquely qualified to meet this demand, helping individuals understand their own spirituality and bring a sense of purpose to their lives.

Many ordained clergy offer spiritual direction as one part of their official capacities. However, a growing number of practitioners are lay people who have devoted themselves to serious study and contemplation. Some offer spiritual direction as part of a broader practice in counseling, teaching or community leadership.

Religious congregations
Nursing homes
Universities and schools
Community centers
Military support association
Spiritual retreats
Arts communities
Hospitals and healthcare facilities

Where Merrimack's M.A. in Spiritual Direction Graduates Work

Spiritual Director

Youth Minister

Hospital Chaplain

College Campus Minister

What Our M.A. in Spiritual Direction Students and Alumni Say

"Merrimack is providing me with the exact program, learning and growth environment, and resources with great faculty that I was looking for at this transition time in my life."

Katherine Gundersen, M’23Current Job: Spiritual Director, Self-employed in community church setting

Listen to Podcast Episode

“It’s been an experience for me because I see different perspectives and how people view the same issues but from different angles. [...] I’ve been exposed to more than I had thought in the program, and I think this puts me in an advantageous position because now I have a certain understanding that prior to this program I didn’t have.”

Fr. Njuakom Romaric, M’25CURRENT JOB: Youth Minister, Archdiocese of Bamenda, Cameroon

Listen to Podcast Episode

What You'll Learn in Merrimack's M.A. in Spiritual Direction

Key Courses You'll Take

Topics and Method in the Study of Spirituality

RTS 5010

Exploration of spirituality across religious traditions, texts, and practices, with a focus on definitions, religion’s role, and theological perspectives.
Topics include Christian spirituality, mysticism (Western and Eastern), spirituality outside organized religion, and influential schools like the Augustinian tradition.
Examination of ecological and embodied spirituality, along with the purpose and practice of spiritual direction.

Spirituality and Social Justice

RTS 5030

Exploration of interiority, the search for meaning, and themes from Catholic Social Teaching, including human dignity, rights, the common good, and social justice.
Examination of these themes across various spiritual traditions.
Special focus on their roots in the teachings of the Hebrew Prophets.

Spirituality in a Religiously Diverse World

RTS 5040

Exploration of religious leadership and spirituality that balances rootedness in one tradition with openness to interfaith dialogue.
Study of beliefs and practices in Abrahamic and Eastern religious traditions, focusing on integrating transcendence with daily life.
Emphasis on prayer, meditation, and contemplation through a comparative theological approach that respects each tradition’s integrity.

Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction Curriculum

View Full Curriculum from the Graduate Catalog

Spiritual Direction Requirements

To see more details about the program, please visit catalog.merrimack.edu.

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Skills You'll Learn

Merrimack’s Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction integrates coursework from a variety of disciplines and religious traditions. During this program, you’ll examine spiritual texts, spiritual practices, and forms of spiritual expression through history and across cultures.

Our spiritual direction program also explores the relationships among religion, philosophy, and concepts such as social justice and universal human rights. As part of its Catholic and Augustinian educational mission, Merrimack emphasizes religious diversity and tolerance, encouraging respect for the integrity of all traditions and faiths.

Students gain hands-on experience during their practicum, offering spiritual direction to at least two individuals under supervision. Practicum courses include bi-weekly group discussions with peers and a supervisor, guided by readings and reflective dialogue on their experiences. Additionally, students attend regular one-on-one supervisory meetings based on their journals, notes, and verbatims.

Featured Faculty

Peter Ellard, Ph.D.

Director, Graduate Program in Spirituality and Spiritual Direction & Associate Professor of Practice

Dr. Peter Ellard is the Director of the Graduate Program in Spirituality and Spiritual Direction and an Associate Professor of Practice at Merrimack College, specializing in early and medieval Christian theology, spirituality, and the writings of Thomas Berry. His research focuses on climate change, mindfulness, and religious-environmental integration, with notable publications and contributions to higher education on topics such as student success and retention.

Vice President for Mission and Ministry at Merrimack College

The Rev. Raymond F. Dlugos, O.S.A., Ph.D., has served as Merrimack College's Vice President for Mission and Ministry since 2008 and is a licensed psychologist and ordained Roman Catholic priest. Previously, he led The Southdown Institute, a residential treatment center, and has extensive experience in psychology, counseling, teaching, and leadership.

Associate Professor of Religious and Theological Studies at Merrimack College

Dr. Maria Teresa (MT) Dávila, Associate Professor of Religious and Theological Studies at Merrimack College, specializes in racial and migrant justice, public and political theology, and Catholic social teaching. An accomplished author and frequent contributor to the National Catholic Reporter, she explores themes of justice, ethics, and faith in both academic and public forums.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Merrimack College offers generous scholarships for M.A. in Spiritual Direction students:

Dean Scholarship: Determined by academic merit and financial need. Students are automatically considered for a Dean Scholarship upon applying.
Double Warrior Alumni Scholarship: Available to all Merrimack graduates. Students enrolling immediately after senior undergraduate year automatically receive a 33% discount, and 25% thereafter. Please note that Double Warrior alumni scholarships cannot be combined with Dean Scholarships.

Financial aid in the form of federal aid, private loans, and payment plans are also options available for graduate students. Click the link below to learn more about our scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

Application Information for the M.A. in Spiritual Direction

It’s easy to apply online! Simply create your account by registering a username and password. This will allow you to start an application, save and log back in at any time to complete it before submission.

A Completed Application Includes:

Important Information:

Online application
Official college transcripts from all institutions attended
Resumé
Interview OR personal statement
Contact information for one reference OR one letter of recommendation

Graduate Community and Student Support

Discover Merrimack’s vibrant and supportive graduate community! Our Graduate Center, located on the second floor of the McQuade Library, is our hub for student life, resources, and support, ensuring that you get the most out of your graduate experience.

Enjoy the following benefits that are exclusive to graduate students:

A comfortable lounge for studying and socializing

A home base for daily life on campus with coffee and tea, a microwave and a fridge

A venue for programs and services supporting graduate student success

A warm, inviting place to connect with staff and other graduate students

Want to Learn More about the M.A. in Spiritual Direction?

Contact the Program Director, Peter Ellard!

Schedule an Informational Call with the Program Director

Take the Next Step (We're Here to Help)

At Merrimack, we are ready to meet you where you are and get you where you want to go. And, we make the process simple along the way! Please feel free to contact our Graduate Admission team or join us at an upcoming event if you have any questions regarding scholarships, financial aid, or the application process.

Programs Related to the Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction

Explore other areas and where they can take you.

Interfaith Spirituality (Certificate)

Spiritual Direction (Certificate)

Spirituality (M.A.)

Choose from online (synchronous), on-campus or a combination.

Grad Chat Podcast

Listen in for this Grad Chat episode featuring Maiyele Njuakom, also known as Father Ro, who is a current student in the Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction program. Father Ro is an international student from Cameroon and a Graduate Ambassador for Merrimack. Throughout the episode he discusses why he came to Merrimack and why this program is special to him. Want to learn more about Merrimack’s Spiritual Direction program? This is a must-listen!