GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN SPIRITUALITY AND WORK (ONLINE)

Online Graduate Certificate in Spirituality and Work

This interfaith program, informed by Catholic teaching and Augustinian thought, will help you develop spiritual practices and insights that increase the meaning, value and context of work.

Discover Meaning and Purpose in Work.

Photography for Merrimack College brochure covers.

Graduate Info Session & Tour

Saturday, March 23, 2024 
from 10:30 am 
to 12:00 pm

Explore the Merrimack College community, gain tips on what makes a strong application, hear about our fellowship opportunities, take a tour and more!

Why Merrimack College? How Our Online Certificate Differs from Other Graduate Programs in Spirituality

Timely and relevant.

Attending to the relationship between spirituality and work can play an important role in addressing contemporary concerns about the well-being of workers. Research shows that COVID-19 has increased stress in the workplace and that the well-being of workers at all levels has become of increasing concern and importance across all industries.

Open to all adult learners.

Our online certificate program welcomes professionals of any industry, including those who do not identify with any religious denomination, who wish to explore the relationship between spirituality and work. It does not presume or require a prior degree in theology or spirituality.

Interfaith, while based in Augustinian tradition.

Like all of Merrimack’s graduate degree programs in spirituality and spiritual direction, the certificate program is based on the Catholic, Augustinian heritage of inquiry and service, while at the same time being ecumenical and interfaith in dialogue and practice.

Rooted in social justice.

The connection between spirituality and work offers a fertile context for exploring issues of justice and equity in the workplace. An understanding of spirituality that incorporates peace, justice and sustainability permeates the program’s curriculum and culture.

Merrimack College’s 16-credit spirituality and work certificate program is meant for those interested in discovering how the aspects of their personal or communal spiritual life and practice can provide:

  • Ways of discovering, creating and integrating meaning and purpose in work.
  • A resource for the humanization of the workplace and work situations, and the building of community.
  • An additional means of coping with the stresses of the modern workplace and work situations.
 

Program Format

  • Online, synchronous classes.
  • May be completed in 2 semesters, if taking 8 credits each semester, or 3-4 semesters if taking fewer credits.

Scholarships

Start Terms

  • Fall
  • Spring
  • Summer I
  • Summer II

VIEW APPLICATION DEADLINES

Meet our High-caliber Faculty

Our graduate programs in spirituality are led by distinguished instructors who combine academic renown with years of practice as spiritual directors. You’ll learn about workplace spirituality from experts such as Father Raymond Dlugos, OSA, a psychologist and theologian; Dr. Yehezkel Landau, an internationally recognized interfaith leader; Dr. Mary Kantor, a pastoral minister and chaplain; Dr. Maria Teresa (MT) Davila, a leading Catholic Hispanic theologian; Renee Snow, MD, a psychiatrist and spiritual director; and Dr. Joseph Kelley, a leading scholar in the thought of Saint Augustine, as well as a psychologist and spiritual director.

Who is the Online Certificate in Spirituality and Work for?

Spirituality and work students can come from businesses of any type or size, or from non-profits such as general and psychiatric hospitals, parishes, hospices, Habitat for Humanity, retreat centers and faith-based organizations. No background in theology or spirituality is required.

Particular careers for whom the online graduate certificate may be of particular interest include:

  • Human resource personnel concerned with issues of work-life balance
  • Corporate and small business leaders/managers who care about employee well-being
  • Spiritual directors, companions and guides
  • Workplace chaplains
  • Hospital and hospice chaplains and those whose responsibility includes the welfare of patients, residents, and medical and service personnel
  • Pastoral and spiritual care providers
  • Holistic body-mind-spirit health care providers
  • Social workers
  • Lay ministers and ordained clergy, especially those who attend to the needs of workers
  • Mental health providers who specialize in treating professionals
  • Life coaches and mindfulness trainers
  • Retreat center directors

Learning Outcomes: What You’ll Learn in the Graduate Certificate in Spirituality and Work

Graduates of the program will examine spirituality at work and will be able to:

  • Identify qualities of work and the workplace that support a sense of self, meaning and purpose.
  • Engage in sustained exploration of and critical reflection on the dimensions of work and the workplace that impact a worker’s inner life.
  • Explore the relationships among world religions with regard to contemplation, compassion and care and their place and practice in the workplace.
  • Reflect on the role of spirituality for workers with no specific religious affiliation.

Admissions Requirements and Application Process

The GRE is not required and there is no fee to apply.

Applicants to the program need to have earned an undergraduate BA or BS degree and to have some work experience.

Submission of the completed application, a personal statement and one letter of recommendation will be required with the application. Applicants deemed appropriate for the program based on their admissions materials will be granted an interview with the program director. To enter the program, applicants must complete the required interview to complete the application process. Final decisions will be made after the program director reviews the application materials and has conducted the required interview.

A total of 4 graduate credits from another accredited program in theology or spirituality may be imported and counted toward the 8 elective credits, so long as they have not counted toward a previously completed degree.

Grad Chat Podcast

In this episode, we have two special guests – Katherine Gundersen who is an alum of the Spiritual Direction program, and Laura O’Connor who is an alum of the Spirituality program. During the episode the pair dives into the inspiring journey of going back to school, assuring everyone that age is just a number and fear is unnecessary in Merrimack’s warm and supportive community. The discussion unfolds the significance of exploring diverse religions and perspectives, emphasizing the unique insights shared by our guests. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize the hybrid model’s benefits! You can choose from online (synchronous), on-campus or a combination. If you’re curious about Merrimack’s Spirituality master’s programs, this episode is a must-listen!

Want to Learn More about the Online Graduate Certificate in Spirituality and Work?

Contact the Merrimack College Office of Graduate Admission at graduate@merrimack.edu.

Schedule an Informational Call with the Program Director

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