Become a Sports Chaplain with Our Master’s in Sports Chaplaincy Degree Online
Pursuing a career as a chaplain does not limit you to only acting in military and hospital capacities. Sports chaplains are needed to create spiritually-rich environments in the world of sports where athletes can receive counseling, spiritual guidance, and mentorship from religious leaders.
Liberty University offers a 100% online master’s degree in sports chaplaincy to provide the training you can use to make an impact for Christ in the sports world. Our master’s in sports chaplaincy degree is designed to prepare future sports chaplains for a biblically-based sports ministry in both religious and secular settings. Learn effective methods and strategies you can use to become a valuable member of your team – no matter the playing field.
*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
Accreditation
Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Your divinity degree is approved by ATS and has met rigorous accreditation standards, so you can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
Why Choose Liberty’s Master of Arts in Sports Chaplaincy Online Program?
This sports chaplaincy degree is designed to prepare men and women for sports ministry rooted in biblical principles. There is a great need for team chaplains in the field of sports, and it is up to people like you to answer this calling. Liberty University’s chaplaincy programs strive to build leaders by providing a quality education. Our faculty are seasoned ministry professionals who have years of first-hand experience in the field.
As a master’s in sports ministry degree student, you are required to shadow a chaplain. During this experience, you will apply the skills learned through your online chaplaincy training to a real-world setting. Liberty’s chaplain studies seek to prepare you for both the theoretical and practical aspects of sports chaplaincy – challenging you to strive for excellence in your field.
What Can You Learn in Our Sports Chaplain Program?
The M.A. in Sports Chaplaincy degree seeks to teach students the leadership and organizational skills needed to develop, build, and maintain ministries in the sports industry. Our online courses offer sports chaplain training that can help you develop a culturally-informed ministry leadership plan that is made for sports.
This program also focuses on ethical advisement, counseling, teaching, and leadership principles that are applicable in both religious and secular settings. You will use current research, literature, and field experience to analyze common strategies and practices in sports chaplaincy.
In this degree program, you will complete a shadowing requirement for experience as a sports chaplain. For this experience, you will study under a chaplain. Observing a chaplain can challenge you to blend your online sports chaplaincy training courses with practical application – equipping you with a deeper understanding of sports chaplaincy.
What Does Your Shadowing Opportunity Require?
- The shadowing opportunity (CHPL 598) requires you to shadow 4 chaplains for 3 hours each. For each chaplain you shadow, you will complete an assignment detailing your experience. You must also interview each chaplain you shadow.
- While approved chaplains are not required to identify with any particular denomination, the chaplains you shadow must be Evangelical Christians and agree to Liberty University’s doctrinal statement.
- There are several accepted observation settings. In addition to athletic settings, you can shadow chaplains in church, hospital, law enforcement, military, and university settings. Your shadowing requirement can allow you to fully grasp what it is like to be a chaplain.
Sports Chaplaincy Featured Courses
- CHPL 500 – Introduction to Chaplaincy Ministry
- CHPL 598 – Spiritual and Professional Development of the Chaplain
- CHPL 615 – Chaplain Ethics for Advisement and Pastoral Care
- CHPL 683 – Sports Chaplaincy
Sports Chaplaincy Program Highlights
- We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online sports chaplaincy degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
- Tuition for our chaplaincy programs, including sports chaplaincy, has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
- To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are included for all divinity courses* at no cost to you. As a full-time student, this could save you an estimated $800-2,000 per year on textbooks!
- You can complete our sports chaplaincy training online degree in less than 2 years.
*Electronic textbooks are not provided for courses that fall under departments outside the School of Divinity.
Master’s Degree in Sports Chaplaincy Information
- This program falls under the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity.
- Download and review the Degree Completion Plan for this program.
- View the Graduate Divinity Course Guides (login required).
Military Benefits
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.
As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering the following benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
- Discounted divinity block rate: $2,475 per semester – only $165/credit at 15 credit hours*
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
*Credits taken below 9 and above 15 credit hours for the M.A. in Sports Chaplaincy degree are charged at the part-time rate.
Potential Career Options with a Sports Chaplaincy Degree
The M.A. in Sports Chaplaincy was created to provide you with the opportunity to pursue your passion in one of these careers:
- Church sports leader
- Sports chaplain
- Sports ministry leader
- Sports ministry missionary
- Youth pastor
Admission Requirements for the Online M.A. in Sports Chaplaincy
Applicants must have a regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with a 2.0 GPA or above for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Admission application
- Application fee*
- Official college transcripts
- Unofficial college transcripts may be accepted with a completed official transcript request form**
- School of Divinity Questionnaire
- Submit contact information for a pastoral recommendation
*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.
**An official transcript is needed within 60 days of acceptance or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first.
