Provide Support to Patients and Healthcare Workers with a Master of Divinity in Healthcare Chaplaincy
If you feel called to provide spiritual care in healthcare settings, Liberty University’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Healthcare Chaplaincy can help you gain the knowledge and training needed to serve patients, families, and medical professionals. Healthcare environments can be emotionally and spiritually challenging, and chaplains play a vital role in offering comfort, guidance, and support. Whether you are walking alongside someone facing a terminal illness, helping a family navigate grief, or offering prayer and encouragement to healthcare workers, this program can help you develop the skills needed to minister effectively in hospitals, treatment centers, hospices, and other medical settings.
This degree provides a strong foundation in biblical studies, theology, and pastoral care while incorporating courses specifically focused on chaplaincy. You can also explore the unique responsibilities of healthcare chaplains and learn how to meet the spiritual needs of individuals in critical situations. Through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), you have the opportunity to receive hands-on training under the guidance of a Liberty-trained mentor. CPE can help you refine your ability to engage with peers, clarify your calling to chaplaincy, and deepen your understanding of spiritual care within the healthcare system.
Our program and courses aim to provide you with enhanced practical training and a comprehensive theological education. The curriculum includes courses focused on practical ministry skills, intercultural engagement, and leadership development, providing you with an opportunity to become well-prepared for diverse ministry contexts.
By pursuing this degree, you can learn how to serve as a compassionate presence for those in need – offering hope, encouragement, and spiritual leadership in some of life’s most difficult moments.
Accreditation
Your seminary degree is approved by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and has met rigorous accreditation standards. You can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
Award-Winning Campus
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank as the #4 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Why Choose Liberty’s Healthcare Chaplaincy Degree?
Choosing where to pursue your degree is an important decision, and Liberty University’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Healthcare Chaplaincy offers a learning environment that can support your academic, spiritual, and professional growth.
Throughout this program, you can gain hands-on training in chaplaincy, helping you develop the practical skills needed to provide spiritual care in healthcare settings. Every course integrates biblical principles, allowing you to strengthen your theological foundation and approach chaplaincy with integrity and compassion. Experienced professors are available to guide you, offering valuable insights from their own ministry experiences while encouraging you in your academic and spiritual journey.
CPE Training
To work as a healthcare chaplain, you’ll typically need to be board-certified by a chaplaincy organization – which requires completion of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training. Liberty University is an ACPE (Association for Clinical Pastoral Education)-accredited CPE Center. Upon completion of the appropriate CPE units through Liberty’s MDiv program, you may be eligible for board certification.
With mentorship from experienced chaplaincy professionals, you can gain the skills you need without compromising your principles in order to serve as a chaplain. These units are available as on-campus intensives accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE).
What Will You Study in Our MDiv in Healthcare Chaplaincy?
As a current or aspiring chaplain, you can benefit from the same foundational training as pastors and other evangelical leaders. Liberty University’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Healthcare Chaplaincy can help you develop this foundation while equipping you with specialized knowledge for ministering in medical settings. Through courses in biblical leadership, world religions, foundational homiletics, and theology, you can deepen your understanding of Scripture and learn how to apply it in a chaplaincy role.
This program also allows you to explore key theological topics, analyze major issues in the Old and New Testaments from a conservative evangelical perspective, and develop a Great Commission approach to ministry. With the healthcare chaplaincy concentration, you can take courses in resilient leadership and spiritual care in medical settings, helping you prepare to provide comfort and guidance in hospitals, hospices, and other healthcare environments.
To further tailor your studies, you have the opportunity to complete Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units through residential intensives. These experiences can help you refine your skills and gain practical ministry training before graduation.
Review the Degree Completion Plan (coming soon) and check out our featured courses below to learn more about what you’ll be studying!
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 681 – Healthcare Chaplaincy
Highlights of Our MDiv in Chaplaincy Healthcare Degree
- You can gain hands-on ministry experience through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units, local church ministry training, and experiential learning opportunities with church and parachurch ministries.
- We have a state-of-the-art homiletics teaching lab in our John W. Rawlings School of Divinity building.
- Our Scriptorium houses the Rawlings Foundation rare books collection valued at over $1 million, a 111-foot-long Torah scroll that dates to the 16th century, and a functioning replica of the Gutenberg Printing Press.
- Study under theologians and missionaries with real-world experience.
MDiv in Healthcare Chaplaincy Degree Information
- Residential
- 90 total credit hours
- Transfer in up to 50% of your total degree
- This program falls under the The Liberty Theological Seminary
- Review the Degree Completion Plan (coming soon)
- View our course catalog
Potential Career Opportunities for MDiv in Healthcare Chaplaincy Graduates
- Healthcare chaplain
- Hospice chaplain
- Pastoral counselor
- Senior pastor
- Spiritual care coordinator
- Spiritual care director
- Visitation pastor
Some positions may require additional training and/or certification.
Admission Requirements for the Master of Divinity Program
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official bachelor’s degree transcripts with a 2.0 GPA or higher
- John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Questionnaire
- Pastoral recommender contact information
- Self-certification form (for students in the final term of their bachelor’s degree)
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
