Theology & Religious Studies Certificate in Pastoral Ministry (CPM)

The Certificate in Pastoral Ministry (CPM) provides current and prospective pastoral ministers the academic foundation necessary for a rich and fulfilling ministry in the contemporary Catholic Church. The certificate courses combine theological rigor and leading-edge pedagogy with assignments and project-based learning centered on practical application. Students in CPM courses have the opportunity to learn from, and with, a diverse community of ministers who serve in Catholic schools, parishes, and agencies. Students may pursue the Certificate as part of their Master of Arts program or independent of the degree program.

The CPM meets the intellectual formation requirements needed to become a Certified Lay Ecclesial Minister in the Diocese of Cleveland. For more information, contact the Diocesan Office of Lay Ecclesial Ministry.

Program Learning Goals

The successful CPM graduate will achieve the following Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):

1. Critically analyze the religious dimensions of human experience as expressed in sacred texts, art, ritual practice, ethical commitments, philosophy/theology, and social structures.

2. Identify ways in which religious or ethical traditions and the critical study thereof provide resources for responding to injustice and living ethically.

Achievement of these two TRS learning goals will be measured according to the following performance standards:

1. Student uses pertinent, appropriately documented, primary and secondary sources to demonstrate careful and critical engagement with an artifact of Catholic tradition in its socio-historical context(s). Student explicitly identifies the assumptions that ground the study and the methodology used in this engagement. Student takes into account alternative interpretations or applications, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of those alternatives, and justifies the student’s interpretive construction.

2. Student uses pertinent, appropriately documented, primary and secondary sources to analyze a contemporary ethical question or injustice in light of Catholic Social Teaching. Student explicitly identifies the ethical theory/theories that ground the study and the religious resources used to address the question/injustice. Student evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of those various resources or theories. Student articulates own response and explains the assumptions behind, objections to, and implications of this position.

TRS CPM Application Requirements

Applicants to the CPM Program are required to submit the following:

• Online application form

• Official transcripts of all university-level studies

TRS CPM Program Requirements

To attain the Certificate in Pastoral Ministry, a student must complete 18 graduate credits in Theology & Religious Studies. Courses cover the principal areas of Catholic theology relevant to ministering in today’s church:

Candidates pursuing Certification as a Lay Ecclesial Minister in the Diocese of Cleveland are also expected to complete the 2-credit Canon Law course offered each summer by St. Mary’s Seminary, either audit or for credit. If taken for credit, the course can be applied as transfer credits to JCU’s MA degree program. This course plan meets all "Intellectual Formation" requirements for Certification as a Lay Ecclesial Minister in the Diocese of Cleveland.