Certificate in Theology and Health Care
Why This Program?
The Certificate in Theology and Health Care (CTHC) is a one-year course of study designed to equip Christian health care practitioners with the training to engage their work with theological clarity and spiritual joy. The certificate combines foundational courses in Christian scripture, theology, and church history with courses designed specifically for those who have vocations in health care and who seek theological formation and further confidence engaging questions of suffering, illness, and the place of health care in a faithful life.
The CTHC can be completed either in-residence (Residential CTHC) or in a flexible hybrid format (Hybrid CTHC) combining two separate weeks at Duke Divinity School (one in August and one in January) and eight months of distance learning with scheduled online classes (using Zoom) and some self-paced learning. Both the residential and flexible hybrid are full-time programs.
The Hybrid CTHC is offered in two tracks:
- The Health Care Track is designed for those who are working in general medical contexts (e.g., trainees or practitioners of medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, and other health care professions).
- The Mental Health Track is designed for those working in mental health contexts (e.g., trainees or practitioners in social work, clinical psychology, marriage & family therapy, psychiatric nursing, counseling, psychiatry, and licensed addiction counseling).
Those seeking to complete the Residential CTHC are eligible to apply for the one-year track of the Theology, Medicine, and Culture (TMC) Fellowship, which offers successful applicants partial tuition support. Those who would benefit from the Residential CTHC include students taking a gap year before pursuing clinical training (e.g., medical school, nursing school, genetic counseling training), students in the midst of medical school or other clinical training, mid-career clinicians, public health professionals, and Christian nonprofit leaders.
Program Overview
Curriculum
The course curriculum for Residential CTHC and Hybrid CTHC on the Health Care Track involves three primary components: 1) Cultivating Christian Imagination, a two-semester course that combines scripture, history, and theology in a sweeping tour of Christian tradition and the practices of Christian communities; 2) Health Care in Theological Context, a two-semester course on the intersection of theology and medicine; and 3) Spiritual Formation and Vocation in Health Care, a two-semester course that combines best practices of academic study, spiritual direction, and professional coaching, as students discern what faithful practices look like in their own contexts. Students completing the Residential CTHC are eligible to take up to two additional courses of interest from other areas of the Divinity School.
The course curriculum for Hybrid CTHC students on the Mental Health Track involves three primary components: 1) Cultivating Christian Imagination, a two-semester course that combines scripture, history, and theology in a sweeping tour of Christian tradition and the practices of Christian communities; 2) Health Care in Theological Context I, a one-semester course on the intersection of theology and medicine, and Christian Approaches to Mental Health Care, a one-semester course on the intersection of theology and mental health care; and 3) Spiritual Formation and Vocation in Health Care, a two-semester course that combines best practices of academic study, spiritual direction, and professional coaching, as students discern what faithful practices look like in their own contexts (Note: Students in the Mental Health Track study along with Health Care Track students in the fall and meet only with Mental Health Track students in the spring.) Mental health track students will also be matched with a mental health clinician mentor for regular meetings during the academic year. Students completing the Residential CTHC are eligible to take up to two additional courses of interest from other areas of the Divinity School.
Graduation Requirements
The Certificate is normally completed in one academic year. Requirements for graduation are:
- Six courses completed normally in one academic year. Once the program begins, the maximum amount of time to complete it is three years.
- The maintenance of a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0
Affording Duke
An education from Duke Divinity School is worth your investment, and you do not have to figure out the finances alone.
Typical support for those who complete the Residential CTHC as TMC Fellows is 50% of tuition costs. That, as well as federal financial aid in the form of work study and loans, make it possible for students to afford Duke Divinity. FAFSA should be completed for external aid. More information can be found in our Financial Aid section.
Hybrid CTHC students may receive scholarship support covering 25% of tuition costs and are also eligible for federal financial aid in the form of loans.
Next Steps
Duke Divinity School accepts applications for our three deadlines starting in late August and concluding with the final deadline on April 15. Our admissions requirements include a demonstrated a current vocation or intended vocation in health care and a minimum GPA of 3.00 in a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university prior to the intended date of enrollment.
Resources
We’re available to answer any questions you might have. Please contact us at admissions@div.duke.edu or (919) 660-3436. The resources below will also help you learn more about our programs.