BECOME A BUDDHIST CHAPLAIN

Serve with Compassion.

A contemplative MDiv preparing you for spiritual care in healthcare, hospice, and community settings.

MDiv at a Glance

  • Low-residency, cohort-based

  • Credits: 72

  • Length: 4 years, part time

  • Academic Year: three terms, September – July

  • Learning format: weekly live + asynchronous

  • Residencies: 2 a year (Oct + May), 3-5 days each, in Portland, Oregon

An Integrated Pathway to Buddhist Chaplaincy

Maitripa College’s low-residency MDiv integrates Tibetan Buddhist scholarship, meditation training, and professional formation to prepare you for clinical chaplaincy and spiritual care roles —so you can offer compassionate service to others in life’s most challenging moments and by nourishing the spiritual dimensions of life.  

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Three integrated pillars: Scholarship, Meditation, & Service

  • Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, history, & ethics
  • Theories and praxis of chaplaincy, pastoral care, & spiritually integrated care
  • Graduate-level research & critical, applied thinking
  • Pastoral, public, & scholarly communication
  • Contemplative methods for cultivating wisdom & compassion in oneself & others
  • Reflective practice & embodied insight
  • Compassionate, ethical service grounded in spiritual formation
  • Spiritual care & leadership skills for diverse settings

CAREER PATHS

  • Healthcare chaplaincy (clinical spiritual care)
  • Hospice and end-of-life chaplaincy
  • Community-based spiritual care
  • Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care in complex institutions, interdisciplinary settings, and diverse sectors
  • Ministry and spiritual leadership in Buddhist, interfaith, or secular organizations
  • Integrating spirituality into therapeutic and allied professional roles

CURRICULUM SNAPSHOT

  • The Pastoral Buddha: scriptures and spiritual care

  • Spiritual care for grief and end-of-life care (with Buddhists / with anyone)

  • Culturally and spiritually responsive care + collaboration

  • Research literacy and writing for professionals navigating complex systems

  • Meditation I–III (concentration, compassion, insight into emptiness)

PROGRAM FEATURES

Flexible Low-Residency Format
Live/recorded/async + Portland intensives

Cohort-Based & Faculty Mentorship
Spiritual Formation Group, Assigned faculty advisor

Affordable Tuition
Est. $36,966 tuition+fees; payment plans available

Lineage-grounded, Professionally Aligned Training
Tibetan Buddhist foundations + professional spiritual care training

Transformative In-Person Retreats
2 required intensives/year • 4–5 days • Portland, OR

NEXT STEPS