Master of Arts in Catholic Health Care Ministry
The vast field of the lay apostolate is not confined to the Church, but extends to the world. Indeed, the Church is present wherever her children profess and bear witness to the Gospel: in the workplace, in civil society and in all human relationships, wherever they, through their choices, show the beauty of Christian life, which foretells here and now the justice and peace that will be accomplished in the Kingdom of God. The world needs to “be permeated by the spirit of Christ, and more effectively fulfill its purpose in justice, charity and peace” (LG, 36). And this is possible only through the contribution, service and witness of the laity!
Pope Leo XIV
General Audience, April 1, 2026
Health care is one of the largest industries in the country, and there is a great need for Catholic health care professionals and chaplains to be well-formed in the Catholic way of approaching health care issues. Most graduate programs tend to emphasize either bio-ethics or pastoral care. The Master of Arts in Catholic Health Care Ministry at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary’s School of Theological Studies takes a more integrated approach, with the goal of empowering the professional and chaplain to be able to discuss bioethical issues with a pastoral heart.
Program Outcomes
- Ability to articulate an understanding of the human person that is consistent with Divine Revelation and serves as the objective basis for the Catholic Church’s moral tradition in health care.
- Ability to demonstrate a general mastery of the teaching of the Church as articulated by Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Catholic Moral Teaching.
- Ability to identify human difficulties and propose responses that utilize pastoral methods appropriate to the situation and respectful of one’s human dignity and one’s relationship with God.
- Ability to recognize the theological, moral, and medical dimensions of modern-day challenges in health care and bioethics, and to apply Catholic moral teaching and the Church’s authoritative guidance to resolve complex ethical dilemmas encountered in medical education, clinical practice, and research.
Partnership with the National Catholic Bioethics Center
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary has entered into a partnership with the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), which has its home in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, to provide the bioethics portion of the Program. The NCBC offers a National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics, which is accepted as nine credits toward the MA in Catholic Health Care Ministry. This partnership assures the program will always have the most up-to-date bioethics information conveyed to its students.
Curriculum
School of Theological Studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (27 credits)
Foundational Course in Catholic Health Care Ministry
The Fullness of the Human Person: Philosophical Contributions
Theological Anthropology
Introduction to Sacred Scripture: Practical Applications
Introduction to Systematic Theology: Practical Applications
Introduction to Moral Theology: Practical Applications
Pastoral Counseling I: Common Psychological Problems and their Treatments
Pastoral Counseling II: Listening Skills, Motivational Interviewing, & Pastoral Counseling
Spiritual Accompaniment
National Catholic Bioethics Center (9 credits)
NCBC Certification Program consists of four modules over a calendar year, plus one two-day seminar. Students should register for the 2027 Mid Academic Year Enrollment. Registration begins Nov. 2, 2026 and classes begin early February 2027.
Module One: Foundations of Catholic Health Care & Moral Decision Making
Module Two: Ethical Challenges at the Beginning of Life
Module Three: Ethics Committees, Vaccines, AI, and Gender
Module Four: Ethical Challenges at the End of Life
Two-day Seminar: Catholic Health Care Ethics: A Tradition of Compassion and Care for the Human Person
Delivery
The Master of Arts in Catholic Health Care Ministry is delivered completely online in an asynchronous format, with opportunities for live contact with classmates and faculty. Students proceed through the program as a cohort. New cohorts begin each fall semester.
Fall 2026 Cohort Program Schedule
Fall 2026
Foundational Course in Catholic Health Care Ministry
The Fullness of the Human Person: Philosophical Contributions
Spring 2027
Introduction to Sacred Scripture: Practical Applications
NCBC Certification Program
Summer 2027
Introduction to Systematic Theology: Practical Applications
NCBC Certification Program and 2-Day Seminar
Fall 2027
Introduction to Moral Theology: Practical Applications
NCBC Certification Program
Spring 2028
Theological Anthropology
Pastoral Counseling I: Common Psychological Problems and their Treatments
Summer 2028
Pastoral Counseling II: Listening Skills, Motivational Interviewing, and Pastoral Counseling
Spiritual Accompaniment
Tuition and Fees
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Tuition: $2,025.00 per 3-credit course
Student Fee: $114.00 per semester
National Catholic Bioethics Center
Tuition: $3,200.00 (paid directly to the NCBC)
Students should register for the 2027 Mid Academic Year Enrollment.
Registration begins Nov. 2, 2026 and classes begin early February 2027.
Application Process
- Prerequisites: An undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Arts or Science) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 from an accredited college or university.
- Completion of the Master of Arts in Catholic Health Care Ministry application, which includes a 400-500 word essay explaining the applicant’s reasons for pursuing the degree, events that led to this decision, and plans for the future.
- $40.00 application fee, payable online by credit/debit card.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to be emailed to sts@scs.edu.
Transcripts can also be mailed to:St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
School of Theological Studies
1400 Evans Road
Ambler, PA 19002 - Two letters of recommendation from individuals unrelated to the applicant, attesting to the applicant’s academic abilities and good character, emailed to sts@scs.edu or mailed to the School of Theological Studies.
Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Cohort: August 1, 2026
Completed applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee as they are received. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary reserves the right to investigate and verify all information provided by the applicant. Any instance of falsifying information will invalidate the application.
Admission Application
