Youth Ministry & Spirituality
This programme in Youth Ministry and Spirituality is designed to be a pathway for someone with sufficient working experience in youth ministry but who does not have a previous degree in theology or youth ministry.
| Award Name | Diploma |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Pontifical University Maynooth |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma | Pontifical University Maynooth |
Duration
1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.
Entry Requirements
Entry requirements for the Diploma in Youth Ministry and Spirituality (Code - MU721) have been set in order to select potential students who have the proven academic ability to undertake a Level 7 Diploma course.
The admissions policy aims to attract and recruit motivated applicants across the full range of possible access routes. Students may have a background in any academic discipline. The overriding principle upon which admission decisions are based is that applicants should be likely to benefit from and succeed on the course.
Minimum entry requirements for the course
Formal Education
Applicants should normally hold Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) from a recognised education institution with a minimum of a pass in five subjects. Applicants without a formal HE qualification or the formal qualification is not at the equivalent academic standard, may be considered if the following conditions apply:
They are or have been in employment where their employed role is in the area of the course and involves a high level of analysis and critical thinking. If so, such candidates will be required to provide evidence of such employment, its nature and level. This evidence will be considered in an interview and the decision of the panel (see below) will be final.
Candidates who do not have a prior theological qualification may be required to undertake TH 401 Introduction to Theology (5ECTS) in semester one and ST404 Understanding Jesus Christ Today (5ECTS) in semester two as part of their course of study.
English language requirement
Applicants must have:
Had their secondary education taught and assessed in English; or
An IELTS score of 6 with a minimum of 5.5 in the writing component or another English Language Test recognised by St Patrick’s Pontifical University.
Interview
Applicants who have met the minimum entry requirements will be formally interviewed. The purpose of the interview is to determine the suitability of the candidate to undertake and complete the course. The panel will also consider any equivalent or non-standard admission qualifications. In so doing, the panel may require additional evidence from the candidate to support the candidate’s request for consideration for equivalency, such as the nature and level of the work experience.
Note: even if an applicant meets our minimum admission requirements, The University cannot guarantee a place on the course.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Applicants with prior certificated or experiential learning at the same level of the qualification for which they wish to apply are advised to contact the admissions team.
Careers / Further progression
This course will help to respond to the urgent needs of pastoral mission and care for young people in Ireland, especially in Catholic parishes throughout the country. It will be an introductory programme for those who wish to develop their pastoral knowledge and skills for ministry with children, teenagers and young adults, while gaining a professional qualification. The programme is designed to provide practical experience, theological learning, and spiritual development. Students are given an opportunity to minister in pastoral contexts both in Ireland and internationally.
Further information
Course Start Date: September 2024
Application Deadline: 01st April 2024
For EU & those living on the island of Ireland (Late applications may be considered).
01st April 2024 For non EU
Introduction
This programme in Youth Ministry and Spirituality is designed to be a pathway for someone with sufficient working experience in youth ministry but who does not have a previous degree in theology or youth ministry. Students attain a qualification in youth ministry while gaining conceptual and theoretical knowledge and developing practical and professional skills.
Description
The programme is also designed for students or graduates of primary degrees in theology who intend to engage in further studies (e.g. Masters in Youth Ministry) but need a preparatory Diploma to have the right methodological and pastoral qualification to engage in research in youth ministry at a post graduate level.
The programme commences in September 2024 with the registration and recruitment of new students (with individual and group interviews) concluded during the academic year 2023 in line with the normal college admissions guidelines and dates.
Aims of the course
This course will help to respond to the urgent needs of pastoral mission and care for young people in Ireland, especially in Catholic parishes throughout the country. It will be an introductory programme for those who wish to develop their pastoral knowledge and skills for ministry with children, teenagers and young adults, while gaining a professional qualification. The programme is designed to provide practical experience, theological learning, and spiritual development. Students are given an opportunity to minister in pastoral contexts both in Ireland and internationally.
Learning will happen through course work, participation in seminars, human development, exploration of the student’s own personal faith journey, and placement education. Students form an ability to integrate their learning from academic study and placement experiences accompanying young people in different pastoral situations, in diverse settings, including school, parish, and youth centres (clubs and projects).
The study of the fundamental pedagogical concepts and theories will be enhanced by the practical approach so that students are able to immediately put their learning outcomes into practice. It is expected that the course will be a life-changing experience. It will nourish participants’ engagement in learning whilst promoting learner autonomy and life-long learning.
Students will engage in educational practice through the placement and will have opportunities to specialise in aspects of practice. As such the programme will:
AIM 1: Provides a professional qualification for Youth Pastoral Professionals (YPP) offering a grounding in Catholic Faith Education and placement education experience in youth-care, so that graduates can accompany and empower young people in the present generation and global culture.
AIM 2: Provide a programme which approach is based on practical Christian humanism and a philosophical anthropology that is focused on empowering the young to face the different challenges of life.
AIM 3: The course will prepare YPPs with a spiritual background that includes personal accompaniment and supervision of young people using the ‘Preventive System’ of Education that seeks to bring out the good in the young while preventing (safeguarding) against harm.
AIM 4: Support engagement with pedagogic issues in specific disciplines through curriculum design and assessment so that students can demonstrate a deep and systematic understanding of current approaches to Youth Ministry.
AIM 5: Provide opportunities to engage in practice promoting external recognition of the field and strengthening the professional community locally and internationally.
AIM 6: Provide support and enhancement of the professional skills with a strong focus on Youth Ministry and application of complex and specialised knowledge to the field of Pastoral Theology.
This section shows the modules available as part of the Diploma in Youth Ministry and Spirituality and its credit value. Both part-time and full time students study 60 credits over one/two years (2/4 semesters). The Placement may take place in summer time after the modules are complete. The course may be offered in both modes. The full time mode is an attractive option for international students or those students taking a sabbatical. The structure for these students is constructed based on the module choice and under close supervision of the Programme Director. The course structure is validated by St Patrick’s Pontifical University every 5 years, but it can change by adapting to feedback from a variety of sources.
Core modules that must be taken and passed by all students on the course, irrespective of their pathway
For list of modules go to https://sppu.ie/courses/diploma-in-youth-ministry-and-spirituality
Please note: Should optional modules be available they will not necessarily be offered in any one year. In addition, timetabling and limited spaces may mean a student cannot do their first choice of modules.
For further information contact;
Admission Office,
St Patrick’s Pontifical University,
Maynooth,
County Kildare
Tel: 01 708 4772
Fax: 01 708 3477
Email: cmmadmissions@spcm.ie
Web Page: www.sppu.ie