Thanatology, Faith Communities, End of Life, and Grief Support Concentration, MS

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Thanatology is the cross-disciplinary study of dying, death, loss, and grief and is both an academic and applied discipline. Thanatologists, defined broadly, are individuals who have been specifically trained about the dying and grieving process, including evidence-based practices for individual and family care, interprofessional healthcare team competencies, and current research. The MS in Thanatology prepares graduates for employment or volunteer work in a variety of settings where care for the dying and/or grieving are important including hospices; hospitals; faith communities; non-profit organizations; family, children and teen grief centers; funeral homes; and academic settings. The program expects students to bring and further develop excellent critical thinking and writing skills, resulting in graduates who are competent practitioner-scholars.

The program philosophy is that dying, death, loss, and grief are primarily human experiences with medical aspects, and not merely medical events that affect humans. The curriculum is designed to prepare individuals to create, implement, and provide non-medical support services for the dying and the bereaved, in collaboration with relevant healthcare professionals.

The Association for Death Education and Counseling, the primary professional association for the discipline, has identified and articulated a comprehensive list of the domains essential to competency in thanatology: The Essential Body of Knowledge. This program’s curriculum is grounded in the Body of Knowledge, with an orientation toward cultivating individuals who excel within the field.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the university’s minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Prior Degree: Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university or its international equivalent attested by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credentials Evaluators. Fees for this service are the sole responsibility of the applicant.
• Grade-Point Average (GPA): Minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
• Tests:
  • The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required.
  • In addition to meeting admission eligibility requirements to the College and this specific program at Edgewood College, one or more of the following items are required for determining proficiency in the English language if the applicant is not a resident of one of the exempt countries.
    • List of exempt countries includes: Antigua & Barbuda; Australia; Bahamas; Bahrain; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda; Botswana; Cayman Islands; Dominica; Fiji; Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guyana; India; Ireland; Jamaica; Kenya; Kiribati; Liberia; Malawi; Micronesia; Namibia; New Zealand; Nigeria; Oman; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Solomon Islands; St. Kitts & Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent & the Grenadines; Swaziland; Trinidad & Tobago; UAE; Uganda; United Kingdom; Zambia; and Zimbabwe. 
    • Language of instruction in most recently earned college degree (Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, etc.) was English.
    • A letter from the HR representative at their place of employment that the medium of work is English.
    • A score of 90 or higher from Duolingo test
      • Upper-Intermediate: A Duolingo test score between 90-115 means the applicant is an upper-intermediate student who can converse on unfamiliar topics, can understand ideas behind both concrete as well as abstract writing and can interact with proficient speakers with ease.
      • Consult this site for Duolingo English Test score equivalents for TOEFL, IELTS, and CEFR: https://englishtest.duolingo.com/scores
      • The language test score requirement may be waived if an applicant has demonstrated academic success as a full-time student at a U.S. college or university for at least two consecutive years, or if the applicant is from a country in which English is the primary language.
• Personal Statement: Applicants should submit a 500 to 1,000 word reflection statement covering what you expect to learn and achieve from the thanatology program; what experiences you have had that form the foundation for your goals; and an example of an experience in which you used critical thinking to make a decision.

This program uses a rolling admissions process where applications are reviewed and applicants are admitted up to the first day of a semester.

Core Competencies

Upon completion of the Master of Science in Thanatology program the student will:

1. Integrate elements of the eight domains of the discipline of thanatology (definitions/perceptions; demography/epidemiology; foreseen death; unforeseen death; other traumatic death; loss, grief and mourning; theories of grief; contemporary models of grief; concepts related to grief; funeral practices)
2. Evaluate the elements of practice considerations for professionals in thanatology (practices related to human mortality; decision-making at end of life; care of the dying; practices related to counseling and therapy; practices related to death education; other thanatology practice issues).
3. Synthesize and evaluate the contextual and theoretical considerations in thanatology (history of thanatology as a discipline; societal and cultural frameworks and norms; representations of death and grief in the arts; research across the lifespan; theories of non-death loss and ambiguous loss).