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Amanda Head
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ATLANTA — Georgia State University’s innovative Graduate Pathway to Chaplaincy program is expanding its impact thanks to a prestigious Humanities Initiatives Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Designed to prepare the next generation of board-certified chaplains in a wide range of specialized fields — including healthcare, military and corrections — the program is setting a new model for excellence in chaplaincy education.
“I am thrilled our Graduate Pathway to Chaplaincy program has been awarded this humanities grant,” said Molly Bassett, chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Georgia State. “Building on our partnership with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), this funding will enhance this first-of-its-kind program and create more opportunities for students pursuing a meaningful career in chaplaincy.”
The two-year grant, led by Bassett and Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Andrew Walker-Cornetta, will fund key initiatives such as the development of a robust, interdisciplinary curriculum featuring faculty from across Georgia State, hosting nationally recognized speakers, establishing an advisory board and creating a model for other institutions interested in launching chaplaincy programs.
Georgia State became the first public university to offer a graduate pathway to chaplaincy in fall 2024. The program was developed in partnership with the APC, the premier professional association that certifies chaplains across the country, and is responsive to a pivotal change in APC’s certification requirements. The APC now allows students to pursue certification through a master’s degree in religious studies, supplemented by specialized chaplaincy training.
The pathway provides a clear, comprehensive route to becoming a board-certified or associate chaplain, opening doors to meaningful careers in a field where empathy and expertise intersect to make a lasting impact.
Applications for the fall 2025 cohort are now open. The deadline to apply for fall 2025 admission is Feb. 15.
Learn more here.