The Master of Arts in Buddhist Spiritual Care (MABSC) is designed to nurture a Buddhist approach to addressing human suffering that can be applied in one’s professional and personal life to facilitate the healing of individuals and communities. The program also furthers the clinical practices of social workers, psychotherapists, spiritual directors, religious teachers, leaders, and practitioners and specializes in preparing participants for hands-on work in chaplaincy in diverse, interfaith settings, such as hospitals, hospices, police departments, prisons, universities, and the military. 

Students who graduate with an MABSC degree will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of theory and praxis of Buddhist spiritual formation.
• Analyze how different expressions of Buddhist tenets and texts interact with theories and practices of Buddhist Spiritual Care and Counseling skills.
• Apply history as well as the teachings and tenets of Humanistic/Engaged Buddhism to reflection on contemporary life.
• Demonstrate skills necessary to integrate Buddhist sacred texts, frameworks, and ethics into a Humanistic/Engaged Buddhist work.

The program welcomes Buddhists from every branch of Buddhism as well as those of other religious denominations (not all students identify as Buddhist or only Buddhist). Students are encouraged to engage in spiritual reflection and formation from within their own faith tradition and to share those reflections with their peers. In addition, students learn about other faiths, to be of service to a wide variety of people in need.

Through our collaboration with University of the West (UWest), students may choose to complete the degree fully via distance learning, with the exception of the five-day graduation retreat for NYZC’s Foundations in Contemplative Care program, by earning twelve (12) credits from NYZC and twenty-four (24) credits from UWest. Students in New York City are also welcome and encouraged to attend NYZC courses in-person at the New York Zen Center. 

To learn more about the curriculum and how to earn the MABSC via distance learning, see the “Curriculum Design” section below. 

Note: As a California-based institution, UWest is subject to regulations on out-of-state distance learners and cannot enroll distance learning students in some states or US territories. Please visit UWest’s State Authorization page to see a current list of authorized states and contact NYZC at [email protected] so we can assist you and UWest in pursuing compliance with your state.

Earning the MABSC through a combination of New York Zen Center (NYZC) and University of the West (UWest) courses begins with completing NYZC’s nine-month Foundations in Contemplative Care (6 credit hours), beginning in September of each academic year and culminating with a May in-person 5-day retreat in New York. Foundations in Contemplative Care may be taken online or in-person, with the exception of the retreat. The remainder of the degree is designed to be completed in two years on a full-time basis. Although students can extend their time to graduation if a part-time engagement is needed; courses are designed to be taken in a prescribed sequence.

Students elect two additional NYZC courses (3 credit hours each) from NYZC’s Soto Zen Buddhist Studies offerings. Eligible courses include Zen Precepts Study, any Mahayana Sutra classes, Zen Texts, and Zen History. Learn more about these courses here. 

The remaining twenty-four (24) credit hours are completed through UWest. Please review the UWest MABSC Catalog for the course outline (www.uwest.edu). 

If choosing to complete the NYZC-UWest degree fully via distance learning, NYZC credits must be substituted as follows: 

• Foundations in Contemplative Care fulfills UWest MDIV510 Communication Skills for Chaplaincy and MDIV645 Spiritual Care & Counseling

• Soto Zen Buddhist Studies first course fulfills UWest REL636 Buddhist Texts in Translation or REL645 Regional Buddhist Traditions

• Soto Zen Buddhist Studies second course fulfills UWest REL641 Topics in Buddhist Studies or MDIV670 Spiritual Leadership or BMIN620 Engaged Compassion

It is the student’s responsibility to plan out their course of study. NYZC’s academic advisor is available to  support you in planning your coursework. To speak with our academic advisor, please email [email protected].

Graduates and currently enrolled new students from NYZC’s Foundations in Contemplative Care program are eligible for streamlined admission with UWest. Full application process is required for all others.  

Learn more and apply to Foundations in Contemplative Care here.

Streamlined admission and application for MABSC includes: 

• The undergraduate gpa requirement for admission to MABSC is waived for NYZC Foundations graduates and current Foundations students. General applicants to the MABSC program are required to have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or an equivalent degree issued by a recognized international institution with a cumulative gpa of 3.00 or higher. 
• NYZC Foundations graduates and current Foundations students submit only two official transcripts: NYZC’s transcript showing completion of or enrollment in the NYZC Foundations in Contemplative Care Program, and the transcript from the institution that awarded their bachelor’s degree. Additional transcripts may be submitted, but are not required for admission to the program. General applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended. 

• The Application Statement of Purpose is waived for NYZC Foundations graduates and current Foundations students. When filling out the application, NYZC Foundations graduates and new students may type “New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care Chaplaincy Training Program Student” in the field used to type the statement of purpose. 
• Applicants who are NYZC Foundations graduates and current Foundations students submit only the NYZC recommendation; additional recommendations are waived. General applicants are asked for three recommendations. 
• The Application Interview is waived for NYZC Foundations graduates and current Foundations students. 

Application to UWest’s MABSC program is completed online through UWest. 

For those seeking a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) equivalency necessary for Board Certification in Chaplaincy, the MABSC in conjunction with our 36 credit hour Certificate in Soto Zen Buddhist Studies satisfies the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) MDiv equivalency requirements. To learn more about becoming a chaplain visit our Clinical Pastoral Education page.