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Embark on a Career in Thanatology with a Master of Science from Edgewood College
The Master of Science in Thanatology and Grief program at Edgewood College is a 30-credit hour online degree that prepares students for careers in thanatology, grief counseling, and end-of-life care. The curriculum includes courses on death and dying, grief and loss, thanatology theory and research, end-of-life care, counseling skills, death education, and ethics and legal issues in thanatology.
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TypeMasters
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Start DateAugust 26, 2024
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Duration24 Months
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- 100% Online Format
Course Snapshot
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No
standardized testing required
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24
months program
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Content aligned
with the ADEC Essential Body of Knowledge
- Edgewood College alumni status
- 100% online
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Learn on an AI-powered & personalised platform with best-in-class
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What will you learn?
Introduction to Thanatology
3 Credits
- Introduction to the discipline of thanatology and an overview of the study of dying, death, and bereavement. Topics include perspectives of death (as an individual and as a member of society); how and where we die, how we grieve, and what can be done to provide the best possible care; perspectives of faith questions; strategies to avoid burnout. Includes an introduction to Interprofessional Healthcare (IP), its history, and the Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice from the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) report (2016).
Thanatological Theory
- 3 Credits
- Examination of bereavement theory and techniques in individual and group facilitation skills. Topics include effective listening skills; contemporary models/theories of grief; key concepts related to grief; grief support in the context of interprofessional healthcare teams; and grief after traumatic death.
Family Systems and Thanatology
- 3 Credits
- Family systems theory, first proposed by Kerr and Bowen (1988), considers the complex inter-dynamics of the family as a unit. This course offers an in-depth exploration of family systems theory applied to end-of-life care and bereavement situations with “the family as the unit of care.” Topics include but not limited to: chronic illness, sudden illness, addiction, and suicide.
The Self & Openness to Culture
- 3 Credits
- Poverty and socioeconomic issues are often barriers to quality of healthcare, including quality of life and quality of death. In a world framed by notions of nationality, politics, power, race, ethnicity, class, age, gender, and other cultural variables, this course explores issues of social justice, diversity, and inclusion in the contexts of dying, death, grief and loss.
Spiritual Dimensions of Care
- 3 Credits
- Early in her work in hospice and palliative care, Dame Cicely Saunders coined the term total pain, by which she meant the suffering comprised of physical, social, spiritual, and psychological components at the end of life. For Saunders, spiritual support and deep listening were essential components of quality care. In 2009, the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care and the National Quality Forum (U.S.) determined that spiritual care is an essential domain of quality palliative care. This course examines the domain of spiritual care for palliative and hospice care both in the U.S. and internationally. Topics include the varied definitions of spirituality; ways spiritual care depends on the building of relationships; how a spirituality and health model can inform compassionate care; spiritual assessment models; and the evidence base for improved outcomes for both patients and caregivers.
Ethics in Death and Dying
- 3 Credits
- Explores the ethical and moral challenges and dilemmas faced both during the dying process and at the end of life for care providers, patients, and families. Ethics will be considered within an applied framework, using case studies in pain management, psychology, suffering, terminating treatment, and mechanical support. This course examines the process of decision making as we determine guidelines for ethical decisions at the end of life. Includes an appreciation for and sensitivity to the additional challenges or difficulties in the EOL decision making process for those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or have been historically marginalized.
Research Methods & Thanatology
- 3 Credits
- Exploration of research across the lifespan and how research contributes to the identification of best practices in thanatology. Topics include critical reading and use of thanatology research studies; theories and methods of conducting research; IRB CITI training; research ethics; and study design via applied grant writing. This course does not include statistical procedures or data analysis and is not intended to be an exhaustive exploration of all research methodologies.
You will also choose 9 credits of electives as part of this program:
- Developmental Perspectives in Thanatology: Children, Teens, and Emerging Adults (3 credits)
- Developmental Perspectives in Thanatology: Middle to Older Adulthood (3 credits)
- Hospice & Palliative Care at the End of Life (3 credits)
- Suicidology (3 credits)
- Suicide and Children, Teens, and Young Adults (3 credits)
- Traumatology (3 credits)
- Complicated Grief (3 credits)
- Death and the Creative Imagination (3 credits)
- Special Topics in Thanatology (3 credits)
Program Fees: USD 15,000
How to apply for Edgewood MS in Thanatology Program?
There are 4 simple steps in the Admission Process which is detailed below:
Bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent with a 2.75 GPA.
Bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent with a 2.75 GPA.
Complete the Application
Complete your application on the upGrad platform. Include your education, work experience.
Complete your application on the upGrad platform. Include your education, work experience.
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Counselling Session
If your application meets the minimum requirements an admission counselor will reach out to you and explain how to complete the application formalities.
If your application meets the minimum requirements an admission counselor will reach out to you and explain how to complete the application formalities.
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Admissions Review and Acceptance
The Edgewood College admissions committee will review your candidacy and if admitted, you will be notified.
The Edgewood College admissions committee will review your candidacy and if admitted, you will be notified.
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Confirm your enrollment
Confirm your enrollment in the program by submitting all remaining documents
Confirm your enrollment in the program by submitting all remaining documents
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