by Christina Parsons
The first pro-life major university degree program was started in November 2002 at Master's Divinity University. MDU, based in Evansville, Indiana has 1,800 students enrolled in various degree programs, with ten students currently pursuing the new pro-life degree.
To complete the program, students may choose either a degree (from associate level through doctorate) in practical ministry or in Biblical studies with a major in life issues counseling. Required course credits range from 35-40, and courses include post-abortion counseling and bioethics, and medical aspects of pregnancy and abortion. The distance learning format provides students the convenience of studying at their own pace, and students will likely take 18 months to two years to graduate.
One student, Marilyn Willoughby, said, “I am very excited about being in the program. I think it is a wonderful opportunity for people who want to get a degree, but due to time constraints cannot always go to the traditional classroom.”
The course curriculum is designed and written by individuals with degrees in their respective fields ranging from pregnancy and abortion counseling to Biblical-based counseling around life issues. They may be nurses or doctors, but are always immersed in the field of life issues counseling.
Deena Crandall is the director of the life issues counseling program at MDU. Crandall started as a volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center in California, and then as a staff member at a CPC in Chicago, where she ultimately became the director. During this time, she taught training courses in pregnancy counseling.
Through MDU, where her husband is the academic dean, Crandall had an opportunity to fill the need for formal counseling training for pro-lifers.
Prior to the establishment of this program, there had been no training at the college level specifically for pro-life professional counseling work, though many individuals work in a pro-life capacity and have college degrees. Often, even in the capacity of directors of pregnancy center and in training volunteers, people don't have the education to provide the deepest and fullest counseling capabilities around specific life issues. Thus, the life issues degree was established.
According to the MDU web site, “the outcome intent is to prepare the student to deal with the real-life issues surrounding pregnancy decisions, abortion and post-abortion counseling.”
Dianne Pomon, a registered nurse and executive director of a CPC in Pennsylvania, said, “I have been a director for about twelve years, and recognize there are situations that arise that I don't feel totally capable of handling. I believe this course will greatly contribute to preparing me for the future as a director or in any other capacity God would place me in.” Pomon intends to share the knowledge she has gained with her staff of volunteers.
Students interested in the life issues counseling degree desire to engage in ministry activities professionally and/or personally, and may vary from pastors and stay-at-home moms to those already involved in life issues work. So far, MDU is recruiting students to enroll through the Master's web site, pro-life agencies, national groups, pro-life events, and mailings done by Master's.
While MDU is the first and only university degree program offering a major in life issues counseling, the oldest pro-life academic program is the human life studies minor program at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
Begun in 1987, the program is a multidisciplinary minor in which 38-52 students may participate in any given year, with roughly 3-8 graduating per year. The minor course of study at Steubenville gives a broad perspective on human life issues in bioethics, public policy, journalism and counseling which can be incorporated into a major such as theology or legal studies.
According to the director of the program, Brian Scarnecchia, many students have gone on to teach theology or to law school. Others have joined pro-life organizations, such as Human Life International, American Right To Life, National Right to Life, Priests for Life, American Foundation Family in the Americas, and Population Research, to name a few.
Further information about the Life Issues Counseling degree program at Master's University can be found on the MDU website.
Information about the minor program at Franciscan University at Steubenville can be found on their website.
(This article courtesy of Steven Ertelt and the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)
