Thanatology Certificate Program

This Program is Temporarily Suspended

Questions can be sent to Professor Carolyn Hames at chames@uri.edu

Nature of the Program

Expanding knowledge in the field of thanatology (study of loss, death, and grief); Developing advanced skills in providing specialized care to the terminally ill and bereaved; and Enriching personal growth.

Target Audience

This interdisciplinary program is intended for professionals with baccalaureate or higher degrees. The curriculum is designed for practicing nurses, social workers, psychologist, hospice professionals, bereavement counselors, physicians, teachers, clergy, funeral directors, and others who would like to expand and enrich their knowledge and skills in this area. Senior students may be admitted to the courses by permission of the instructor. Professionals will be prepared to work with the dying and their families in settings such as the home, hospitals, hospices, long-term care facilities, churches/synagogues, and funeral homes.

Requirements for the Certificate

Participants are required to complete 15 credits from the approved list of courses in thanatology. All students must take Death, Dying, and Bereavement (HDF 421) or Loss Across the Lifespan (NUR 526), and Contemporary Thanatology (NUR 523) as a capstone course at the end of the program. The approved courses are as follows:HDF 421 Death, Dying and Bereavement
HDF 471 Responding to Grief
NUR 523 Contemporary Thanatology
NUR 524 Exploring Loss through Creative Arts
NUR 525 Spirituality of Loss and Death for Health Professionals
NUR 526 Loss Across the Lifespan
NUR 527 Symptom Management in End-of-Life Care
NUR 529 Special Topics in Thanatology
PHL 401 Special topic: Death and the Meaning of Life
PHP 460 Palliative Care
PSC 440 The Politics of Being Mortal
PSY 554Q Psychology of Traumatic Stress
Ind. Study Use department code for independent study

Admission to the Program

Participants are required to have a baccalaureate degree or senior-level undergraduate status for admission into the certificate program. Permission to enroll in a course may be granted by course instructors to professionals not enrolled in the certificate program.

Student Advisement, Progress, and Completion Requirements

Advisement is done by members of the Interdisciplinary Thanatology Committee which also oversees and monitors student progress. Students will be required to successfully complete the selected courses (15 credits) with an average grade of “B” or above in five or less years. Students who do not maintain a “B” average will be counseled out of the program. Students should contact the coordinator of the program when they are completing their last course in order to prepare the necessary paperwork for graduation.Graduates will receive a certificate in thanatology from the University of Rhode Island after successfully completing 15 credits in the approved courses. The program will also prepare graduates to sit for the national certification exam in thanatology which is administered by the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Registration

Information on when and where the courses are offered can be found at e-Campus. Additional information can be obtained by calling (401) 874-2766.