NEW PROGRAM - MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THANATOLOGY AT EDGEWOOD COLLEGE

Learn from Janet McCord, Ph.D., FT

MADISON, Wis., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

• Learn directly from internationally renowned thanatologist and former ADEC president
• Achieve 30 credit MS, Thanatology in two years or less with 100% online courses.
• Prepare to work in grief support in fields such as healthcare, education, counseling, or non-profit settings.

Beginning in the fall 2022 semester, Edgewood College will offer students the opportunity to receive a Master of Science in Thanatology and learn directly from internationally renowned thanatologist and author, Dr. Janet McCord. Dr. McCord served as President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) from 2016-2017 and is a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement.

Thanatology is the systematic study of dying, death, loss, grief, bereavement, life-threatening behavior, traumatic death, suicide, euthanasia, physician-assisted death and the associated anthropological, developmental, historical, ethical, legal, philosophical, educational, psychological, scientific, sociological, spiritual and theoretical elements. Those who have studied thanatology are knowledgeable about the dying and grieving process including evidence-based practices for family care, cutting-edge literature and research. The curriculum is aligned with the ADEC's Essential Body of Knowledge, and students can complete the program in two years or less.

"Edgewood is steeped in the Dominican values of compassion, justice, truth and partnership," says McCord. "Because this curriculum is both an academic and an applied curriculum that trains people to take what they learn and bring it forward to people and communities and patients and families, that embodies Edgewood's promise of connecting belief, learning and action."

The philosophy of the thanatology program at Edgewood is that dying, death, loss and grief are primarily human experiences with medical aspects, not merely medical events that affect humans. As the new thanatology program director at Edgewood College, McCord brings her experience as a thanatologist and suicidologist for nearly 30 years, having educated hundreds of master's level students around the world in graduate-level thanatology programs.

"Everybody dies and everybody grieves. And oftentimes, families just don't know how to cope with it. They need people to help them. And that's what we try to educate students to be able to do," says McCord. "Whether they are funeral directors, whether they're counselors or therapists or medical professionals, lots of people need to know about death and dying and grief and loss. If they have this kind of knowledge, it's easier for them to make families more comfortable, to help families make those difficult decisions and to walk the walk of grief. Thanatologists get the preparation in a program like the Master of Science Degree at Edgewood College to help those families."

The Master of Science in Thanatology program at Edgewood College will prepare students for employment or volunteer opportunities within a variety of settings in which care for the dying or grieving is important, including hospices, hospitals, faith communities, nonprofit organizations, organ and tissue procurement organizations, grief centers, funeral homes and academic settings. The curriculum is designed to prepare individuals to create, implement and provide nonmedical support services for the dying and the bereaved, including suicide prevention and postvention support services, as well as community death education.

To learn more, visit edgewood.edu. Enroll now — the Master of Science in Thanatology program is now accepting applications for the 2022 fall semester. 

SOURCE Edgewood College