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Master of Science in Thanatology General Course Descriptions

30 Total Credit Hours

Required Courses

  • THN 600 – 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). 
  • THN 610 – 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. 
  • THN 615 – 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.   
  • THN 620 – 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. 
  • THN 625 – 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.  
  • THN 630 – 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. 
  • THN 635 – 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.

General Thanatology Concentration Requirements

Students should select 9 credits from the following list.

  • THN 703 – Children & Teens in Thanatology 3 credits. Examination of the attitudes and responses of children and teens to death, loss, and grief. This course draws on research literature on human developmental stages. Topics include strategies for working with families and caregivers of terminally ill children/teens; facilitating communication between healthcare providers and families; strategies for helping children/teens in the midst of family illness; and models of bereavement programs.  
  • THN 704 – Adults/Older Adults & Thanatology 3 credits. Examination of the field of psychology of aging at the end of life through a biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional framework. Offers a basic knowledge of how psychological theory contributes to our understanding of the many facets of older adult development, specifically as it relates to issues of grief and loss in later adulthood. Topics include non-death losses due to changes in identity; transitions into retirement; bereavement overload due to death and non-death loss(es); and a special focus on loss of independence and anticipatory grief due to living or caring for those with dementia. 
  • THN 705 – Hospice & Palliative Care 3 credits. Examination of the history, theory and practice of hospice and palliative care. Topics include the palliative approach to medicine; terminal disease trajectories; the dying process; practical strategies for assisting families in communicating with healthcare providers; the ways Interprofessional Collaborative Practice core competencies can enhance EOL care; the impact of end-stage terminal illness on caretakers (both professional and family) and family members; and self-care for caregivers. 
  • THN 706 – Suicidology 3 credits. Introductory course exploring current theories of suicide and contemporary approaches to intervention as well as the overall failure of current approaches to prevention. Topics include nomenclature; historical, current, and emerging theoretical and treatment models; safety planning; suicide across the life span and across the globe; approaches to prevention and how it can be done better; potential iatrogenic impact of caregiver biases and personal perspectives regarding suicide. 
  • THN 707 – Suicide, Children, & Teens 3 credits. Examination of suicide, suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention (grief support) among children & teens, and young adults. Topics include prevalence of suicide in these age groups; assessment and screening; prevention; intervention; post-intervention; stressors including AODA, LGBTQ and cultural issues; evidence-based programs; current research; and best practices. 
  • THN 708 – Traumatology 3 credits. Exploration of the psychological impact of many different types of trauma and trauma victims, including implications for post-traumatic stress disorder, complicated grief and bereavement, and subsequent psychosocial impact on communities. Topics include psychological and victimology theories used to explain and treat trauma; challenges associated with trauma; critical incident stress management; co-morbid psychological and medical diagnoses; community response activities; social correlates; and mechanisms of positive change after a traumatic event (post-traumatic growth). 
  • THN 710 – Complicated Grief 3 credits. Examination of the history, research, literature, and risk versus protective factors for the development of the concept of complicated grief. Topics include assessment of complicated grief; techniques for helping the bereaved after special losses; attending to individual spiritual needs; cross-cultural considerations; lifespan issues; setting appropriate boundaries; self-care for the caregiver; confidentiality.  
  • THN 711 – Death and the Creative Imagination 3 credits. Examination of cultural contexts of death, dying and bereavement through literature, film, art, and music. Topics include themes of death & bereavement in novels, short story, drama, poetry, media art, and film. Explores ways the arts can be used therapeutically in work with the dying & grieving.