Open Access

An evaluation of graduates of the spiritual counseling and guidance master’s program: Adequacy and functionality of education

1 Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bilecik, Turkiye ROR

Abstract

This study aims to comprehensively examine the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals who have a master’s degree in Spiritual Counseling and Guidance (SCG), their motivations for enrolling in the program, the knowledge and skills they have gained during their education, their evaluations of the extent to which the program prepares them to provide SCG services, and the content of the project assignments they have prepared before graduation. A mixed method design was adopted in which quantitative and qualitative data were used together in the study. Quantitative data were obtained through a structured questionnaire administered to graduate students; qualitative data were obtained through document analysis of project assignments. Quantitative findings revealed that participants enrolled in the program with personal interest, desire for professional development, and spiritual motivations; that they found the education provided in the program sufficient in general terms; that they gained practical skills such as communication, empathy, and crisis intervention in addition to theoretical knowledge during the education process; however, practical training was found insufficient. Qualitative analyses, on the other hand, show that document scanning method is generally preferred in project assignments, that person and work-centered studies are prominent, and that field research is limited. As a result, it was suggested that in order to conduct more qualified studies in the field of SCG, practical training should be increased, project topics should be determined according to the needs in the field (Bilecik in particular, Türkiye in general), field research should be encouraged, and the program should be upgraded to thesis-based master’s degree level.

Keywords

How to Cite

Yilmaz, E. (2025). An evaluation of graduates of the spiritual counseling and guidance master’s program: Adequacy and functionality of education. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 16(62), 2327–2357. https://doi.org/10.70736/ijoess.2108

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