Frequently Asked Questions

PTS's MSS Program in Transcendent Leadership is designed for initiates in MSIA who want to deepen their awareness, attunement, and alignment with spirit and the divine presence. It is for those who want to be part of a deeper spiritual community—a cohort of learners dedicated to learning, growth, and upliftment. It is for MSIA initiates who have followed a dedicated practice of soul awareness for many years and to those MSIA students who are new to the teachings of the Traveler and studying toward inititation. The TL experience serves all who seek to strengthen that connection to the divine, to all that is. It is for those who want to know what it means to lead a life of soul transcendence—a life that is dedicated to the awareness of the soul and the divine in all.

Students do not have to be in a formal leadership role. With spirit we are all leaders. The MSS TL program is for those who know that we each lead by our demonstration of who we are and through our own presence and actions. PTS’s MSS Program in Transcendent Leadership is here to support the leader within all of us in living with soul awareness—that is the true leader.

This program is created especially for those MSIA students who want the support of a beloved cohort of souls to join them on this journey of transcendent leadership—leading a life of soul transcendence.

This PTS MSS program is designed for MSIA students who are actively studying and living the teachings of soul transcendence. Transcendent leadership students are required to be current subscribers to Soul Awareness Discourses, or SATs if completed discourse #144, and active initiates or studying toward initiation in MSIA.

As a seminary program our courses are built on the foundational teachings of the Church of MSIA. The teachings of John-Roger and John Morton are integrated with the works of other Travelers, spiritual teachers, philosophers, artists, scientists, poets, community or business leaders, and so on. The teachings of John-Roger form the foundation of all PTS programs.

The work of the Transcendent Leadership program primarily takes place in spirit. In that respect, it is first and foremost a mystery school of the sound current and soul transcendence.

The Transcendent Leadership program is a worldwide program for students from around the globe. The majority of the work is done from wherever you are—your home or work or vacation spot! Each course in the program has an internet-based classroom in the PTS Wisdom School—the online learning platform used in PTS. Faculty and students in this worldwide program come together in a variety of ways, including cohort video calls, self-chosen support circles, shared virtual SE time, and many other creative ways to connect in the learning and attunement to spirit.

Transcendent Leadership also has regular live and interactive, in-person gatherings that take place over the course of the two-year program. These gatherings bring TL students, faculty, and guests together at the same time for learning, sharing, and experiencing spirit. Students choose the participation model that works best for them from one of two models—the hybrid model which has gatherings in residence at Prana in Los Angeles or the distance model which has gatherings via web-based video conference calls. In both worldwide models, attendance at these gatherings takes place live, with all students, faculty, and presenters participating in real time.

Each student in the MSS Program in Transcendent Leadership will choose to enroll in one of these two models:

Students may choose to enroll in the hybrid model. (Hybrid learning—sometimes called "blended learning"—means that the program includes both physically in-person learning opportunities and also distance or worldwide learning opportunities. More than just online and in-person, hybrid learning is about finding the right mix of learning opportunities for each learner.) The gatherings for students who choose to enroll in the hybrid program take place in Los Angeles, California. All students and faculty come together in person in Los Angeles for five days, five times over the two years. The first gathering is a five-day orientation at the beginning of September and then there is a five-day gathering in residence at Prana each semester in November and March. IMPORTANT NOTE: During this time of practicing “safety at home” and until further notice, PTS is not offering the hybrid model.

Or...

Students may choose to enroll in the distance model. (Distance means that there is no travel required as all learning opportunities and in-person connections are done from home using internet-based tools. As a learning-centered program, the intention is always to find the right mix of learning opportunities for each learner.) For students who choose the distance model, the gatherings are also highly interactive and take place in real-time via Zoom Video Conferencing, a free web-based video call tool. These Zoom gatherings and our small cohort size allow students, faculty, and guest presenters (including John Morton, when he is with us) to connect and interact with each other in real-time. The distance gatherings take place every 4-5 weeks during each semester over an easily-manageable two-day weekend. There are 8 of these two-day gatherings each year. Between August and December, and then again between January and May, we meet about once a month on Saturday and Sunday for two three-hour sessions each day, with a two-hour break in between (long enough for a meal and a walk). The distance gatherings are designed specifically to allow us to manage our lives while we are fully engaged with the class over these weekends.

In both the Hybrid and Distance models, the gatherings are a real-time, live, and interactive experience. The TL program doesn’t offer a live-streamed or broadcast option—rather the Zoom video calls allow every student, faculty member, and invited guest presenter to see and interact with each other, and build a meaningful and supportive cohort relationship. Recordings are available for students who have an approved-absence.

Gatherings are the time where students and faculty are together, at the same time and in the same space (whether that space is Prana West or Zoom), focusing our attention together in the divine presence and energy of spirit's blessings.

The gatherings include an orientation in August (distance) or September (hybrid), at the start of the first semester of enrollment. Then there are TL Gatherings during each of the four semesters. The calendars for the distance and hybrid programs can be found under the heading Wisdom School at the top of this website. Like most schools in the United States our semesters are labeled fall for the September - December semester, and spring for the January – May semester, even though it might not be fall or spring where you live. But it will be here in Los Angeles if you choose to join us for the hybrid gatherings!

During our gatherings we have many invited guest presenters who share their wisdom about transcendent leadership, soul awareness, and leading a soul-led life. John Morton, the spiritual director of MSIA and PTS, has graced us with lots of his time and wisdom at each gathering. Other speakers have included Robert Waterman, Leigh Taylor Young, Ron Hulnick, David Allen, Leslie Boyer, Charlie Verge, and many more.

There is time at each gathering to focus on the three courses for the semester, including a short presentation from each student. Faculty offer workshops and all engage in fun, adventurous opportunities for experiential learning. And of course both models allow plenty of time for sharing together in spiritual exercises, meals, play, dancing, and even ice cream and movies.

You can go to our blog page and see articles that have come from some of our guest speakers' talks with us, as well as students' and faculty members' reflective sharings about our gatherings with photos.

For many of the faculty and students, the gatherings are the highlight of our work and we all carry the learning and memories with us as we go out in the world.

"Online learning platforms" are software programs that create a classroom-like environment on the internet where students and faculty can come together even if not in the same physical location or working at the same time of day. These learning spaces use a social learning approach to education that allows students to be engaged in a dynamic learning community online. It's very different from a correspondence course where a student is sent an assignment to complete. This is a social space where students and faculty are engaged together in conversation, exploration, discovery, and learning.

PTS Wisdom School is our online learning space, and the "online learning platform" it uses is called Moodle.

Each course in the program has a Moodle classroom in the PTS Wisdom School and that space is where the entire class is presented. Throughout each full semester faculty share media, resources, activities, and other opportunities for learning, growth, and upliftment. Students and faculty write and share their experiences, ask questions, offer support, and more.

This social learning approach to distance learning allows the students and faculty to be engaged with each other on a regular basis throughout the semester, but in the timing that works for each person. Someone might post a question or insight on a Monday morning, and the cohort members and faculty will reply in their own timing anytime during the week.

Every course in the program is different, as each is offered by a different team of two faculty members. Some faculty share new learning opportunities on a weekly basis; some present opportunities by topics that students can access at their own pace. Some courses use the PTS Wisdom space for all communications; some include (optional) weekly video calls. The course material is available at all times and through it the faculty and students provide each other with continuous support as we make our journeys to deeper living in soul awareness and soul transcendent leadership.

The work of PTS’s MSS program in Transcendent Leadership primarily takes place in spirit. The TL program provides a space for deep connection with a cohort of peers and an opportunity to deepen personal awareness, attunement, and alignment with the divine presence.

It is up to each student to participate in the way that best serves their learning, growth, and upliftment. With spirit's guidance each student in the TL program chooses how they participate, which activities or resources to engage with, the depth of exploration in written or oral sharing or posts, and the form or format of any written contributions or responses.

Like all PTS offerings, the TL program exists in service to soul transcendence. Come and discover more of what that means for you.

Here are some specific details about how students and faculty carry out this worldwide learning experience:

• Inquiry: In the TL classes we use an integrative approach to experiential learning that draws from MSIA’s spiritual teachings and a number of educational perspectives. Students in the TL program gain graceful experience with scholarly practices such as collaborative inquiry, integrative learning, reflexive or transformative learning, experiential learning, and scholarly goodness. When we speak of scholarly practices in this MSS program we are referring to the value (the good) that is gained from critical thinking and a curious, open approach to learning and the application of that learning in our lives. In this way students integrate the beauty, grace, and practical spirituality of the PTS experience—the teachings of John-Roger and John Morton—with the works of various other leaders, spiritual teachers, philosophers, artists, poets, community or business leaders, and scientists.
• Learning Activities: Each course in the Transcendent Leadership program offers many opportunities, resources, and activities to choose from. Each TL student decides what opportunities most resonate for them and chooses the activities and pace that works best for their learning. Students have a wide range of options when engaging with the course work. The intention of the faculty in designing and facilitating each class is to create a path for students to carry out a personally meaningful and experientially explorative approach to living and experiencing the spiritual teachings of John-Roger. Our current students tell us this freedom is magical and profound, and that no matter how they participate they find great depth in the transformative experience, and deeper attunement to leading a life of soul transcendence.
• Reflexive Writing: Students and faculty are engaged with each other throughout each month in written, reflexive discourse that takes place online in the PTS Wisdom School classrooms. Students choose which activities to participate with and respond to, and their written responses can be in any form that demonstrates a reflective inquiry process. This means sharing an idea, exploring it, integrating ideas from others with your own, and coming to and sharing a deeper understanding of the topic. More than reporting, reflexive writing is about developing your thinking and awareness about any given topic in a way where you are changed by the experience—in other words, using the experience for your learning, growth, and upliftment. TL students and faculty almost always choose to write in a very personal and reflective manner. The balance and integration of scholarly and personal reflection, as well as the length of all written contributions, is up to each student.
• Direct Communication: While much of our connection is done in the PTS Wisdom School using reflexive written sharings, the program also offers students rich opportunities for direct engagement, dialogue, and creativity. Throughout each semester there are live, in-person gatherings, which take place in Los Angeles for those who enroll in the Hybrid program, or via Zoom for those who enroll in the Distance program. In addition to the gatherings, the program offers opportunities for daily, weekly, or monthly connections with classmates in real-time. This includes options for doing SEs together (in the MSIA/PTS Worldwide Solarium), meeting in small groups (the Transcendent Leader Circles), and a monthly Cohort Connection Call for all students and faculty to come together and share.
• Praxis: The two-year experiential learning process also maximizes opportunities for praxis—the application of learning and understanding of the teachings to one's life. Together the cohort of students and faculty explore discipline toward mastery. Emphasis is placed on gaining firsthand experience with concepts related to transcendent leadership through engaging, applying, exercising, realizing, and practicing. In the context of spiritual learning and growth, praxis includes the firsthand experience of the divine. In the praxis of spirituality, we move beyond the wisdom of the finite mind and language, to experience and express the infinite divine.

Like all PTS graduate programs, the TL program has specific participation requirements to earn the MSS or Certificate of Completion in Transcendent Leadership.

Students are required to actively and authentically engage with each of these TL Program Components for receipt of the MSS:

• The TL Courses and their Accompanying PTS Wisdom Classrooms: Students are actively engaged with the faculty and cohort throughout each of three courses offered each semester*.
• Cohort Relationship(s): Students build and sustain mutually meaningful, loving, and supportive relationships with the members of their Cohort, the other TL Cohorts, and the TL faculty.
• Transcendent Leader Circle (TLC): Students participate live (in person or via video call) with a self-chosen TLC regularly throughout the two-year program (regularity determined by each TLC).
• Group SEs: Students do SEs with others in the program on a regular basis (regularity determined by students). This can be a Zoom-based Solarium or something else you choose.
• Live Gatherings: Students participate live at all gatherings over the two years; approved make-up participation can be done via video recordings. (Live gatherings take place either distance via Zoom or hybrid in Los Angeles, based on the model chosen by each student when admitted.)
• Transcendent Leadership Presentation: Students present on a topic at a live gathering once each semester, integrating learning from the semester’s three courses.

Written Monthly Reflection: Students write and submit to the faculty a monthly reflection about their experience with transcendent leadership and their engagement with and intentions for each of these components of the TL Program.

The TL Faculty recommend the following as "active engagement" with each of the semester's three classes and their accompanying PTS Wisdom classrooms:

1. at the start of each week, students log in to the classroom site for each of three courses on the PTS Wisdom School and review the prompts and materials provided by the faculty for each course;
2. during the week, students post in each course's classroom site at least two new thoughtful, relevant contributions in response to the course topic, materials, and activities;
3. during each week, students read as many peers’ posts as called to read and respond thoughtfully to at least two peers’ written posts;
4. and students complete the final activity for each course.

Upon completion of the two year program, students who hold a bachelor’s degree and who met these participation requirements are awarded the MSS in Transcendent Leadership. Students without a bachelor’s degree who met the requirements receive the Certificate of Completion in Transcendent Leadership.

No academic research or writing is required of students in the Transcendent Leadership program. The majority of students complete only those activities that serve their learning and choose to complete them in the way that best serves their learning and spiritual growth.

A few students have chosen to participate in the program to have the opportunity to explore scholarship with the TL faculty, who are all experienced college-level educators. Some members of the faculty and students are excited to do scholarship and write papers that formally contextualize John-Roger's texts in the academic and spiritual canon. All of the faculty love to support any student who wishes to engage in and develop their scholarly skills.

The TL program was designed to be a scholarly program that is accreditation-worthy. This means that if a student chose to complete the courses as each is designed, using a formal APA writing style to complete every activity and assignment, that student would earn a master's degree that is equivalent to a graduate degree at other universities. Students interested in a formal academic experience may opt in to this level of participation, which requires a separate application process and will result in the awarding of a unique master’s degree title.

This is entirely up to each student.

Faculty teaching each course provide many resources, opportunities, and activities specific to that course. Course opportunities may include books, articles, short quotes, video excerpts, seminars, films, questions, challenges, websites, or other activities.

Each student chooses which opportunity to engage with and respond to. The length, style, and depth of thought for each reflective response are up to each student.

Like all PTS programs, the TL Program has minimum participation requirements, which are fully listed above.

This is entirely up to each student.

Students tell the faculty that they put in anywhere from 2 or 3 hours a week, up to 10 hours or more hours. This can vary from week to wek and it depends entirely on the opportunities in each course they choose and how much time they choose to devote to them.

As a program designed specifically to be integrative with our lives, this work will include things you are already doing as you carry out your own life. For example: demonstrating and mastering transcendent leadership in your community (family, neighborhood, work, church, or other community); focusing on your personal spiritual practice; reading books that are focused on bringing greater Light and effectiveness to our social and relational experiences; and so on.

The Transcendent Leadership Program is a PTS worldwide program, which means it is designed to be carried out from wherever you live, anywhere in the world. You do not need to live in California to be fully engaged in your participation.

As a highly interactive program, students and faculty are engaged and connected throughout each semester in asynchronous ways through the PTS Wisdom School. Asynchronous means that we each participate in our own timing—accessing the classrooms and posting our thoughts whenever that works for us—like email or social media. Students and faculty also engage in synchronous connections using internet-based video conferencing (using Zoom technology). Synchronous means that we are all there at the same time in real time—like a phone call or a meeting.

The heart of the cohort experience takes place during the Fall and Spring Gatherings, which are live or synchronous opportunities for the entire cohort and faculty to connect in real time.

Upon acceptance to the TL Program, students will choose to enroll in either the Hybrid or the Distance program. Both options are worldwide, and can be carried out from anywhere in the world where there is internet connectivity.

The Hybrid option uses the PTS Wisdom School for our internet-based classrooms and has synchronous or real-time gatherings that take place in-person at Prana West in Los Angeles. The first gathering is a five-day orientation that takes place only once in September when the program begins. Each fall there is a five-day gathering in November and each spring a five-day gathering in March.

The Distance option uses the PTS Wisdom School for our internet-based classrooms and has synchronous or real-time gatherings that take place via Zoom video conference. Each semester there are four two-day gatherings that take place via Zoom, so no travel to California is required.

In both models, even though the gatherings are synchronous, recordings are available for students with an approved absence.

For students beginning the program in the fall of 2021, which begins with orientation August 28-29, the tuition is $1,500.00 per semester.

Details about the tuition and fees can be found [here][0]. [0]: https://www.transcendentleader.org/requirements-and-tuition/