Clinical Pastoral Education

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is supervised education for ministry with persons in crisis and need, usually but not always in a hospital setting.  Centers offering CPE are accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, www.acpe.edu. In CPE students do an act of ministry, reflect on how and why they acted as they did, receive feedback from highly trained CPE supervisors and a peer group, and then use what they have learned as they go out in ministry again. This action-reflection-action model is designed to build personal, pastoral and theological competence as students grow in self-knowledge and pastoral authority, build their skills and knowledge in the behavioral sciences, reflect theologically on the difficult situations they encounter, and gain a deeper understanding of the needs of the persons to whom they minister. Click on The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Internship for details.

Master of Arts in Ministry students may complete the Perkins internship requirement (6 credit hours) by successful completion of either:

1. An introductory unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (Level 1), or

2. An extended unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (Level 1). In most cases the unit schedule is 20 hours per week, between 7 and 9 months, within the span of August and May.

Master of Arts in Ministry students who choose either option to fulfill the Perkins internship requirement may not also receive academic credit for PC 7639 Basic Clinical Pastoral Education.

An intern faculty member will be assigned to the CPE intern and will consult with the CPE certified educator regarding satisfactory completion of the internship requirement.

Master of Divinity students may complete the Perkins internship requirement (9 credit hours) by successful completion of a Clinical Pastoral Education Residency that consists of 3 units of CPE (Level II). Typically, CPE Residency consists of four units (a full calendar year). However, the Perkins requirement is only nine months (mid-August to mid-May). Eligibility for consideration into a CPE Residency normally requires the completion of the introductory unit of CPE (Level I).

Master of Divinity students may receive elective academic credit for PC 7639. Basic Clinical Pastoral Education for an introductory unit of CPE (Level I) if they choose.

An intern faculty member will be assigned to the CPE intern and will consult with the CPE certified educator regarding satisfactory completion of the internship requirement.