Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
Clinical Pastoral Education is interfaith professional education for ministry. It brings theological students and ministers of all faiths (pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and others) into supervised encounter with persons in crisis. Out of an intense involvement with persons in need, and the feedback from peers and teachers, students develop new awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. From theological reflection on specific human situations, they gain a new understanding of ministry. Within the interdisciplinary team process of helping persons, they develop skills in interpersonal and interprofessional relationships.
The essential elements of CPE include:
- The actual practice of ministry to persons
- Detailed reporting and evaluation of that practice
- Pastoral Supervision
- A process conception of learning
- A theoretical perspective on all elements of the program
- A small group of peers in a common learning experience
- A specific time period
- An individual contract for learning consistent with the objectives of CPE
- The CPE program must be conducted under the auspices of an ACPE certified supervisor (faculty) attached to an ACPE accredited CPE center.
Master of Divinity students may use a basic unit of clinical pastoral education (CPE) to meet one field education placement requirement. CPE units may ordinarily be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Students may also elect to receive academic course credit for CPE.