Clinical Pastoral Education Program

Education for Professional Ministry

Our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program offers interfaith, graduate-level education in the health ministry providing the chance to learn while doing the work of a hospital chaplain.

What will you learn?

CPE offers clinical training in pastoral care and counseling. While seminary courses often provide an academic basis for the theology of pastoral care, CPE emphasizes learning by doing. CPE provides intense immersion into pastoral care through direct supervision, peer interaction, and accountability for one’s professional functioning.

CPE is cutting-edge science that combines behavioral, theological and socio-psychological Sciences that address issues related to Emotional Intelligence (EI) during the multi levels manifestation of crisis. The educational approach is described as “action-reflection-action” with students providing pastoral care and using their experiences for reflection and learning.

Each unit is comprised of 400 hours of learning over 13 weeks. 100 of those hours are seminar hours spent with a supervisor and your peer cohort. 300 hours are clinical hours spent serving as a Hospital Chaplain. Accreditation is through the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy and Clinical Pastoral Education International

Who should apply for CPE?

CPE offers learning and growth to:

• Students of theology, psychology or similar disciplines
• Pastors looking to expand their knowledge of health ministry within institutions
• Lay ministers looking for religious growth
• Chaplains working on board certification
• Anyone intrigued by the role of faith in healing and looking for interpersonal growth.

CPE Structure and Opportunities

Three levels of CPE training are available:

• CPE Internship: 13-week training-course
  • Upcoming Internship Dates
    • CPE Intern - Summer 2023
      • May 15, 2023 through August 12, 2023
      • Applications Due March 15
    • CPE Intern - Fall 2023
      • September 11, 2023 through December 4, 2023
      • Applications Due July 15, 2023
    • CPE Intern – Spring 2024
      • January 15, 2024 through April 6, 2024
      • Applications Due November 30, 2023
• CPE Resident: 1 year, full-time, stipend position (1 CPE unit is a prerequisite)
  • CPE Resident – 2023 12 Month Program
    • August 31, 2023 through September 9, 2024
    • Applications Due June 15^th
• Unpaid CPE Resident

We are offering an alternative to our traditional CPE Residency Program. The unpaid resident position allows participants to maintain their current occupation while completing the program. The time and resource commitment for the alternative Residency Program is as follows:

• 1 year commitment -- September to September
• 1600 Hours (400 Seminar/education + 1200 clinical)
• Seminar Day: Every Monday 9am – 4pm
• Individual Supervision 1 hr/week
• Clinical Hours: 23 hrs/week
• Tuition $500/Unit for 4 Units
• Assigned day and time of your Supervision and Clinical Hours will be negotiated with your Supervisor.

Sample Schedule for Unpaid CPE Position

• Seminar: Every Monday 9am – 4pm (7 Hr/Wk)
• Supervision: 1 Day/Week 4pm – 5pm (1 Hr/Wk)
• Clinical Hours (1200 Hrs):
• A combination of 2 or 3 days a week totaling 23 hours/week with the following possible schedules:
  • Two 11.5-hour Shifts
  • Three 8-hour shifts
  • One 16-hour overnight shift plus one 7-hour shift

How to Apply

Download the Application and please submit it to:

Frederick Health Hospital / Pastoral and Spiritual Care
Attention: Kim Pyles, Administrative Assistant
400 W 7th Street
Frederick, MD 21701
or email pastoralspiritual@frederick.health

Applications are handled on a “first come” basis. Tuition is $500 per unit