Clinical Pastoral Education Program

Education for Professional Ministry

Our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program offers interdisciplinary and psychodynamic based, graduate-level training in pastoral and spiritual care, providing the chance to learn while doing the work of a clinical chaplain in an healthcare, military, community, house of faith, or school setting

What will you learn?

CPE offers clinical training in pastoral care and counseling. While seminary courses often provide an academic basis for pastoral care theology, 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 to address issues related to Emotional Intelligence (EI) during the multi-level 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 -15 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 Clinical Chaplain. Accreditation is through the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (www.cpsp.org )and Clinical Pastoral Education International (www.cpei.org).

Who should apply for CPE?

CPE offers learning and growth to:

• Students of theology, psychology or any other professional in similar disciplines seeking to learning about pastoral communication
• Pastors/persons of faith looking to expand their knowledge of health ministry within institutions
• Lay ministers looking for religious, spiritual and professional growth
• Chaplains working on board certification at all levels
• Anyone intrigued by the role of faith and spirituality in healing and looking for interpersonal growth.

CPE Structure and Opportunities

Three levels of CPE training are available at Frederick health with three viable options: In-person, Hybrid and Distance learning.

• CPE Internship: 13- 15 week training course
  • Upcoming Internship Dates
    • CPE Intern - Summer 2025 (In-person)
      • May 12 through August 11 2025
      • Applications dueMarch 31, 2025
    • CPE Intern Distance Learning (virtual seminars & In-person)
      • April 9 through July 23
    • CPE Intern - Fall 2025
      • September 8 through December 15, 2025
      • Applications Due July 31, 2025
    • CPE Intern – Spring 2026
      • January 12, 2026 through April 6, 2026
      • Applications due November 30, 2025

Tuition is $500 (In-person) -$600 (virtual) per Unit

• CPE Resident: 1 year, full-time, stipend position (1 CPE unit is minimum prerequisite)
  • CPE Resident – 2025 12 Month Program
    • August 31, 2025 through September 9, 2026
    • Applications due June 15^th
• Unpaid CPE Resident non-stipend position (1 CPE unit is minimum prerequisite)

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 9 am – 4 pm
• Individual Supervision 1 hr./week
• Clinical Hours: 23 hrs./week
• Tuition $500/Unit for Board Certification, Four- units of CPE is required.
• Assigned day and time of your Supervision and Clinical Hours will be negotiated with your supervisor.

Sample Schedule for Unpaid CPE Residency Position

• Seminar: Every Monday 9 am – 4 pm (7 Hr./Wk.)
• Supervision: 1 Day/Week 4 pm – 5 pm (1 Hr./Wk.)
• Clinical Hours are 23 hrs. per week
• 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.