Clinical Pastoral Education

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is a method of learning ministry by means of pastoral functioning under supervision. One CPE unit is 400 hours and typically takes place in a hospital or hospice, although other sites are sometimes utilized. CPE units are administered through the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education https://www.acpe.edu, the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy http://www.cpsp.org, and the Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation https://www.cscpf.org in the United States; and the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care http://www.spiritualcare.ca; and the Australia & New Zealand Association for Clinical Pastoral Education https://anzacpe.com.

- Meadville Lombard Student Handbook, 2023-2024

Because of the costs, applications process, and limited availability, students must be proactive in order to be able to complete this requirement. We require CPE before the internship begins so that a student may enter their internship having worked on their ministerial presence.

Master of Divinity students must complete one unit of CPE during the summer after their first year in order to be approved to begin an internship in the Fall.

- Meadville Lombard Student Handbook, 2023-2024