At the Vanguard of Spiritual Care in a Changing World.
Becoming a Chaplain
Training, Certification and Employment
There's More than One Path into Professional Chaplaincy
Many capable people rule themselves out before they begin.
They have heard that every professional chaplain must hold a Master of Divinity degree, be ordained, complete four units of CPE in an ACPE program and become board certified before being considered for employment.
Those qualifications describe some positions—especially in major academic medical centers and large healthcare systems. They do not describe every chaplaincy position, every certification pathway or every person who can benefit from clinical training and turn it into a professional calling.
Professional preparation matters. So does understanding that chaplaincy is not governed by one universal pathway.
Training, Certification and Employment Are Different Questions
1. Clinical Training
Are you prepared to enter CPE and learn to provide clinical spiritual care?
2. Professional Certification
Which professional certification pathway might eventually be available to you?
3. Employment
What qualifications does a particular employer require for the position you're seeking?
A person may be ready for CPE before meeting the requirements for professional certification. A person may also be qualified for meaningful chaplaincy employment without yet qualifying for—or needing—the certification required by a major medical center.
You do not need to have your entire professional future settled before beginning clinical training.
The BCCI Route
BCCI is the certification affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains. It requires four accepted CPE units for Board Certified Chaplain and two for Associate Certified Chaplain.
BCCI also looks for qualifying graduate education, faith-group endorsement or recognition, professional chaplaincy experience, written work and an interview.
A qualifying master’s degree in theology, philosophy or psychology may meet the degree requirement. You do not necessarily need an MDiv.
The CPSP Route
CPSP takes a different approach. It looks closely at whether you can demonstrate the clinical, theological, conceptual and ethical competence needed for the work.
Your education and training matter, but so do your professional functioning, review by peers, participation in Chapter life and accountability to a faith or spiritual community.
CPSP also has a process for considering equivalent preparation.
Our CPE Can Open More Than One Door
Our CPE units, accredited by CPSP, can also count toward BCCI’s CPE requirement. That means you can train with us without having to decide now which certification path you may eventually pursue.
CPE is one part of the certification process. Both BCCI and CPSP have additional requirements.
Not sure which route fits? You do not have to sort that out alone—or before you begin CPE. We can help you understand what each path would ask of you.
Do All Chaplaincy Jobs Require Four Units of CPE and Board Certification?
No.
Many large healthcare organizations require—or expect a candidate eventually to obtain—a graduate degree, four CPE units, faith-group endorsement and board certification or certification eligibility. Those are highly sought-after positions, but they are not the whole employment landscape.
Requirements vary substantially by employer and position. Chaplains work in:
• Hospitals and community healthcare systems
• Hospice and palliative care
• Long-term care and senior living
• Behavioral-health and addiction-treatment programs
• Correctional institutions
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Community organizations
• Disaster response and crisis services
• Workplace and corporate chaplaincy
• Congregational and community-based ministries
Some entry-level, associate, per-diem and community-based positions accept fewer than four units. Some employers require a bachelor’s degree rather than a graduate degree. Others emphasize relevant ministry experience, demonstrated competence and the ability to work respectfully with people across religious and cultural differences.
A job description—not a generalization about “what chaplains must have—determines the qualifications for a particular position.
Hospice Chaplaincy
Federal Medicare hospice regulations require the interdisciplinary group to include a qualified and competent “pastoral or other counselor” to help address the spiritual needs of patients and families. The federal regulation does not prescribe a degree, ordination, board certification or a particular number of CPE units for that role.
Individual hospices establish their own hiring requirements, subject to applicable federal, state and local law. Some seek board-certified chaplains with graduate theological education and several units of CPE. Others consider candidates with a bachelor’s degree in any field, relevant pastoral experience and one or two CPE units.
Why CPE Matters
CPE can therefore be especially valuable for someone seeking hospice employment. It provides supervised clinical experience, documented professional formation and preparation for interdisciplinary work—even when four units and board certification are not immediately required.
Serious Standards—Without Unnecessary Gatekeeping
ClinicalChaplaincy.org does not promise that completing one unit will produce a job, nor do we suggest that every trainee will qualify immediately for professional certification.
We do, however, promise to take each applicant’s vocational aims seriously. And we have a history of working to optimize success for those we train.
We’ll Help You Sort Out
• What is required to begin CPE
• What is required for the kind of employment you seek
• Which certification pathway(s) may be available to you
• What additional education, training, experience or spiritual-community standing you may eventually need
A Record of Professional Success
No responsible CPE program can guarantee employment. Employers make their own hiring decisions based on what they need and expect.
What we can point to is an exceptionally strong record of professional success.
Chaplains who have received their CPE under David Roth—and chaplains trained by supervisors he prepared—have repeatedly secured highly competitive positions in hospitals, hospices, healthcare systems and other professional settings. Graduates have gone on to manage spiritual care departments, provide leadership within major healthcare organizations and become clinical supervisors who train other chaplains.
That proven record does not promise the same outcome for every trainee. It does show that this training grows out of decades of preparing chaplains whose clinical competence has been recognized by highly demanding employers and whose careers have advanced into leadership, management and CPE supervision.
Do not rule yourself out because your background doesn't resemble the traditional seminary-to-residency pathway to chaplaincy.
Let us help you understand the paths that may be available to you from where you are now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an MDiv to enter CPE?
No. An MDiv is not a requirement or expectation for entering Clinical Pastoral Education. Admission is based on readiness for clinical learning, vocational purpose, an appropriate clinical placement and the ability to participate fully in supervised formation.
Do I need four CPE units before I can work as a chaplain?
Not in every setting. Four units are commonly expected for board certification and many major medical center positions, but some employers consider candidates with one or two units—particularly for associate, per-diem, hospice, long-term-care and community-based roles.
Will these units count toward BCCI certification?
Yes, our units are accepted by BCCI. As is always the case, all applicants must meet BCCI’s additional requirements.
What if I cannot qualify for BCCI certification?
You may qualify for certification through CPSP. CPSP does not require an MDiv for Clinical Chaplain/Pastoral Counselor certification and evaluates candidates through demonstrated clinical, theological, conceptual and ethical competence.
Must I be ordained?
BCCI requires faith-group endorsement or recognition, but not ordination. CPSP requires documented accountability to a faith or spiritual community, or endorsement according to that community’s established practice. Individual employers may have their own requirements but most do not require ordination.
People who do not belong to a traditional denomination may still have legitimate options. Candidates should verify that an employer or certifying organization recognizes the body through which they seek ministerial standing or endorsement.
Does CPE guarantee employment or certification?
Employment decisions belong to employers, and certification decisions belong to certifying organizations. CPE provides recognized clinical training, supervised experience and professional formation that is required for certification and can substantially strengthen your preparation and qualifications for employment in chaplaincy.
Can someone help me understand my own pathway?
Yes. We invite prospective trainees to speak with us about their education, ministry background, spiritual-community standing, previous clinical training and employment goals before deciding that they are either qualified or unqualified.