Dates of Program: October 6, 2025 - April 3, 2026
Program Information
This program is designed primarily for theological students enrolled in seminary, although others, such as clergy, qualified laypersons, or those preparing for professional chaplaincy are welcome to apply. This is a 25-week, part-time Level IA Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program, designed to accommodate those in a graduate academic program or working in a part-time job with flexibility in their hours. Note: there is no class during the week of December 25th; however, visiting on clinical units is optional.
Required Weekly Hours
All students must be available on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., which is the primary class/clinical visiting day. The first three CPE class days are on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Mondays of October from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and are devoted to orientation. Those days will largely be spent on orientation to the Department of Chaplaincy, the CPE program, your role as a chaplain intern and the facilities where patient visiting will occur. Some additional time will be required during these first three weeks. You will shadow a chaplain during an evening and/or weekend shift and attend required computer charting training during 1 or 2 specified times.
Additional weekly visiting hours and on-call shift information, beginning week four and beyond: Starting the last week of October, you will begin patient visiting. CPE class time occurs on Monday mornings. Monday afternoons will be patient visiting time until 4:30 p.m. An additional eight hours of weekly visiting time (additional to the Monday afternoon visiting time) will begin according to your approved schedule. As much as possible, these times need to be regular, set times each week. One hour of individual supervision time with the ACPE Certified Educator will occur every two weeks on Monday afternoon or on one of your scheduled visiting days.
Periodic in-house on-call crisis ministry shifts also occur throughout the unit, which are scheduled on weeknights, weekends and holidays. Each student will typically work ten on-call shifts (each could be 6, 10, 12 or 16 hours) over the course of the program, depending on the number of CPE students enrolled. Worship leadership occurs on Sundays when serving as in-house on-call chaplain in rotation with other students.
Benefits
Students receive a meal ticket for each on-call shift, and an Ohio State parking pass for the medical center campus is also provided by the department at no charge. Students may be assigned to Ohio State Wexner Medical Center clinical duties outside the main hospital campus area and must be able to provide their own transportation to their assignment.
Admission Requirements
Candidates must have a high school diploma, a bachelor’s degree, and some graduate-level theological education and ministry experience. Any request for exceptions to these requirements must be directed to the Extended Unit ACPE Certified Educator. Candidates will be assessed by the ACPE Certified Educator in the interview for their readiness for clinical learning, suitability for functioning in the chaplain role, and fit within the department expectations.
Application Instructions
All CPE programs require the use of the ACPE application form found at the ACPE website. All applications for all CPE programs require a nonrefundable $25.00 application fee (checks payable to: Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Department of Chaplaincy and CPE). Registration is open now for the Extended CPE Unit. Completed applications can be mailed or emailed; if emailed, the application fee must be mailed to the Dept. of Chaplaincy and CPE and received before the application will be considered complete. Receipt of applications is acknowledged within four business days. Due to volume of applicants, not all applicants are interviewed.
Tuition total for Extended Unit: $700.00
For inquiries and to submit completed applications:
Department of Chaplaincy and CPE
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
S594 Rhodes Hall
410 W. 10th Ave
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-8791
Email: CPE@osumc.edu