CPE Programs
Residency Program Overview
The CPE Residency Program is a year-long program primarily for students who are exploring chaplaincy as a ministry career. The residency year starts the first week of September and ends in late August. The year includes four units of CPE. Each unit comprises a minimum of 300 hours of clinical work (patient care) and a minimum of 100 hours of group education through verbatim or case study reflection, reading seminars, didactic presentations, and integrative seminars.
Clinical Placement
We have two educational placement sites in the Houston Methodist CPE program:
- Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center: Students will provide coverage to their assigned units in cooperation with a seasoned chaplain and will be required to participate in holiday and equitable weeknight coverage through on-call shifts (typically 5 p.m. – 7 a.m.).
- Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital in The Woodlands, TX: Students will be assigned to one of our community hospitals for their clinical placements. They will work with seasoned chaplains during the week and will be required to participate in holiday and equitable weekend on-call coverage from home.
Curriculum
The first two weeks of September consist of orientation to the hospital and the Spiritual Care and Education Department. Students choose their patient care areas and begin to provide patient care and on-call coverage to the hospital. Individual CPE units run during the months of:
- September through November
- December through February
- March through May
- June through August
Accreditation
Houston Methodist is accredited to offer Level I, Level II and Educator CPE. A consultation with ACPE Certified Educators and board-certified chaplains from the Houston area will be available for all residents during the third unit of CPE. Students who wish to move to Level II must have a successful consultation.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in theological studies or related field • Enrollment in a master’s degree in theological studies from an institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or equivalency preferred
- Education approved by Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) or Cognate preferred
- Active affiliation with a denomination or faith community
- Strong interpersonal skills, a commitment to the Houston Methodist I CARE values, and a heart for ministry to persons who are suffering • Completion of an ACPE application form and successful admission interview with a panel of educators and chaplaincy staff
Application and Admission Process Timeline
- Application Deadline: December 31 (Applications received after the deadline will be added to a waiting list)
- Screening Interviews: January
- Program Dates: September - August
- Mandatory Orientation: Fist two weeks in September
Note: Submit your application as a single PDF file. Do not print double-sided or staple your documentation. Follow the ACPE application instructions carefully.
Compensation
Competitive, adjusted annually
Benefits
- 15 days paid time off (PTO)
- Holiday on-call shifts with flex days
- Two professional days (OFITS)
- Employee Appreciation Personal Day
- Health insurance (provided for residents; available for dependents at a fee)
- Free Tuition
Holidays include: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day
Costs
- Application fee: $25 (due with completed application)
- Deposit: $50 (due upon acceptance into the program)
- Free Tuition
Summer Program Overview
The CPE Summer Program is primarily for students who are enrolled in an accredited seminary and who are taking this unit to fulfill a denominational or seminary requirement for CPE as a field education placement. The summer unit begins the last week of May and concludes on the Friday nearest to August 15. The unit comprises a minimum of 300 hours of clinical work (patient care) and a minimum of 100 hours of group education through verbatim or case study reflection, reading seminars, didactic presentations, and integrative seminars.
Clinical Experience
Students will provide coverage to their assigned units in cooperation with a seasoned chaplain and will be required to participate in weekend, holiday and occasional weeknight coverage through 12-hour on-call shifts (typically 7 a.m.–7 p.m. or 7 p.m.–7 a.m.). The program strives to give students an even distribution of day and night coverage.
Curriculum
Contact the Clinical Pastoral Education Department for a detailed description of the summer unit curriculum.
Admission Requirements
- Admission requires enrollment in an accredited college/university and bachelor’s degree or a graduate-level theological degree from an accredited school preferred
- Active affiliation with a denomination or faith community
- Strong interpersonal skills, a commitment to the Houston Methodist I CARE values and a heart for ministry to the sick
- Students must complete a standard ACPE application and have a successful admission interview with a CPE Educator
- Strong preference will be given to students who are actively enrolled in a Master of Divinity or equivalent degree program from an accredited seminary
Application and Admission Process Timeline
- Application Deadline: December 31(Applications received after deadline will be added to a waiting list)
- Starting Screening Interviews: January
- Start/End date of program: May (day after Memorial Day) - August
- Mandatory two weeks of departmental orientation: Last week of May - first week of June
**CPE Candidates: When submitting your application online, please submit your documentation in one PDF file. Do not print double-sided or staple your documentation if you submit your application by mail. Please follow the explicit instructions on the ACPE application when writing about each requirement.
Compensation
- Hourly wage for on-call service
- Free parking or subsidized transportation
Costs
- Application fee: $25, due with completed application
- Deposit: $50, due upon acceptance into the program
- Free Tuition
Extended Internship Program Overview
The CPE Extended Program is primarily for students who want to develop their skills in hospital ministry, students who want to explore chaplaincy as a ministry career or ministers who are seeking a change in ministry focus. The unit starts the first week of September and concludes in late May (no classes the week of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Christian Holy Week). The unit comprises a minimum of 300 hours of clinical work (patient care) and a minimum of 100 hours of group education through verbatim or case study reflection, reading seminars, didactic presentations, and integrative seminars.
Clinical Placement
- Houston Methodist Hospital In person (Texas Medical Center): Students will provide coverage to their assigned units in cooperation with a seasoned chaplain and will be required to participate in weekend coverage through 12-hour on-call shifts (typically 7 a.m.–7 p.m. or 7 p.m.–7 a.m.). Classes meet one evening a week for three hours, and clinical ministry involves approximately 38 hours of patient care per month, including on-call coverage.
- Houston Methodist Hospital Virtual (Houston Methodist Willowbrook, Houston Methodist West and Houston Methodist Baytown Hospitals): Students will be assigned to a clinical mentor and given the opportunity to work collaboratively with other experienced chaplains and healthcare staff. Classes meet one evening a week for three hours, and clinical ministry involves approximately 38 hours of patient care per month, including on-call coverage. The on-call shifts are scheduled from home from Friday night until Monday morning.
Admission Requirements
- Enrollment in an accredited college/university and bachelor’s degree or graduate level theological degree from an accredited school preferred
- Active affiliation with a denomination or faith community
- Strong interpersonal skills, a commitment to the Houston Methodist I CARE values and a heart for ministry to the sick
- Completion of a standard ACPE application and successful admission interview with the CPE educator
- Preference for students enrolled in or holding a Master of Divinity or equivalent degree from an accredited seminary
Application and Admission Process Timeline
- Application Deadline: December 31 (Applications received after deadline will be added to a waiting list)
- Screening Interviews: January
- Program Dates: September (day after Labor Day) - May
- Mandatory Orientation: Fist two weeks of September
Note: When submitting your application online, please submit your documentation in one PDF file. Do not print double-sided or staple your documentation if you submit your application by mail. Follow the explicit instructions on the ACPE application when writing about each requirement.
Compensation
- Hourly wage for on-call service
- Parking validated for classes and clinical hours
Costs
- Application fee: $25, due with completed application
- Deposit: $50, due upon acceptance into the program
- Free Tuition
CPE Extended Unit – Monterrey, Mexico Program Overview (English)
The CPE Extended Program is primarily for students who want to develop their skills in hospital ministry, students who want to explore chaplaincy as a ministry career, or ministers looking for a change in ministry focus. The unit comprises a minimum of 300 hours of clinical work (patient care) and a minimum of 100 hours of group education through textual reflection or case studies, reading seminars, didactic presentations, and integrative seminars.
This is a part-time CPE unit, two days a month virtual. This is an extended unit in Monterrey, Mexico, using Thursday and Friday meetings having eight or nine sections including a 4-day one meeting with the educational exchange program between Houston Methodist CPE students and the Juan Wesley Seminary in Monterrey, Mexico.
Descripción del Programa (Español)
El Programa Extendido de CPE es principalmente para estudiantes que desean desarrollar sus habilidades en el ministerio hospitalario, estudiantes que desean explorar la capellanía como una carrera ministerial o ministros que buscan un cambio en el enfoque del ministerio. La unidad comprende un mínimo de 300 horas de trabajo clínico (atención al paciente) y un mínimo de 100 horas de educación grupal a través de la reflexión textual o de estudio de casos, seminarios de lectura, presentaciones didácticas y seminarios integradores.
Esta es una unidad de CPE de medio tiempo, de dos días al mes virtual. Esta es una unidad extendida en Monterrey, México usando los Jueves y Viernes de reuniones teniendo ocho o nueve secciones incluyendo una de 4 días reuniéndose con el programa de intercambio educativo entre los estudiantes de CPE de Houston Methodist y el Seminario Juan Wesley en Monterrey, México.
Application and Admission Process Timeline
- Application Deadline: TBD (Applications received after the deadline will be added to a waiting list)
- Screening Interviews: TBD
- Start/End date of program: TBD
Cronología del proceso de solicitud y admisión
- Plazo de solicitud: TBD (Las solicitudes recibidas después de la fecha límite se agregarán a una lista de espera)
- Entrevistas de selección: TBD
- Fecha de inicio/fin del programa: TBD
Application Instructions
CPE Candidates: When submitting your application online, please submit your documentation in one PDF file. Do not print double-sided or staple your documentation if you submit your application by mail. Please follow the explicit instructions on the ACPE application when writing about each requirement.
Instrucciones de solicitud
Candidatos CPE: Al enviar su solicitud en línea, envíe su documentación en un archivo PDF. No imprima a doble cara ni grape su documentación si envía su solicitud por correo. Siga las instrucciones explícitas en la solicitud ACPE cuando escriba sobre cada requisito.
CPE Educator Program Overview
The CPE Educator Program is a multi-year program exclusively for students who are exploring CPE education as a ministry career. The unit can be scheduled quarterly or ½ a year, and the educational component and the clinical requirements are adjusted according to the need of the particular student.
The student is required to use various CPE educational tools such as verbatim and group consultation to reflect and learn the skills and the art of conducting CPE seminars, and it requires student’s self-initiative to develop educational theories and move through the training phases in order to be certified as an ACPE educator.
Contact the Clinical Pastoral Education Department for a detailed description of the CEC curriculum. Houston Methodist Hospital is accredited to offer educator CPE.
Admission Requirements
- Master’s degree in theological studies from a CHEA-accredited institution or equivalent
- Successful completion of a minimum of four units of CPE
- Demonstration of having met Level II outcomes
- Ordination and/or endorsement by a recognized denomination or faith community
- Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to Houston Methodist I CARE values
- Successful admission interview with a panel of ACPE Certified Educators and hospital chaplains
Compensation
Competitive, adjusted annually (full-time staff position)
Benefits
- 15 days paid time off (PTO)
- Holidays: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day
- Eight professional days
- Culture & Engagement Personal Day
- Health insurance (provided for student and available for a fee for dependents)
Costs
- Application fee: $25, due with completed application
- Deposit: $50, due upon acceptance into the program
- Free Tuition