APC BCCI and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Accepted and Approved
The Clinical Pastoral Education program of Christian Chaplains & Coaching - The Chaplains Academy is accepted for Non-Board-Certified Chaplains required for Chaplain GS-09.
Course Titles and Descriptions
Throughout all four levels of Clinical Pastoral Education, students participate in the CCC Leadership Formation Assessment Series, progressing through the DISC Behavioral Assessment, CliftonStrengths Assessment, Spiritual Gifts Assessment, Core Values Assessment, and Leadership Styles Assessment. This intentional sequence fosters biblical self-awareness, spiritual formation, leadership development, and professional competence, preparing students for effective Christ-centered chaplaincy and Board-Certified Chaplain (BCC) credentialing.
Using progressive learning defined by Blooms Taxonomy and Action-Reflection, students learn concepts in self-care and awareness, embedded theology, active listening, ministry of presence, cultural competence and sensitivity, respect for all beliefs, ethical spiritual care, non-proselytizing, and ethical boundaries in evangelism as they progress through a growing understanding and application of the BCCI 29 Common Qualifications and the NAE-EBCC 5 Evangelical Pastoral Distinctives.
Focused lectures and discussions include such topics as: Grief Care, Spiritual Assessments, Advance Care Directives, Cultural Competency & Sensitivity, Active Listening, Respect for all Beliefs, Understanding Chaplain vs Pastor vs Evangelist, Do Not Proselytize, Ethical Boundaries in Evangelism, Staff Care, Charting & Documentation, and much more.
CPE Level 1: Foundations of Christ-Centered Chaplaincy
Introduces the foundation of Christ-centered chaplaincy through biblical self-awareness, core pastoral care principles, and clinical supervision. Students develop self-awareness through assessment and identify and define the 29 BCCI Common Qualifications and 5 Evangelical Pastoral Competencies.
CPE Level 2: Developing Competence in Pastoral Care
Builds pastoral identity and practical care skills through strengths-based development, active listening, and interdisciplinary spiritual care. Students analyze and begin applying the 29 BCCI Common Qualifications and 5 Evangelical Pastoral Competencies.
CPE Level 3: Leadership and Advanced Pastoral Practice
Develops leadership and advanced pastoral care skills in complex ministry settings, including crisis care and ethical decision-making. Students evaluate and apply the 29 BCCI Common Qualifications and 5 Evangelical Pastoral Competencies.
CPE Level 4: Professional Chaplaincy Integration and BCC Preparation
Integrates learning into a Christ-centered model of chaplaincy with emphasis on leadership, assessment, and professional readiness. Students demonstrate mastery of the 29 BCCI Common Qualifications and 5 Evangelical Pastoral Competencies.
Tuition and Fees
Each unit includes our fully online CPE standardized curriculum using the award-winning Populi Learning Management System. Generally, to become Board Certified, four units of CPE are required. However, completing this program does not guarantee certification.
Our teaching methodology is highly influenced by a life coaching culture. Every student receives significant one-on-one Christian Life Coaching included in the mentoring relationships provided by our wonderful CPE Supervisor Educator-Coach staff. Our CPE Educators are highly experienced Certified Master Christian Life Coaches.
Tuition Cost (Per Unit - See Refund Policy Here) $1,300
Technology and Library Fee (Per Unit - Not Refundable) $375
Application and Background Check Fee (Non-Refundable New Applicants Only) $60
Background check fee may be higher in certain areas of the world.
Cost Per Unit = $1,675
Plus initial application and background check as required
We maintain small class size and have limited space available for each course. The non-refundable Technology and Library fee is required to reserve your spot in a class.
Hours Requirement and Credits
Didactic Education includes online self-paced assignments combined with live class meetings and individual supervision. This component will require 150 hours of time over 16 weeks. Though some weeks will be heavier reading than others, you should budget 8 to 10 hours each week for course work. Some weeks will be more; others will be less.
You must earn actual practical experience, clinical hours in a Chaplain setting that allows you to serve as a Chaplain who provides spiritual, pastoral care, and emotional support to individual in that setting. There are many places to serve. This is not limited to hospitals. It can include hospice, nursing homes, first responders, jail or prison, disaster response, addiction recovery, and more. Even your Church can serve as a clinical site.
Course Work = 150 hours
Clinical Experience = 300 hours
Total Hours = 450 (Budget 30 hours per week)
Credit Issued = 10
(This is based on 1 credit per 45 hours of work)
Refund Policy
Non-Refundable Fees:
- Application Fee: $25 (CPE/SEC and DMin only)
- Library & Technology Fee: $375 (CPE/SEC and DMin only)
- Background Check: $35
Refundable Tuition (CPE/SEC and DMin):
- Before classes begin: 100% refund
- Week 1: 75% refund
- Week 2: 50% refund
- Weeks 3–4: 25% refund
- After Week 4: No refund
Certification and Continuing Education Courses:
- 100% refund if withdrawal occurs before the course start date.
- No refund after the course has begun.
All refund requests must be submitted in writing to the Registrar’s Office.
Our Unique Approach
For Students
All coursework including live classroom instruction and group discussion is 100% online. We will monitor your required clinical hours in a variety of settings as proctored by a local supervisor while coaching you toward improvement as a spiritual care provider.
We encourage our students to gain clinical experience in a variety of settings while we monitor their weekly hours. You may choose to serve in any number of environments or combination of them. This can be as a volunteer or paid employee if you have a position.
For example, you may obtain your clinical hours by serving any combination of work performed in Hospital, Jail/Prison, Elder Care, Hospice, Crisis and Disaster Work, First Responders (Police, Fire), Military, Counseling and Compassion Care at your Church, Workplace Chaplaincy, and others. Talk to us and we will help you develop a plan for working the hours. Much of the requirement can be met by doing what you may already be doing in ministry now!
Our impressive collaborations are intended to improve the learning experience and educational outcomes. Our teachers are highly experienced Chaplains and Pastors who also have significant real world business experience.
Your CPE journey through four units or courses includes personal one on one life coaching by one of our Certified Master Christian Life Coaches. Because our core value of teaching is "Life Coaching," you can expect to receive significant mentoring in self-awareness, spiritual disciplines, and making forward progress at becoming the person you dream to become - the person God created you to be.
This means that we understand what it means to be truly customer focused. It is our strongest desire to give our students a deeply personal and enjoyable learning experience that will equip them for ministry like nothing else. Our courses will not be easy, but they will be life changing and rewarding.
For Institutions
We offer unique services for institutions of higher learning, Churches, non-profit ministries, and occupational settings. We believe strongly in collaboration for the Kingdom work we share as Christians. We want to partner and collaborate with you.
COLLEGE - UNIVERSITY - SEMINARY: If you are interested in learning how Clinical Pastoral Education might be included in your degree program, please reach out to us for more information. We would love to partner with you to provide excellent education to your students that may qualify them for future Board Certification. To learn more about working with us, send an email to cpe@christianchaplains.org.
CHURCH: We look forward to sharing how our training, continuing education, certification programs, and Doctoral Degree can help you "Equip the saints for the work of ministry - Ephesians 4:12" Partner with us!
NON-PROFIT (Ministry to the Incarcerated, Homeless, Victims of Abuse, Addiction Recovery, Disaster Response, Etc.): Perhaps we could collaborate with your ministry workers, staff, and volunteers for ongoing continuing education and certification in such things as Trauma Informed or Biblical Victim Care, Grief Care, Critical Incident Stress Management, and more.
VOCATIONAL (Jail, Prison, Police, Fire, Hospital, Nursing Home, Hospice, Etc.): We would love to help you recruit Chaplain interns and approve you as CPE Training Center or Clinical Site. This may allow highly qualified candidates to serve their 300 clinical hours per unit at your facility which can enhance the ministry you provide, while giving the intern an opportunity to earn their Clinical Pastoral Education.
Qualifications for Admittance
- Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.
- Applicants must be 21 or older.
- Applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma and both ministry and life experience. Our CPE may qualify you for credit toward a higher degree.
- Applicants must be comfortable learning about faith traditions that may be different from their own. Though our ministry holds a distinctly Christian worldview, we expect our students to learn about the worldview presented by other religions and be respectful of them.
- Applicants must balance the craft of Chaplaincy within the expectation that they will function as a Chaplain in a Biblical Christian manner which shall be respectful of all people and beliefs.
- Applicants must be willing and able to minister to persons in a variety of emotional states. Chaplaincy is not door to door contact evangelism. But we do pray for God to open doors to the Gospel.
- Applicants must be coachable, willing to learn from their supervisors and fellow students.
- Applicants must be coachable and interested in learning, transformation, spiritual disciplines, and making steady progress. If you are just looking for a certification and not life change, this CPE program is not for you.
- Applicants must be willing to work with people of different views and values without proselytizing. However, we learn to respond with the Gospel when the client invites us to do so.
- Applicants will not force the Gospel in secular settings uninvited. However, they have the right to hold to their sincerely held beliefs without having others, including employers, force their beliefs or worldview upon them.
- Applicants must have their own transportation to get to and from their various sites where they may earn clinical hours.
- Applicants must be able to identify appropriate places where they may serve as an intern. Though we will assist with this, we do not guarantee placement.
- Applicants must always adhere to the policies and procedures of any site or place of ministry in which they serve.
BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION HERE
New CPE students will submit four documents to complete the application which is started here. After you complete the application, which includes uploading the finished documents, you will pay a $25 non-refundable fee and receive direction for scheduling and interview with our CPE Program Director. To download each of the following documents, just click each one.
CPE Student Disclosure Statement
- Enrolled students receive the benefits of the technology that includes such things as Outlook Email name@christianchplains.org, Office 365, and the Perlego digital library. These resources are only available while enrolled as an active student.
- This program includes one on one mentoring and life coaching. Our CPE Supervisor Educators are Certified Master Christian Life Coaches. However, genuine progress and achievement is solely up to the student.
- We are an APC BCCI Approved provider of Clinical Pastoral Education. We are also accepted by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Graduates may seek certification from every major board certifying agency and may qualify for employment in a VA Hospital. However, success in getting certified or hired is not guaranteed and completely up to the student, agency, and HR department.
- For Board Certification we highly recommend the EBCC (Evangelical Board of Certified Chaplains) from the National Association of Evangelicals Chaplain Commission. We also recommend the ACCC (Association of Certified Christian Chaplains). Additional collaborations include BCCI/APC (Association of Professional Chaplains), NAVAC (National Association of Veterans Administration Chaplains), SCA (Spiritual Care Association), and other credentialing bodies as may be needed for your context.
- Successful students will receive certificates of completion. Completing a course or courses or any of the Programs we offer does not guarantee employment or certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain. Additional requirements are up to the certifying organization and an employer's HR requirements.
- We are committed to teaching to common qualifications and competencies established by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI)
- We collaborate with the National Association of Evangelicals Chaplain Commission Board Certification (EBCC). We teach to the five additional competencies required of an Evangelical Biblical Christian to be Board Certified by them. Our campus teaches through an unapologetically Biblical Evangelical Protestant Christian worldview. Our goal is to be the CPE training option best suited to Biblical, Evangelical Christians.
- The five additional competencies for Evangelical Chaplains includes: 1) EPC1 Express how your evangelical values guide you in providing pastoral care, 2) EPC2 Provide specific biblical references that guide your clinical chaplain care, 3) EPC3 Discuss how you offer biblical guidance for those seeking answers and understanding, 4) EPC4 Describe your involvement in leading biblically based public worship, and 5) EPC5 Express how you incorporate the practice of Sabbath into your schedule.
- Being accepted as a student does not guarantee you will pass CPE. Failure may require you to repeat a course to proceed forward on the journey. A student's ability to proceed to the next level of CPE, e.g., 2, 3, or 4, is dependent on the recommendation of their CPE Supervisor - Instructor. A positive recommendation is required for enrollment in all subsequent CPE courses. This will depend entirely on your progress, especially in self-awareness.
- In each CPE Unit, 50% of the grade will come from coursework and 50% from the final evaluation prepared by your CPE Supervisor Educator-Coach. The final evaluation is by far the most important factor in your moving forward in the next unit of CPE.
- We expect our students to engage in the hard work of self-study, self-awareness, and life transformation. Failure to embrace the process of the Action-Reflection method of learning can result in failing the course. This is about the personal transformation required to be an excellent spiritual care provider.
- Students are accountable to the learning outcomes and expectations established by the program as taught by The Chaplains Academy, the educational arm of Christian Chaplains & Coaching, which include the BCCI competencies plus the Evangelical Christian competencies.
- Learning goals, anticipated outcomes, and competencies for CPE 1, 2, 3, and 4 provide scaffolding for student academic growth. Each subsequent course builds on the previous learning experience. Each student must demonstrate a sincere and conscientious effort to achieve these goals, outcomes, and competencies.
- A student's degree of sincere and conscientious efforts will be evaluated and assessed by their CPE peers, internship site coordinator, CPE Supervisory Candidate, and CPE Supervisor Educator-Coach. The final evaluation, worth 50% of the grade is created by the CPE Supervisor Educator-Coach and is the most important impact on your final grade.