
»ªÌå»á Clinical Pastoral Education
»ªÌå»á can help you grow personally and professionally as a spiritual care provider and gain skills for interfaith ministry. We offer several clinical education programs accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.
Clinical Pastoral Education for Better Care
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is interfaith professional education for ministry. It is highly experiential and relationally based.
Students come to CPE from a variety of religious and professional backgrounds to learn spiritual care skills for serving others. CPE utilizes a process model of education where direct ministry encounters aid students in developing awareness of themselves and the needs of those to whom they provide care. Programs are offered in small groups (typically three to six people) within a supervised setting that has been accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.
If you would like to learn more about how to become a chaplain, visit .
CPE Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is a leading academic medical center located in Chicago, Illinois, with a 900-bed tertiary care medical and Level 1 trauma center.
Serving a diverse patient population within a lively urban setting offers students a dynamic, challenging and formational learning environment. Northwestern Memorial Hospital attracts patients from throughout the region and around the world due to its leading-edge treatments, breakthrough research and commitment to excellence.
Fostering a collaborative relationship between students and staff, the Spiritual Care Department aligns its values, professional practice and pedagogical approach with the mission of »ªÌå»á.
View the »ªÌå»á Spiritual Care Department’s mission, vision and attributes.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Program Offerings
Programs | Begin Date | End Date | Tuition | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer Intensive | June 2, 2025 | August 17, 2025 | $500 | Closed — Program Filled |
Fall Extended 2025 | August 18, 2025 | January 11, 2026 | $500 | Accepting Applications |
Year-Long Residency (Three Units) |
August 20, 2025 | August 31, 2026 | $690 ($230 per unit) | Accepting Applications |
Winter/Spring Extended 2026 | January 12, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | $500 | Accepting Applications |
You should generally expect to complete 100 learning hours and 300 clinical hours on-site at the downtown campus for internship time requirements.
Learning hours occur:
- During the 40-hour weeklong orientation at the beginning of the unit
- On Mondays with the peer group
- During biweekly individual consultations with the educator
Clinical hours occur in approximately 25 shifts that are usually 12 hours each. This includes day shifts and overnight shifts. We will discuss those clinical shifts with applicants who are invited to interview.
CPE Program at Central DuPage Hospital
»ªÌå»á Central DuPage Hospital is a 400-bed acute care facility in Winfield, Illinois, that has been providing the DuPage County community with quality health care for more than 50 years. Central DuPage Hospital is a Level II Trauma Center with one of the most robust surgical programs in Illinois, and a regional destination for oncology, neurology, pediatric, orthopaedic, behavioral health and cardiovascular care. At Central DuPage Hospital, CPE students will encounter a wide range of clinical experiences from which to learn, grow and serve.
Central DuPage Hospital Program Offerings
Programs | Begin Date | End Date | Tuition | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Winter and Spring Extended (20 Weeks) | January 20, 2025 | June 6, 2025 | $500 | Closed – Program Filled |
Fall and Winter Extended (20 Weeks) | September 2, 2025 | January 16, 2026 | $500 | Closed - Program Filled |
Winter and Spring Extended (20 Weeks) | January 19, 2026 | June 5, 2026 | $500 | Accepting Applications |
ACPE requires at least 400 hours of clinical practice time, including structured group/individual education and supervised clinical practice.
Students in the Extended Units can anticipate about 14 hours of patient-focused clinical practice time each week. You will get these hours through a combination of daytime, overnight and on-call coverage. The structured group meetings will be held one day per week. The time and day of meetings will depend on the groups� unique needs.
How to Apply
To apply to our extended or intensive internship programs, complete the and email it to [email protected]. Please note your preferred learning site on the application.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Mailing Address:
Spiritual Care and Education
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
211 East Ontario Street, Suite 1450
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Central DuPage Hospital Mailing Address:
Gary Wilson, Spiritual Care and Education
Central DuPage Hospital
25 North Winfield Road
Winfield, Illinois 60189
If you are applying from outside the U.S., you can learn more about the .
Program Descriptions
- Level-I CPE
- Level-II CPE
- Year-Long Residency
- Certified Educator Training
Summer Intensive, Fall/Winter Extended, Winter/Spring Extended and Residency Unit No. 1�
- Establishes the clinical method of learning (Action, Reflection and New Action) as a tool for deepening self-awareness and theological reflection, as well as improving upon foundational skills for spiritual care to diverse patient populations.�
- Students identify personal learning goals and utilize the ACPE Level-I Outcomes to guide their development in areas of pastoral formation, pastoral competence and pastoral reflection.
Fall/Winter Extended, Winter/Spring Extended and CPE Residency Units �
- Builds upon the foundational reflective work established in Level-I Outcomes by focusing upon the application of specific spiritual care skill sets with increasing levels of self-supervision.�
- Students at this level are expected to assume greater pastoral authority as collaborative interprofessional team members and take on more responsibility within the department by providing staff support initiatives.�
- Designed to meet the needs of year-long residents, but can be adjusted for students in extended programs whose schedules allow for them to be in the hospital only part time.  �
Three-unit experience consisting of Level-I and Level-II programs �
- Pre-requisite: Completion of at least one unit of Level-I CPE.
- One-year, stipend position with »ªÌå»á employee benefits. (Note: We do not offer second-year residencies.)
- Curriculum is characterized by a progressive learning experience where residents begin by focusing upon foundational chaplain competencies (supported by one-to-one staff mentoring) and conclude their year with preparation for board certification with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).
- The full-time nature of the residency provides students with the invaluable opportunity to establish themselves as the primary contact for Spiritual Care on their clinical unit.
- Students strengthen their professional identity over the course of a year through sustained relationship-building within their CPE peer group, collegiality with other Spiritual Care professionals and collaborative interdisciplinary engagement within a challenging clinical environment.
Multi-year training to become an ACPE Certified Educator
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital is accredited by ACPE for training Certified Educators.
- Program includes two phases of theoretical and skill-based training through which students take on progressive autonomy in leading Level-I and Level-II CPE groups.
- Please contact us directly for more information.