Heal and Transform the World
Heal and Transform the World
If you seek to make a difference in your lifetime, the Chaplaincy Institute can provide the education you need. For hospitals, hospice, disasters, prisons, corporations, military, educational, activist, environmental and entrepreneurial contexts, we teach innovative, interfaith spiritual care for our times.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who takes this program?
Our students come from a diverse range of backgrounds—from nurses to yoga instructors to business people to psychologists. They also come from a wide range of theological backgrounds—for example, Buddhists, Catholics, Pagan, New Thought, and many people who don’t define their spirituality through a specific faith tradition.
When does the program start?
Our Chaplaincy Program has rolling admissions. You can begin as soon as you have been accepted into the Chaplaincy Program. Prospective students may take one of our Open Enrollment Courses, which are transferable for credit to the Chaplaincy Program.
Our Spiritual Direction Program has two cohorts a year – one starting at the Retreat in May/June and continuing online, and the other starting in October, completely online. Some coursework courses can be started earlier than the cohort start date if desired.
What are the prerequisites for enrollment?
A Bachelor’s degree. If you do not have a Bachelor’s degree, you can apply for an Education Prerequisite Waiver.
I am not sure if I want to take the whole program. Can I attend an Open Enrollment Course to check it out?
We recognize that enrolling in a program like this is a meaningful commitment of both time and resources. For those who wish to explore before making that commitment, we offer a range of Open Enrollment courses available to all. You may take up to three elective courses without applying or formally enrolling in the program. Learn more about registering for Open Enrollment Courses here .
How do I enroll in the program?
By completing a written application and submitting it with other required documents. Acceptance into the program is based on a written application and interview via Zoom. The Chaplaincy Program application can be requested through admissions: admissions@chaplaincyinstitute.org.
What is the cost of the program?
The Chaplaincy Program requires 22 credit hours. We use an Equity Pricing model. There are nine required courses and three elective courses. There are additional seminary and community fees as well as out-of-pocket expenses. You can apply for waivers for past coursework. Payment can be made in installments after an initial enrollment deposit. You can find out more about tuition and fees here.
The Spiritual Direction Program is a set fee, although we do accept course waivers for the program. You can find out more about tuition and fees here.
Do you offer scholarships?
What if I have studied elsewhere?
If you have a theological degree from a seminary, graduate school, or the like, you may request a waiver of some of the course requirements. These are addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Who is this program for?
This program is designed for people who are called to serve in an interfaith capacity in our increasingly diverse world. Often people enroll either in open courses or the full Chaplaincy Program to satisfy a deeply held longing to live a meaningful, engaged life. Some of our graduates seek professional chaplaincy or other ministerial roles, while others evolve creative community ministries in many forms.
Can you help me with a foreign student visa?
How long is the program?
Spiritual Direction Program: The Spiritual Direction program consists of 7 courses followed by an “internship” where students see clients under supervision. The coursework can be done in less than a year, and the internship is a minimum of six months.
Does this course qualify for financial aid from the government?
No. However, we offer 4 tiers of tuition/fees. Those needing financial assistance can apply for our flexible tuition program. You can find out more on our Tuition and Fees page.
Will completing this program make me a Chaplain and enable me to get a job?
Completing this program is one component of qualifying for professional chaplaincy work. Employment in health care chaplaincy usually requires additional preparation, such as 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and a master’s degree. Professional chaplains are trained and credentialed by several organizations; many employers require this further training and certification.
Where and when are the courses held?
All courses are held online via Zoom and the online learning platform Moodle, except for the spring learning retreat held at a residential retreat center in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each student must attend one on-site retreat and those run from Monday noon to Friday noon.
What happens in a course?
Each course has a focus theme—world religions, basic skills of interfaith ministry or a deep focus on a special topic that relates to ministry or spiritual care. Class content flows between didactic and experiential, theological and psychological, artistic and reflective modalities. Although each is different, all of the courses contain elements related to ministry, chaplaincy, spiritual care skill-building or theological literacy, broadly speaking .
How many people are in the courses?
Courses typically have from ten to twenty students. Small group size ensures a relaxed, intimate environment with a high level of interaction between faculty and other participants, with ample opportunity for dialogue and questions.
How many courses are offered long-distance over the internet?
All of ChI’s coursework is online and can be completed from anywhere. The residential learning retreat is held in person in California and the Clinical Pastoral Education/Practicum is done in your own location.
What are the components of the Chaplaincy Program?
The Chaplaincy Program includes required courses vi the online learning platform Moodle plus chosen elective courses, all held on the online learning platform Moodle and Zoom. Independent coursework includes online Moodle classes, reading, writing, creative work, and experiential assignments.
In addition, students engage in regular student cohort meetings as well as further learning and ministerial formation in spiritual site visits, personal spiritual practice, a 200-to-400-hour practicum, and their own vocational discernment.
What are the components of the Spiritual Direction Program?
The Spiritual Directions programs includes 7 required courses, three are geared specifically to Spiritual Direction. Independent coursework includes the online learning platform Moodle classes, reading, writing, creative work, and experiential assignments.
In addition, students engage with their own Spiritual Director and see clients under supervision in their Internship phase of the program and participate in regular student cohort meetings.
Where do I do my practicum/Clinical Pastoral Education?
Your practicum can be done either through a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) site or at a location (or locations) of your choice. Possibilities include hospitals, places of worship, prisons, assisted living facilities, supporting activist groups, singing at bedsides, leading spiritual growth workshops, and many other settings. Choose a practicum or CPE that will help you build a ministry and skill set suited to your unique call to spiritual service. Some students create a blended practicum, allowing for exploration of multiple ministerial roles. Although ChI provides support for the discernment process in choosing a practicum, students are responsible for making their own practicum arrangements.
Can you tell me more about the integration of creativity and the arts into the curriculum?
The arts as a “second language” are emphasized at ChI because they are a primary mode through which we sense and express the Divine throughout our lives. Creative expression of the religious or spiritual experience has been part of all religions and faith traditions, dating back to prehistoric times. We hold, as a learning objective, the fostering of creative approaches to ministry as a universal, accessible pathway. Use of the arts in spiritual care connects people with meaning and with Source, whether or not they relate to the vocabulary of “God” or “the Divine.”
Can I get academic credit for this course?
We are not an accredited school in the same manner of traditional denomination-centric seminaries. However, students enrolled at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) have taken our courses for credit in their programs with prior approval from their academic advisors. The full Chaplaincy Program is valued at 18 graduate level units toward a Masters Degree at Starr King School for the Ministry. Also, the Association of Professional Chaplains grants 24 graduate-level credits to people who have completed the program, helping to fulfill the requirements for board certification as a professional chaplain.
I am a licensed clinician, so can I get Continuing Education Units?
We encourage you to approach your board and appeal to them for CEUs for our courses.