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Yale Divinity School
409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06515YDS Home>OSM
Office of Supervised Ministries
The programs in supervised ministries are part of the curriculum at Yale Divinity School because they are the intersection in theological education between academic study and the practices of ministry. Supervised ministry provides divinity students with an opportunity to gain professional competence, to build a framework for raising practical theological issues, to acquire a comprehensive and realistic view of the Church and its ministries and to develop a ministerial identity. While supervised ministry is a requirement of the Master of Divinity degree, it is open to all YDS students in degree programs.
Supervised ministry combines action and reflection. Without investment, involvement, and participation (action), and without time specifically set aside to think about experience (reflection), professional education for ministry would be incomplete. Both are essential and can be gained in neither classroom nor placement alone. Therefore, all supervised ministry programs combine an experiential component with an academic one - practical work "in the field" and intellectual work in the classroom through individual instruction.
Students may participate in one or more of the following programs. Completion of one is required for the M.Div. degree. All carry three credits unless otherwise noted. These are elective and do not apply toward Area IV.
Programs offered by Yale Divinity School
Part-time Internship with Practicum, Rel. 986 (6 Credits)
The part-time internship is taken for two consecutive semesters starting in September. Internship sites include churches, social service and social change agencies, campuses, and other institutions. The internship, under the mentorship of a trained supervisor, is combined with a peer reflection group (Practicum) taught by a practicioner, for a total of fifteen hours a week. Part-time Internship with Practicum carries three credits per semester. Completion of both semesters is required before credit is granted. Interns receive a grant through the Office of Financial Aid.
Leadership in Public Ministry Summer Internship Program, Rel. 985 (3 Credits)
This program involves students in ministries of engagement with the public sphere. It begins with two weeks of leadership training, field trips to ministry sites, and conversations with local leaders. Students then spend nine weeks in full-time internships in sites around Connecticut. They gather again four times during the summer for theological reflection and debriefing. Interns receive a grant through the Office of Financial Aid.
Programs Offered by other Educational Institutions - Transfer Credit
Students may transfer supervised ministry/field education credits from other educational institutions so long as the programs include the following:
- training by theologically educated instructors
- a minimum of 400 hours of work
- supervision by a mentor with an M.Div. and/or ordination
- a peer reflection group
Examples of qualified programs include:
Clinical Pastoral Education
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is offered by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). One unit of CPE, which can be taken during either a summer or an academic year, fulfills the supervised ministry requirement. CPE sites include hospitals, hospices, geriatic care facilities and occasionally community organizations and churches. CPE brings students into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. It provides an in-depth pastoral experience with individual and group supervision by certified teaching chaplains. Each program has its own application procedure, schedule, and policies. Students in CPE may be eligible for work-study funding. They should contact the Office of Finance and Administration for details.
Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE) Summer Program
SCUPE is located in Chicago. SCUPE programs are scripturally based and shaped around the conception of "principalities and powers," which are seen as decisive to understanding pastoral issues in urban ministry, as well as to identifying forces in the urban struggle that must be confronted. The SCUPE summer program consists of an introductory two-week intensive course called Cross Cultural Ministry followed by a nine-week full-time internship with a peer group practicum. Interns are placed in sites in the city of Chicago. Housing and financial support are generally available.
Seminary Summer
Seminary Summer is a ten-week summer internship program sponsored by the AFL-CIO and the Interfaith Worker Justice. It gives seminarians the opportunity to witness worker struggles for a voice in the workplace and work with religious, community and union activists to build support for workers organizing unions. Seminary Summer offers a weekly stipend of $300 per week to cover meals and other incidental expenses. Transportation to and from Chicago will be covered, but local transportation and housing costs (if the student relocates) will be borne by the local site placements.
--Last updated 12/22/08