Transfer of Credit

Transfer of Credit, Transcripts, and Evaluations - Policy 101(B)

Guidelines for Transfer of CPE or Supervisory Credit (Equivalency Training)

  1. Official Transcripts: Students may submit official transcripts from another Clinical Pastoral Education organization or educational institution indicating the completion of previous CPE courses or units.
  2. Equivalency Training: The transfer (equivalency) for CPE or Supervisory Credit must meet the following conditions:
    a.   It must be an educational program with a curriculum that focuses on theological reflection and an action/reflection process and provides a written evaluation of student functioning.
    b.   The educational provider responsible for the program must be qualified to provide the supervision.
    c.   Copies of written evaluations must be submitted.
  3. If the conditions are met, only one course of advanced standing or 400 of 1600 hours (25%) is allowable. 
  4. Upon receiving the approval, the registrar will enter a “P” for pass in the student’s Populi profile and state the specific course credit is being awarded, e.g., CPE 100.
  5. Use this form.

Education Equivalency For Certification

Persons seeking academic or experiential equivalency for certification must meet the following requirements.

  1. Category 1: Additional Degree: An additional undergraduate or graduate degree. One semester hour can count every two hours in the degree for a maximum of 15 hours.
  2. Category 2: Professional Continued Education. One semester hour can count for every 100 hours of professional continued education for a total of 15 semester hours.
  3. Category 3: CPE Supervisory Education. One semester hour can count for every 100 hours of CPE Supervisory Education for a total of 15 semester hours.
  4. Category 4: Professional Publication or Teaching. One semester hour can count for every 100 hours of publication or teaching for a total of 15 semester hours.
  5. Category 5: Professional Experience: After a minimum of three years of professional experience in chaplaincy, counseling, social work, or a related field, the applicant may count 1 semester hour for every 40 hours of experience for a total of 15 semester hours.
  1. Use this form.

Approval Process for Equivalency Education/Experience

The following process is to be used if an individual is seeking “equivalency” for CPE or Supervisory CPE, or certification.  Members will use the following 10 Standards of Assessment and complete this form.

The process for determining and awarding credit is based on the following criteria. The approval process is based on the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning’s (CAEL)

Ten Standards of Assessment for Prior Learning Assessment, which are outlined in CPEI Policy 101, but the standards that are specific to determining transfer credit include the following:

Standard 1: Credit or competencies are awarded only for learning and not for experience or time spent. (Applicants that complete ministry experience alone is not acceptable. A learning process must have occurred while under a qualified educator).

Standard 2: Assessment is integral to learning because it leads to and enables future learning.  (Students must have received some type of written evaluation from the previous course and it demonstrates the level and type of learning experience).

Standard 3: Assessment is based on criteria for outcomes that are clearly articulated and shared among constituencies. (The learning that occurred must relate in some way to the overall accepted learning outcomes that are similar or may be related to the type of outcomes associated with the “Common Qualifications and Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy” (2017.

Standard 4: The determination of credit awards and competence levels are made by appropriate subject matter and certification experts. (Supervisors-Educators are qualified to determine whether the transcript and associated materials meet the requirements).

Standard 5: Assessment advances the broader purpose of equity and access for diverse individuals and groups.

Standard 6: Institutions proactively provide guidance and support for learners’ full engagement in the assessment process.

Standard 7: Assessment policies and procedures result from inclusive deliberation and are shared with all constituencies.

Standard 8: Fees charged for assessment are based on the services performed in the process rather than the credit awarded.

Standard 9: All practitioners involved in the assessment process pursue and receive adequate training and continuing professional development for the functions they perform.

Standard 10: Assessment programs are regularly monitored, evaluated, and revised to respond to institutional and learner needs.