Internship Program

The M.Div. program requires six credits of internship fulfilled part time over the academic year, or full time over a summer. Individual denominational requirements vary. Internships are open to students in the M.A.R. program. 

• Internships are academic courses that receive 6 semester credits - 3 per semester during the academic year, or 6 during the summer.
• Internships can take place anytime after the first academic year of study, including the summer following the first year. 
• Credit for one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) can transfer as 6 elective credit hours and will fulfill the MDiv degree internship requirement. 
• Internship credits are electives and do not fulfill any area requirements. A maximum of 15 credits in internships can be applied as electives towards a degree.
• YDS provides a $5000 stipend to students engaged in an internship. $5000 is provided for CPE students via work study funds (work-study funds are taxed). Students are eligible for funding for two internships AND one unit of CPE. Funds are generally distributed during the internship on a weekly basis.
• Negotiating Boundaries REL 3990, is required prior to any internship including CPE. It is offered twice in the fall and once during Spring semester. First year MDiv students must take this class during their first semester of study.

There are three essential components to internships at Yale Divinity School:

• Quality work: 400 hours of site associated practice (300 for Advanced Internships), including 30 hours of practicum
• Peer support: Practicum is taken alongside internships and constitutes a peer reflection group taught by a practitioner (see course list below)
• Mentorship: A supervisor qualified to oversee and mentor the site practice

For a side by side comparison of the different internship options, please see below.

Course list:

• REL3986/7 Academic year internship with practicum
• REL3988 Summer internship with practicum
• REL3996/7 Advanced academic internship with practicum 
• REL3998 Advanced summer internship with practicum

First Internships vs Advanced Internships:

YDS is now able to fully fund a second internship (the Advanced Internship). Students must have completed a first internship (REL3986/7 or REL3988) before being eligible to enroll in the Advanced Internship (REL3996/7 or REL3998). 

Comparisons: Advanced internships are only 3 credits, whereas a first (regular) internship is worth 6 credits. First internships are 400 hours of work, and Advanced Internships are 300 required hours.  However, both internships have a required practicum class and receive the same stipend of $5000.

Timing: First Internships may be taken after the first academic year of study - either in the summer following or the next academic year, and Advanced internships can be taken anytime after completing a first internship. In this case, completing a CPE unit would not count as a First internship.

For more information, contact:

Non-Profit, Justice Internships: Alison Cunningham, Director of Professional Formation

Ministerial Internships: Jenny Davis, Director of Supervised Ministries

For more information, contact:

Non-Profit, Justice Internships: Alison Cunningham, Director of Professional Formation

Ministerial Internships: Jenny Davis, Director of Supervised Ministries

Today, the shape of ministry takes many forms and is located in surprising places.  Hence YDS takes a student-centered approach.  The student leads the process of exploration and selection of a site—whether from a list of actively engaged sites with whom prior students have interned before or finding a new site that better meets the student’s goals for learning.

STEP I: Gathering information - Fall semester

• Register in Internship Hub 
• Meet with program director before December
  • Jenny Davis for parish/chaplaincy placements
  • Alison Cunningham for non-profit placements
• Explore your interests by talking with current students, viewing former sites lists, visiting churches or non-profits. Check denominational requirements. *Interested in becoming an Internship Site/Supervisor? More information available under Additional Information
• Attend information session (September)
• Review requirements for sites and supervisors under Additional Information, especially when considering a new site.

STEP II: Explore and visit - October to February

• Research potential sites by talking with current students, visiting churches or other sites, meeting with Jenny or Alison, and exploring the site’s online presence.
• Engage with potential sites & supervisors. Make contact, express interest, gain clarity on application process and site-specific timelines.
• Attend information session (first week in February)

STEP III: Contact and Apply - March

• By the end of March, students should have contacted all sites they are interested in interning with and arranged interview meetings. Be mindful of timing around Easter breaks. Clergy might be on vacation. 

STEP IV: Finalize - April

• Once interviews have completed, you’ve decided on a site and supervisor, and have site confirmation, notify Program Directors Alison Cunningham for non-profit placements, Jenny Davis for parish/chaplaincy placements.
• Submit a work plan on Internship Hub. Directors will review, and, if approved, will contact the site supervisor for confirmation.

Additional things to consider:

• If you are in an ordination process, determine exactly what is required of you as well as whether your supervising committee/person has preferences. Do they require CPE, a site within the denomination, a parish with certain characteristics, etc.? Also ask about timing—do you need to have completed an internship in order to be considered for the next step in your ordination process? Past experience has shown that getting these expectations and preferences in writing (or email) can be important.
• Consider your schedule - academic and extracurricular. Challenging classes, life events, fellowships, study abroad, ordination requirements require time that may impact internships. 
• Financial obligations may impact your internship decision. Do you need to work full-time in the summer in order to meet your commitments? Do you need to work many hours in the academic year? Internship requirements cannot be reduced, so think about what you can do to plan financially for reduced income. Some students do work AND do internships during the academic year. Whether or not you would be able to do this depends on your academic and time-management skills.
• Considering the options offered by YDS, what appeals to you the LEAST? Why? Is this a growing edge? Stretching is good.
• Think through your previous experiences. What have you already done? What would be new for you? What kinds of people are the most comfortable for you to interact with? Who would stretch you the most?
• Think about the kinds of supervisors that you’ve had in the past. What works for you? What doesn’t? Is this a person you respect and really want to learn from?

Click here to view/download former site list.

For more information, contact:

Non-Profit, Justice Internships: Alison Cunningham, Director of Professional Formation

Ministerial Internships: Jenny Davis, Director of Supervised Ministries

Clinical Pastoral Education, or CPE, is a practice-based learning experience that brings students into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. It provides an in-depth pastoral experience with individual and group supervision by certified teaching educators. Yale Divinity School does not offer a CPE program. However, YDS students may receive transfer credits and funding if they are accepted into an ACPE accredited site.

• CPE is offered through programs accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). 
• Students taking one unit of CPE, taken during a summer or an academic year, can receive 6 transfer credits (elective) and fulfill the internship requirement for the MDiv degree. To receive credit for CPE at YDS, students must submit a copy of the first summary page of your CPE evaluation. Contact Jenny Davis(link sends e-mail) for additional information.
• Summer units last approximately 10-12 weeks; extended units vary from 4-8 months; all require 400 hours.
• YDS students can receive a stipend of up to $5000 via work study funds. These funds are taxed, unlike the regular internship stipends. Please plan for this.  
• Although a CPE unit may fulfill the internship requirement for MDiv candidates, Clinical Pastoral Education is not required by YDS for any degree program, but many denominations require CPE for ordination. Both Berkeley Divinity School and Andover-Newton Theological Seminary at Yale require CPE for their graduate certificates.
• MAR and STM students are encouraged to apply for credit and/or funding as well, as long as it fits within the bounds of their degrees.
• Students can apply for summer intensive units or part-time extended units to CPE programs through the ACPE website starting in the fall.
• Applications for summer CPE units are encouraged to be turned in to the various programs by November 1. Each program has its own application procedure, schedule, and policies, but all use the ACPE application form.
• Students who are currently engaged in a YDS Internship may not take CPE while they are interning. In other words, they may not intern at a site and take CPE at the same time.

Choosing a CPE Site

Most programs are in clinical settings (hospitals, geriatric care facilities, hospices), but there are a variety of settings available in parts of the United States and Canada, including community organizations, prisons, and churches. The ACPE web site has a searchable directory of accredited sites, including contact information.  Students should contact individual sites for information about their program. The Director of Supervised Ministries, Jenny Davis, can offer advice and direction in filling out the ACPE application form and guidance in finding a site that best meets the student’s needs. An information session about CPE is offered every September.  It includes details about applications, interviews, selecting a site, and presentations by students who have completed CPE. 

Funding

• Nearly all CPE programs charge tuition, which varies from approximately $600-$1000. YDS does not pay the student’s CPE tuition. 
• YDS offers a stipend in the form of work-study funding (up to $5000 dollars) to help cover living expenses during the time of CPE.  Like other work-study positions, students submit weekly timesheets, are paid weekly, and employment taxes are withheld.
• A few CPE programs offer stipends or housing. If a student receives payment from their site (other than housing or travel compensation), that amount is subtracted from the YDS stipend.
• Students graduating in the spring may still be eligible for funding for a summer intensive unit of CPE after commencement, but their application must be received before May 10.
• Procedure to receive aid: Submit a copy of your acceptance letter and an Application for CPE Funding to Jenny Davis at least two weeks before starting CPE or before May 10 for graduating students.
• Downloadable Application for DPE Funding - August 2021 (docx)

Additional Information

• Andover Newton at Yale Divinity School offers a six-week long preparatory course for students planning on enrolling in a summer unit of CPE, REL 3903b. Open to all YDS students, this class is designed to help students fully engage in the CPE experience.

As an educational program of Yale University, the YDS Internship Office is bound to provide a safe and respectful learning environment for every student intern.  Sites, supervisor-mentors, and theological mentors are required to abide by the official policies of the Internship Office, Yale Divinity School, and Yale University.  Questions about the application of any policy should be directed to the Director of the Office of Supervised Ministries.

YDS Internship Policies

• Policy on Accounting for Time During a YDS Internship (see below)
• Policy for Addressing Conflict (see below)

Yale Divinity School Policies

• Yale Divinity School Inclusivity Statement
• Yale Divinity School Statement on Consensual Relations

Yale University Policies

• Yale University Equal Opportunity Statement
• Yale University Sexual Misconduct Policies
• Yale University Policy on Teacher-Student Consensual Relations

Policy on Accounting for Time During an Internship

One unit of supervised ministry requires 400 hours of “class time” to receive 6 credit hours from Yale Divinity School. 30 hours of this time is filled by Practicum, leaving 370 hours at the site.  During the school year, Practicum is held on campus from 4:00-5:30pm every Thursday.  For summer internships, Practicum is made up of 12 hours of on-campus meeting in May and 8 weekly web sessions lasting 2 hours each.  Students will not receive credit for supervised ministry if they miss more than 2 practicums each semester or 1 during the summer internship.  Supervisors are expected to support this course requirement by not scheduling internship responsibilities during these times. 

Time that can be included on the timesheet:

• Commuting time from YDS that is in excess of 1.5 hours round trip.  Commuting time that will be counted toward internship hours must be approved by the Director of Supervised Ministries prior to September 10.
• Time spent in preparation for internship, e.g., preparation of sermons, Bible studies, or presentations. Preparation time must be approved by the supervisor as an appropriate or realistic amount (e.g., it would be unrealistic to count 10 hours for sermon preparation).
• Time spent in weekly meetings with the supervisor/mentor (or supervisor and theological mentor)

Time that cannot be included on the timesheet:

• Time spent completing Practicum assignments
• Commuting time from YDS to site up to 1.5 hours round trip
• Commuting time during summer internships
• More than 10 hours in any one day (e.g., mission trips, retreats)
• Excessive time for preparation
• Time prior to the Sunday before classes start in August or the Sunday after finals are completed in May

It is by no means uncommon for students to complete more than 370 hours during an internship.  The timesheet is a tool for evaluating the demands on—and use of—the student’s time.  If a student records excessive hours, the topics of site expectations, sustainability, and self-care should be discussed with the supervisor-mentor and practicum facilitator.  If a student has too few hours, a discussion should address the learning goals, expectations, and plans for expanding the student’s activities.  A fillable timesheet is provided on the OSM website, or you can use an app like Super Tracker, etc.  Please total your hours before submitting the timesheet. 

The supervisor should review and sign the timesheet at the middle and end of each semester. Total hours will also be monitored by the Director of Supervised Ministries.

Policy for Addressing Conflict

If during the course of an internship the intern, supervisor, or Director of Supervised Ministries feels that a problem has arisen and the Learning Agreement is not being honored, the following steps are taken:

1. The intern, supervisor, and Director meet at YDS to discuss the problem and attempt to identify a solution that will ensure learning on the part of the student while retaining the integrity of the internship.  If it is impossible to meet at YDS, other arrangements will be made.
2. If necessary, a second meeting takes place within two weeks, involving other persons as applicable and appropriate.
3. If a resolution is reached that involves continuing the internship, the Learning Covenant is modified as necessary and signed by all three.
4. If the resolution involves terminating the internship, the Director writes an explanation and provides it to all parties, including the Dean of Academic Affairs and/or the Dean of Berkeley.
5. In the case of disagreement, the Director makes a final decision about continuing or terminating the internship.
6. In the event that an internship is terminated after the deadline for withdrawal, the student receives a No Credit grade and the Director’s written statement is placed in the student’s permanent academic file. Any appeal to remove the No Credit grade must be directed to the Professional Studies Committee.
7. If the Director determines that the supervisor or site primarily caused the problem leading to the termination, the site will be reevaluated with respect to future participation in the part-time internship program. If the Director determines that the student primarily caused the problem, he or she will receive a notation on his or her transcript indicating a failure of supervised ministry.

In the event of illness or other serious problems that prevent the intern from fulfilling the Learning Covenant, the intern and/or supervisor notifies the Director of Supervised Ministries. If possible, the three arrange a leave of absence, after which the student works additional hours to compensate for lost time. If this is determined not possible, the student may withdraw from the internship (see #6 above). Deadlines and fees for terminating or withdrawing from an internship follow the same calendar and policies set by the Registrar, as for all courses.

For more information, contact:

Non-Profit, Justice Internships: Alison Cunningham, Director of Professional Formation, Title IX Coordinator

Ministerial Internships: Jenny Davis, Director of Supervised Ministries

Internship Hub

The Office of Vocation and Leadership has partnered with Salesforce to create an online platform that will help students better navigate the internship process. Admitted students will be invited to register on the Internship Hub with their NetID once they arrive on campus in the fall semester. The Hub generates a check-list of items a student needs to accomplish in order to secure an internship for the following summer or academic year. The process is straightforward and easy to navigate. During the internship, students will also use the Hub to complete their learning covenants, record their hours, and write their final evaluations with their site supervisor. Approved supervisors will also use the Hub to complete their supervisor agreement, access their interns learning covenant, and write the final internship evaluation. 

Any difficulties in accessing the Internship Hub can be addressed by contacting either Alison Cunningham or Jenny Davis.

Finances

YDS offers a stipend to its student interns up to $5000 for the year which is paid in semi-monthly installments during the semester. Students who do CPE also receive a stipend of $5000 in the form of work-study funds. (Note, because the CPE funds come from work-study, taxes are taken out.) Thus, with the addition of a second funded internship, students can potentially receive a stipend for the first and second internships and CPE ($15,000 total) when these credits are used as electives necessary for the MAR or MDiv degree. If a student receives payment from their site (other than travel compensation), that amount is subtracted from the YDS stipend.

Commuting expenses to your internship site are not covered by YDS. Some sites might be willing/able to help with these. Likewise, some sites might be willing to help with housing costs for summer interns. These arrangements are made independently of YDS.

Students wishing to complete summer internships (not CPE), should note that they will need to pay tuition for the internship since it counts as a summer course. The rates are typically around $3600 for a summer 3-credit class, and YDS offers 6 credits for the 3-credit price. Students who receive a merit or need-based YDS scholarship aid during the academic year can receive a summer tuition scholarship that covers 100% of the YDS tuition charge, as long as the course credits count toward the student’s degree requirements. 

Advanced Internships, or second internships, are also funded a stipend of $5000, and are arranged individually by Alison Cunningham (for non-profit sites) or Jenny Davis (for ministry sites). Students must complete a first internship before being able to take a second, advanced, one. Credits for this internship are capped at 3, 1.5 per semester.

Internship Site Requirements

• Provide opportunities to work with people on meaningful issues
• Provide significant tasks that an intern can accomplish and learn from on a part-time (during the academic year) and short-term (less than one year) basis
• Provide a stable, welcoming environment with consistent direction and oversight
• Enable an intern to function in roles appropriate to their status as students in formation
• Provide opportunities for the intern to gain new knowledge and experience rather than simply practice what they already know;
• Facilitate learning through ongoing conversation and reflection.

Certain conditions will be discouraged or denied: 

• previous relationship with site or supervisor; 
• more than one intern at a site; 
• work similar to previous experience; 
• work similar to coursework; supervisor with lack of qualifications; 
• on-site presence less than twice each week; 
• work starting before fall or ending after spring semesters; 
• one-semester internships.

Supervisor Requirements:

• At least three years’ experience in this or a related profession, 
• at least one year in current position, 
• experience teaching, supervising, or working with graduate-level students, 
• no history of professional misconduct.

Information for Potential Sites & Supervisors

Are you interested in partnering with Yale Divinity School in the education and formation of students by becoming an internship supervisor?  Our sites represent churches, non-profits, parochial schools and universities with supervisors that represent an array of personal, religious and professional backgrounds.  We welcome new sites to become a part of our diverse database of available internship sites. Contact Alison Cunningham, Director of Professional formation or Jenny Davis, Director of Supervised Ministries, for more information.

For more information, contact:

Non-Profit, Justice Internships: Alison Cunningham, Director of Professional Formation

Ministerial Internships: Jenny Davis, Director of Supervised Ministries