Supervised Ministries: The Basics

• Requirements for Supervised Ministry Internships
• Options for Fulfilling Supervised Ministries
• Course Descriptions
  • Part-time Internship with Practicum (6 credits)
  • Full-time Summer Intensive Internship with Practicum (6 credits)
  • Part-time Internship with Advanced Practicum (6 credits)
• Financial Considerations

Requirements for all Supervised Ministry Internships

Fall 2020: We have enacted some changes due to the shortened semesters that Yale has planned.

1. Total internship hours: 370 of ministry practice, which includes 167 hours of site work per semester (334 total) and 36 hours of practicum over the year. The rest remains the same.

1. 400 hours of ministry practice. This includes 30 hours of practicum.
2. A supervisor qualified to oversee and mentor that ministry practice;
3. Weekly theological reflection with a theologically trained mentor on that ministry practice;
4. Regular meetings with a group of peers, also doing internships, in a setting where they can safely explore their ministry and mentoring experiences as spiritual and professional formation.

Options for Fulfilling Supervised Ministries

One unit of supervised ministry receives six credits and is a requirement of the M.Div. program. It is also open to students in the M.A.R. degree program. Supervised ministry credits are electives and do not fulfill any area requirements. A maximum of 15 credits in supervised ministries can be taken as electives toward a degree. Students may choose to complete a supervised ministry internship either part-time during the school year or full-time over the summer. The Supervised Ministry requirement can also be fulfilled by completing one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education. CPE is considered a transfer credit - Rev. Davis helps to facilitate the application process, but students apply separately and receive credit once they finish.  To consider your options for completing Supervised Ministry, see this chart.

Needed Forms

Student Application form

New Site Request form (only if site is new, obviously)

Supervisor Agreement form

Course Descriptions

Part-time Internship with Practicum, REL 3986/7 (6 Credits)

This is the most common path students take to fulfill their supervised ministry requirement. The part-time internship is taken for two consecutive terms starting in September. Internship sites can include churches, social service and social change agencies, schools, college campuses, and other religious and secular institutions. The internship, under the mentorship of a trained supervisor, is combined with a peer reflection group (Practicum) taught by a practitioner, for a total of four hundred hours over the two terms. The internship is guided by a Learning Covenant that is developed by the student in collaboration with the supervisor. In cases where a site does not have a theologically trained supervisor, the student also receives supervision from a theological mentor assigned by the director of the OSM. The Part-Time Internship with Practicum carries three credits each term. Both terms must be completed to meet the degree requirement. Placements are selected during the preceding spring term. Interns receive a stipend. Prerequisite: REL 3990 Negotiating Boundaries.

Full-Time Summer Intensive Internship with Practicum, REL 3989 (6 Credits)

Similar to the Part-time Internship with Practicum, this program includes full-time ministry at an approved site, theological reflection with a mentor, and peer group meetings via web conferencing. Placements must be at sites that are very active in the summer months.  The internship requires two days of class on campus in May, 370 hours of supervised internship at a qualified site, and a weekly peer-group Practicum conducted virtually via the Internet. The Summer Intensive allows students the opportunity to gain concentrated ministry experience in community organizations or in congregations doing significant community outreach.  Most congregational settings would not be conducive to full-time summer intensive internships.  Summer Intensives are particularly suited for students who want to work with sites in other parts of the nation or world, providing a vast array of ministry opportunities. Placements are selected during the preceding spring term. Interns receive a stipend for their first supervised ministry; however, summer supervised ministry will include additional tuition charges for the summer course. ​Prerequisite: REL 3990 Negotiating Boundaries.

Financial Considerations

YDS offers financial aid to its MDiv student interns up to $4500 for the year which is paid in semi-monthly installments during the semester.  MAR student interns may receive stipends, as funds are available. Students who do CPE also qualify for up to $4500 of aid in the form of work-study funds.  Thus, students can receive a stipend for the first supervised ministry internship and CPE ($9000 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.

Students wishing to complete summer internships should note that they will need to pay tuition for the internship since it is a summer course.  The rates are typically around $2500 for a summer 6-credit class. Your academic financial aid will also apply, however; check with the Office of Financial Aid for details.

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 the OSM.

More information about receiving financial aid during CPE can be found here.