Roper St. Francis

Clinical pastoral education

Our clinical pastoral education programs help support emotional and spiritual healers who want to learn about pastoral ministry in a healthcare setting.

Bible and holy tools

Our education programs

  • We offer full-time and part-time internships as well as a dedicated residency program.

  • Internship programs

    We offer both full-time and part-time internships where students can learn through hands-on experience.

  • Residency program

    The residency program at Roper Hospital is a one-year, full-time program that offers 4 units of CPE.

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About our CPE program

Our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program is a training program that combines learning and hands-on practice. It is led by trained educators and supported by collaboration with professional staff. In this program, chaplain interns and residents learn by working with others, visiting patients, attending classes, group discussions and one-on-one meetings. Our goal is to help our student clergy better understand themselves, their relationship to the Divine and how they care for and support other people.

Program details

The CPE programs at Roper Hospital and Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital are intense programs of professional and theological education in which ministers, priests, rabbis, religious and lay persons learn pastoral ministry through interpersonal relationships in a healthcare setting. Our programs are accredited by the ACPE to offer Level I, Level II and Certified Educator CPE credit. One unit of CPE consists of 400 hours of supervised learning.

Roper Hospital Annual Notice

Bon Secours Annual Notice

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Learning options for busy lives

We offer four supportive pathways to help students complete their CPE journey:

  • Full-time Internship: Five days per week for 11 weeks.
  • Part-time Internship: Two days per week for 18 weeks.
  • Full-Time Residency: Five days per week for a period of one year. In this program, a student receives 4 units of CPE and is provided a stipend.
  • Certified Educator CPE: Three to five years – Full Time

*NOTE - Each program includes and requires overnight on-duty assignments.

Apply here

Download our application linked below and return it to us by email or mail. Email your completed application to [email protected] or send it by mail to Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Pastoral Care/CPE Department, 2095 Henry Tecklenburg Dr., Charleston, 29414.

Download and apply