The Field Education Department facilitates applications, admission interviews, and placement of seminarians, but each center supervisor selects the group of trainees at that site. CPE centers are located in the greater Washington area and throughout the United States. CPE programs are full-time during the five weekdays, with occasional weekend duties. Seminarians are responsible for financing the summer's training. The director of field education may supervise several seminarians each semester in field-related independent study, in addition to the required twelve hours.
Academic credit is given.
If the sponsor is an academic institution and the program involves regular seminars, assigned readings, and papers, some academic credit may be given. Internships may be arranged in parishes, urban social work, cross-cultural settings, Clinical Pastoral Education, or overseas. Students remain enrolled in the Seminary and return for their subsequent studies without further admissions procedures. Single students in local internships may live in a seminary dormitory. Colloquies meet once a week for two hours, consist of approximately seven students, one faculty member, one parish clergyperson, and one layperson.