Field Education

Field education is central to Duke Divinity School's Master of Divinity degree program. Ministry contexts provide abundant opportunity for action as well as reflection, enabling students to work with their personal and spiritual gifts and experiences as well as the rich conceptual material offered by the Divinity School. In these settings students are typically (1) working to clarify and test their calls to ordained or lay ministry; (2) exploring ministerial roles and identity; (3) building and strengthening the diverse skills required for ministry; and (4) learning to understand and approach ministry theologically as well as psychologically, sociologically, and organizationally. A handbook of policies and procedures is available from the Office of Field Education or can be viewed online at http://www.divinity.duke.edu/academics/fielded/policies/document_view.

Two units of approved field education placement are required for graduation in the Master of Divinity degree program. Even though degree program requirements do not exceed two units, if requested, the Office of Field Education will give priority to placing students in three settings. Each student is required to complete one credit in a church (congregation/parish-based) setting, unless permitted by the Field Education Committee to do otherwise.

A unit is defined by one term placement, either a full-time summer term (40 hours per week in preparation and presence for a minimum of 10 weeks) or an academic term (10 to 15 hours per week in preparation and presence for a minimum of 30 weeks). To be approved, the field setting must allow the student opportunities to explore her/his ministerial identity and role and provide distinct ministerial tasks. The setting must offer qualified on-site supervision with regular student/supervisor theological reflection; engage the student in preparation of, and entering into a learning-serving covenant; and effective evaluation.

Credit for one unit of field education is extended according to the following processes: (1) the student timely submits an application and formally interviews with the scheduled Director and Assistant Director of the Office of Field Education; (2) receives approval for placement; (3) develops and completes a learning-serving covenant with acceptable quality of work; (4) cooperates with the supervisor; (5) participates in scheduled peer group reflection; (6) ensures that the evaluative process is conducted and completed (evaluations must be submitted by the field supervisor, the student, and, if applicable, a lay committee); (7) submits a student evaluation of the experience. The student's faculty advisor (or faculty/staff designee of the Academic Program's Field Education Committee) will review the evaluations and, in consultation with the field education staff, determine if credit is appropriate.

Current students who intend to receive a Divinity - or Duke Endowment - funded summer field education placement must be full-time students in the subsequent fall and/or spring semesters (students who will return to Duke Divinity School following the completion of a required judicatory year at another seminary may request exemption from this policy). Examples of subsequent academic year circumstances which would occasion a non-funded summer field education placement include: planned leave of absence, planned withdrawal, etc. Should an enrolled student encounter unforeseen circumstances requiring academic leave or withdrawal following a summer field education experience, only the grant portion of the summer field education funding will be forfeited.

Development of readiness for ministry is the responsibility of each student. If the field education staff has reservations about a student's readiness for field placement, the staff will specify requirements preparatory to assignment. If the student disagrees with this assessment, the student may appeal the staff's decision to the Field Education Appeals Committee. The committee will review applicable materials such as Duke Divinity School admissions documents, prior placement evaluations, and additional professional evaluation. The committee may solicit interviews of involved persons, Divinity School faculty/staff perceptions, and evaluation by the field education staff. The committee will approve the field assignment or refer the student to remedial avenues of personal and professional development, including, if necessary, a leave of absence or withdrawal from school. Such action will be referred to the Academic Policies Committee for inclusion in assessment of that student's progress toward graduation.

1. Volunteer Placements (unfunded) Students, with the direction of the Office of Field Education, have latitude in selecting volunteer settings. As volunteers in ministry, students must invest a minimum of 300 hours in preparation and presence, a minimum of 10 weeks (summer placement) and a minimum of 30 weeks (academic year placement) in the setting, and comply with the requirements specified by the Divinity School.

2. Student-Initiated Placements (funded by the congregation/ministry setting) Students may request credit for service at a congregation or agency where the student has initiated an internship or staff position. Students, with the direction of the Office of Field Education, have latitude in selecting their student-initiated settings. They must invest a minimum of 300 hours in preparation and presence, a minimum of 10 weeks (summer placement) and a minimum of 30 weeks (academic year placement) in the setting, and comply with the requirements specified by the Divinity School.

3. Settings developed by the Divinity School These settings have historically offered opportunities for ministerial service, supervision, appropriate identity, and evaluation; or they show promise for meeting these expectations. A variety of ministry settings are available for particular student goals: parish settings (rural, suburban, and urban patterns), institutional settings, and international settings. These settings normally require a minimum of 400 hours in preparation and presence, a minimum of 10 weeks (summer placement) and a minimum of 30 weeks (academic year placement), in the setting.

While the Divinity School offers a rich diversity of settings for personal and ministerial formation, the majority of settings developed by the Divinity School are in local churches in small communities. Because of the Divinity School's ties with the United Methodist Church, most of these field placements occur in that tradition. However, the Divinity School will assist every student that is seeking ordination, in finding at least one placement in his or her own denominational tradition.

Some students are ill-advised to take a field placement outside their own denominational tradition. Such placement may jeopardize prospects for ordination. Students are cautioned against solving short-range financial problems by creating long-range tension with their ordaining body.

Specialized ministries offered through the Divinity School Field Education program do not pose the same denominational dynamics as those presented by the congregational setting outside one's own faith tradition. In most instances, students will be considered for these settings who have already met the placement requirement for a congregational setting and who are otherwise qualified vocationally, personally, financially, academically, etc.

Funding for numerous placements is provided to the Divinity School through the generosity of The Duke Endowment, a private charitable trust administered by its own Board of Trustees and a legally separate entity from Duke University. The Rural Church Division of The Duke Endowment is authorized by its 1924 Indenture to work exclusively with United Methodist Churches located within the state of North Carolina, in communities under 1,500 persons according to the most recent federal census.

The United Methodist Church is open and ecumenical in spirit, with numerous churches that have provided Duke Divinity students from diverse cultural and denominational backgrounds opportunities for contextual learning. However, not every United Methodist pastor and/or congregation is willing to host students from non-Wesleyan traditions. Therefore, placement of students to Endowment eligible settings will depend upon the availability of congregations and pastor-supervisors.

The Divinity School is not obligated to provide students a funded field education placement. Funded placements are dependent upon the availability of funding, the restrictions of funding sources, the interests of parishes and agencies in cooperating with the field education program, the openness of settings to working with students of diverse faith traditions, students' willingness and abilities to meet the expectations of settings, etc. Students engaged in full-time, non-field education employment, are not eligible for Divinity-School-directed funding.

When placed in funded settings, each student receives a portion of the award as stipend (paid directly to each student through the Duke Payroll Office) and a portion of the award as grant (paid into the Bursar Account of each student). Personal transportation is the responsibility of each student, and a pre-requisite for funded placement.

The Divinity School offers up to twenty pre-enrollment MDiv students who are open to discerning ministry in the United Methodist Church a field education placement in a rural North Carolina United Methodist Church during the summer before they matriculate. These placements offer an opportunity to explore the nature of the church; the role of ministry; personal gifts for ministry and how these gifts relate to the office of ministry; and the implications of these experiences for students' emerging Christian vocation.

Anticipating the first year of theological education and future field education placement, this program provides students close-range introduction to the nature and dynamics of the practice of ministry under trained and committed pastoral supervisors and lay persons. Orientation events and theological reflection exercises with in-course Divinity students provide critical support and learning opportunities which enhance the process of spiritual, vocational and personal discernment. Honest perspective from pastors and laity on the students' use of this opportunity gives students an early read on their potential for leadership in the community of faith.

These experiences fall exclusively within United Methodist congregations in the state of North Carolina, primarily in rural or semi-rural settings. Pre-Enrollment placements offer a stipend, partial scholarship, housing, meals and travel expense for the 10-week term. Students must be available to attend an orientation session in early May, have access to personal transportation, and be available to serve anywhere in North Carolina.

Students frequently serve as pastors of churches or part-time associates during the period of their study in the Divinity School. This service may suffice for fulfillment of all field education requirements. These appointments or calls are arranged by the appropriate denominational official or body. The Divinity School recognizes this arrangement and recommends that the student consult with the Office of Field Education, as agent of the dean, before accepting an appointment as pastor or associate pastor.

The Office of Field Education cannot arrange student pastor appointments or calls. These arrangements reside within the jurisdiction of denominational authorities, and students should initiate their own arrangements. The Office of Field Education, however, requires a student application for appointment prior to accepting one. The office also provides area church officials with recommendations for students.

Student pastors may enroll in no more than three courses per semester, requiring eight semesters to complete the Master of Divinity degree. Student pastors are not permitted to enroll in summer study of any kind. Relaxation of student pastor limitations on enrollment requires the permission (on the appropriate form) of the supervising church official, the pastor-parish or other personnel committee, the field education staff, and the Associate Dean for Academic Formation.

In keeping with the goal of the school to develop competence in ministry, student pastors should use their appointments as learning contexts. Student pastor mentoring groups, comprised of other student pastor peers and a learned pastor, meet regularly for counsel, direction, and critical theological reflection. Biennial evaluation is required from the student pastor's parish (and, if United Methodist, the superintendent). If all of the conditions outlined for credit are met, and all reports are completed and filed at the appropriate time, credit may be extended. If, however, the parish setting proves inadequate for the student's needs for ministerial growth and development, the field education staff will convene a review committee consisting of the student's faculty advisor, a member of the Field Education Committee, and one of the field education staff to review the student's needs and take appropriate action to assist the student in growth. Examples of such action are: requiring an alternative field experience, a basic unit of clinical pastoral education, psychological evaluation, personal therapy, spiritual direction, or leave of absence from the school.

In summary, the process for student pastors to receive credit for their call or appointment is: apply with the field education office, register with the appropriate student pastor code through ACES, participate in an assigned mentoring group, and submit requisite evaluation materials for two separate years of service.

Master of Divinity students may use a basic unit of clinical pastoral education (CPE) to meet one placement requirement. CPE units may be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Students may also elect to receive academic course credit for CPE.

1. Field Education Requirement. Students seeking to fulfill the first or the second field education requirement through CPE should initially consult with the Office of Field Education. The student submits an application to a CPE program that is accredited by The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. (ACPE, www.acpe.edu). The student then arranges for an interview with the CPE staff, gains acceptance to the program, submits an information form to the Office of Field Education, and then enrolls in the CPE program that is accredited by the ACPE. The student is responsible for paying the CPE center directly for all fees related to enrollment in and completion of the unit. The student is responsible for having the CPE center mail directly to the Office of Field Education the original or certified copy of the supervisor's final evaluation indicating the unit was successfully completed and a full unit of CPE credit was extended. Upon this notification, the Office of Field Education will inform the Divinity School registry, so that field education credit will be recorded. Field education credit for a CPE unit is contingent upon the office of field education staff's approval of both the program and experience.

2. Conference/Judicatory Requirement. Many denominational conferences and judicatories require candidates for ordained ministry to complete a unit of clinical pastoral education in an accredited CPE center. To satisfy this requirement, a student may enroll in a CPE program of his/her choice that is accredited by the ACPE. The student is responsible for paying the CPE center directly for all fees related to enrollment in and completion of the unit. The student is also responsible for having the CPE center mail directly to the Office of Field Education the original or certified copy of the supervisor's final evaluation indicating the unit was successfully completed and a full unit of CPE credit was extended. By request, the Office of Field Education will be responsible for notifying the student's appropriate denominational/judicatory officials regarding successful completion of the required CPE unit.

3. Personal/Professional Growth. Students may enroll in a unit of clinical pastoral education for the sole purpose of personal growth and professional/pastoral skills development (no judicatory and/or field education credits are needed/requested). The student is responsible for paying the CPE center directly for all fees related to enrollment in and completion of the unit.

Academic Credit - In all cases above, if a student also desires academic credit (2 course credits) for an accredited clinical pastoral education unit, then he/she must register for CPE 100 during the Divinity School course registration period. The student should gain acceptance in the CPE program before registering for CPE 100. The student will be responsible for the Divinity School tuition costs related to the CPE unit's two-course equivalency. The Divinity School tuition charge for these two course credits will be at the current Divinity School tuition rate at the time the academic credit is officially recorded on the student's record. The respective CPE center's fee will be paid by the Divinity School (up to $450 - if the center's fee is more than $450, the student is responsible for the difference). The student is also responsible for having the CPE center mail directly to the Office of Field Education the original or certified copy of the supervisor's final evaluation indicating the unit was successfully completed and a full unit of CPE credit extended. The Office of Field Education will then notify the Divinity School registry to this effect, and academic credit for two courses will be recorded.

The Divinity School will consider academic credit for CPE units completed in prior semesters. However, the Divinity School will not reimburse the student for CPE center fees incurred. In these cases, the student will pay the current Divinity School tuition rate at the time the academic credit is officially recorded on the student's record. Approval of the academic credit for a CPE unit completed prior to Divinity School enrollment from an ACPE, Inc. accredited agency will be determined by the director of field education and the academic dean.

The timing for CPE should be decided in consultation with the Field Education Office. When a student would best enroll in a basic unit of CPE will depend upon the student's curriculum, personal circumstances, and judicatory requirements. It is not recommended during the first year of study. Students need a year of basic foundational work in theology prior to CPE. Students seriously contemplating a career in pastoral counseling should take CPE earlier in their curriculum in order to engage vocational testing in an institutional setting. The personal discovery that often occurs in CPE can prove beneficial in shaping later curriculum choices while in Divinity School.

CPE is viewed as field education and creditable as such, therefore, students completing a field education credit through the Divinity School Office of Field Education may not be simultaneously enrolled in CPE. Students employed by churches and/or agencies that are not part of a formal field education placement may enroll in CPE, but are cautioned to give close attention to work load.

Duke Divinity School is committed to the pursuit of International Studies. The Overview of the International Studies Committee of the Divinity School's work, along with Duke Divinity School's commitment to global perspective has resulted in sustained International Field Education opportunities. Policies and procedures are available for review in the Field Education Office, or online at http://www.divinity.duke.edu/academics/fielded/policies/document_view.

Students may initiate an international placement for the summer term. The Field Education calendar will post deadlines for the application and interview process. Self-initiating students will interview with the Director or Assistant Director of the Office of Field Education. In the interview process, the Director or Assistant Director will ascertain the appropriateness of the placement for field education credit, and may consult with other Divinity School staff and/or faculty in determining the suitability of the placement for field education credit.

Duke Divinity School is gifted with faculty/staff and alumni who are committed to coordinating international field education opportunities. Because of the high level of commitment of these faculty/staff and alumni, the Divinity School offers funding for selected international field education placements coordinated by these faculty/staff and alumni. An interview/selection process for these placements is coordinated through the Office of Field Education.

2008-09 Bulletin of the Duke University Divinity School