Graduate Cert in Level I Clinical Pastoral Education

What Will You Study in Liberty University’s Clinical Pastoral Education Online Program?

• Ethical and professional standards in pastoral care
• Foundations of Clinical Pastoral Education and chaplaincy
• Interpersonal and group dynamics in ministry
• Supervised clinical training in real-world settings
• Theological reflection and spiritual assessment

In this program, you’ll take part in both academic coursework and hands-on ministry, completing hours of supervised clinical training in an approved setting for CPE. Classroom components allow you to engage deeply with faculty and peers. Throughout your studies, you’ll have opportunities to explore how faith, psychology, and interpersonal skills intersect in spiritual care. By engaging in structured feedback, case presentations, and theological reflection, you can begin to develop the awareness and tools needed for ministry in a range of chaplaincy or pastoral contexts.

Benefits of Pursuing Your Clinical Pastoral Education Graduate Certificate with Liberty University

As a leader in distance education since 1985, we understand what it takes to create a flexible and affordable education for busy people. Since we have been investing in distance and online learning for decades, our experience has taught us how to streamline our degree options so you can focus on what really matters to you. While many schools offer online degrees, we believe Liberty stands out.

Here’s what sets us apart:

• Our online programs are backed by our brick-and-mortar campus – ranked among Niche.com’s Top 5 College Campuses in America – and that commitment to excellence extends to our online students as well. Earning your online certificate from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
• Most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors. As a nonprofit university, Liberty continues to strive to keep costs low for our students!
• Each course in the program awards 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).
• You will complete hours of supervised clinical ministry in a real-world ministry setting, allowing for immediate application of classroom learning.

Military Benefits

Service is important to us, so whether you’re currently serving in the Armed Forces, have served, or are married to someone who serves, we’re here to serve you. Liberty’s military benefits are available to:

• Active duty service members of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/retirees
• Spouses of service members and veterans/retirees
• Current Department of Defense employees

We are proud to support you in your pursuit of a flexible and affordable online education by offering you the following benefits: 

• Tuition discounts – $290 per credit hour for graduate courses
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

Potential Careers for Level I Clinical Pastoral Education Program Graduates

• Associate chaplain
• Chaplain assistant
• Chaplain resident
• Hospice chaplain
• Hospital chaplain (may require 4 units of CPE and Board Certification)
• Pastor
• Spiritual care coordinator