Becoming Certified
The BCCI certification program is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance and designate professional chaplains who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of chaplaincy care.
Chaplains are certified as board certified chaplains (BCC) or associate certified chaplains (ACC) according to established national qualifications, including a code of ethics.
Important Notes
- The application process is conducted year-round.
- Applications must be submitted through the online portal.
- Candidates who need to apply for a subsequent appearance must comply with the deadlines noted in the letter they receive following their most recent committee appearance.
- Before submitting your application, please check this website to ensure you are using the most current forms and information.
- There is no specific preparatory or certificate course or seminar required for any type of certification through BCCI. For educational and other requirements, please refer to the certification qualifications and requirements.
Requirements and Definitions for Board Certified & Associate Certified Chaplains
The requirements and definitions are established by the Association of Professional Chaplains. APC’s affiliate, the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc., certifies chaplains according to these standards.
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General Requirements
- Undergraduate Education
Bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org). - Graduate Education
Qualifying Master’s degree conferred by a college or institution accredited by CHEA.
– To qualify, the degree must include a minimum 30 semester hours and be granted in one of three academic disciplines: Theology, Philosophy, or Psychology.
One year (24 semester hours) of study in three of four chaplaincy competence subject areas:
– History of a religious or philosophical tradition
– Spiritual Practices or Practical Ministry
– Sacred Texts or Foundational Documents
– World Religions
Total Hours
– Board Certified Chaplain: 72 graduate semester hours (includes up to 24 equivalency credits)
– Associate Certified Chaplain: 48 graduate semester hours (equivalency credits not available)
Mentored Education
– Applicants trained in certain non-academic traditions may be eligible to meet the education requirements by documenting up to 7200 hours of mentored study: Buddhist and Indigenous traditions.
Notes:
– The total hours requirement includes the hours in the qualifying Master’s Degree, the chaplaincy competence subjects, and other study relevant to the practice of chaplaincy.
– Courses counted toward the one year of chaplaincy competence subjects do not need to be included in the qualifying degree. Courses must be completed at CHEA accredited institutions.
– Applicants for BCC who demonstrate a minimum of 48 graduate semester hours and meet the chaplaincy competence subject requirement can apply for up to 24 graduate education equivalent credits. See the Graduate Education Equivalency Worksheet for details.
– Applicants who have earned academic credit for CPE as part of a degree program may apply one unit of CPE to both the total education hours requirement and the BCCI CPE requirement. - Faith Group Endorsement or Recognition
Provide documentation of current endorsement or acceptable language in accordance with the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition (received or reaffirmed within last 12 months). The letter must be mailed, emailed, or faxed directly to the BCCI office for your faith group. Faith groups must be recognized by the Department of Defense (Armed Forces Chaplains Board) or previously reviewed and approved by the BCCI. If not, the applicant must contact the BCCI office regarding a review of the faith group. - Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
Units accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) or the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) are accepted. The required clinical education for Board certified chaplains is four units. Associate Certified Chaplains need to have two units. Equivalency for one unit of CPE is available. See the CPE Equivalency Instructions for details. - Work Experience
A minimum of 2,000 hours of work or volunteer experience as a chaplain following the completion of the required CPE units (four for BCC and two for ACC.) Use of additional units of CPE is considered an equivalency. Work experience hours accrue in positions where a substantial part of work duties focus on care commonly provided by chaplains in specialized settings, such as health care, prisons, or corporate chaplaincy. Properly documented volunteer chaplain hours are acceptable. Work hours accrued in parochial ministry cannot be included. - Professional Competence demonstrated in written materials and the certification interview.
Board Certified Chaplain (BCC)
The professional credential Board Certified Chaplain is awarded by a vote of Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Incorporated (BCCI) Commission on Certification. A chaplain holding the BCC credential has met all application requirements and demonstrated professional competence before a committee of peers. Application requirements are listed in the General Qualifications section above.
After meeting the application requirements, the chaplain meets with a Certification Committee, certified chaplains approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification, who assess competence in 29 chaplaincy skills and make a recommendation to the Commission on Certification. The Commission reviews the recommendation and finding that the applicant meets all requirements and demonstrates competence, votes to recommend to the board of directors’ ratification of the certification.
Provisional Board Certified Chaplain (PBCC)
A Provisional Board Certified Chaplain has demonstrated professional competence by meeting all the board certified chaplain (BCC) eligibility requirements. Provisional status is granted in the case of one or both of the following exceptions:
- The BCC candidate has demonstrated competency in at least 24-29 BCC competencies, inclusive of all those related to pastoral functioning (PPS 1-11).
- The BCC candidate has not completed the 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain.
A Provisional Board Certified Chaplain has two years from the initial date of certification to submit a request for a subsequent appearance to demonstrate competency in the remaining standards to a certification committee, or to submit the proper documentation of completion of 2,000 hours of chaplaincy experience (for a paper review). If a provisional board certified chaplain does not complete either of these requirements within the specified timeframe, they will be removed from the roster and will need to reapply for certification.
Associate Certified Chaplain (ACC)
The professional credential Associate Certified Chaplain is awarded by a vote of Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Incorporated (BCCI) Commission on Certification. A chaplain holding the ACC credential has met all application requirements and demonstrated professional competence before a committee of peers. Application requirements are listed in the General Qualifications section above.
After meeting the application requirements, the chaplain meets with a Certification Committee, certified chaplains approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification, who assess competence in 29 chaplaincy skills and make a recommendation to the Commission on Certification. The Commission reviews the recommendation and finding that the applicant meets all requirements and demonstrates competence, votes to recommend to the board of directors the ratification of the certification.
Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain (PACC)
fessional competence by meeting all the Associate Certified Chaplain (ACC) eligibility requirements. Provisional status is granted in the case of one or both of the following exceptions:
- The ACC candidate has demonstrated competency in at least 24-29 BCC competencies, inclusive of all those related to pastoral functioning (PPS 1-11).
- The ACC candidate has not completed the 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain.
A Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain has two years from the initial date of certification to submit a request for a subsequent appearance to demonstrate competency in the remaining standards to a certification committee, or to submit the proper documentation of completion of 2,000 hours of chaplaincy experience (for a paper review). If a provisional associate certified chaplain does not complete either of these requirements within the specified timeframe, they will be removed from the roster and will need to reapply for certification.
Academic Standards & Professional Competency Courses
All applicants for certification will demonstrate these academic accomplishments.
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The Qualifying Degree standard
Any graduate degree awarded by a CHEA accredited institution in the academic disciplines of Theology, Philosophy, or Psychology. The qualifying degree must contain a minimum of 30 graduate semester hours of credit.
The qualifying degree is the academic foundation, demonstrating that applicants have completed a recognized graduate study program. The academic disciplines recognized under this standard educate their graduates with an emphasis on the spiritual, emotional, and/or social needs of persons and groups in their care. These academic disciplines were selected because they support the following APC Competencies:
- ITP2: Incorporate a working knowledge of psychological and sociological disciplines and religious beliefs and practices in the provision of spiritual care
- ITP3: Incorporate the spiritual and emotional dimensions of human development into one’s practice of care.
- ITP4: Incorporate a working knowledge of different ethical theories appropriate to one’s professional context.
- ITP5: Articulate a conceptual understanding of group dynamics and organizational behavior.
- ITP6: Articulate how primary research and research literature inform the profession of chaplaincy and one’s spiritual care practice
Graduate degrees that do not fall into the disciplines described above may be considered but should be evaluated according to the standards established in the BCCI Theological Education Equivalency program.
Total hours requirements and credit for non-academic learning modalities will be determined by the standards distinct to the various certification designations; ACC (48 credits), BCC (72 credits).
The Religious Competence standard
All applicants must demonstrate a total 24 graduate semester hours of CHEA accredited coursework earned in three of four subject areas: World Religions, Spiritual Practices-Practical Ministry, History of a Religious-Philosophical Tradition, Sacred-Foundational Texts. At least one course must be completed in each of three subject areas and documented on an academic transcript. Religious competence courses may be earned outside of the Qualifying Degree.
Graduate level study in subjects associated with spiritual and religious belief systems directly support professional competence among chaplains.
- ITP1, “…rooted in one’s faith/spirituality tradition…integrated with a theory of professional practice.”
- ITP5, “…an understanding of group dynamics and organizational behavior.”
- PIC5, “…professional authority as a spiritual care provider”
- PPS6, “Provide religious/spiritual resources”
- PPS7, “…public worship/spiritual practices”
- PPS8, “…theological/spiritual reflection
Total Hours standard
Applicants seeking the Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) designation must demonstrate a minimum of 72 graduate semester hours or equivalent credits. Applicants seeking the Associate Certified Chaplain (ACC) designation must demonstrate a minimum of 48 graduate semester hours. Equivalent credits are not available for ACC applicants.
Full time graduate work is typically understood as 24 semester hours per year. Associate Certified Chaplains need to have completed 2years of graduate level education, making the standard 48 hours. Board Certified Chaplains need to have completed 3 years of graduate level education, making the standard 72 hours.
Professional Competency Courses
All applicants must demonstrate graduate level study in three of four subject areas deemed essential to professional care of persons in a religious or philosophical institution. The courses may be included in the Qualifying Degree or can be completed outside of the qualifying degree. When graduate semester hours are combined, a minimum of 24 hours must be earned in the competency subjects. At least one course from each of three subject areas must be represented on a transcript. The four subject areas are: Spiritual Practices-Practical Ministry, History of a Religious or Philosophical Tradition, Sacred or Foundational Texts, World Religion-Philosophy.
- Courses in Spiritual Practices-Practical Ministry focus on the practical arts and skills of religious or spiritual care of persons or groups within the applicant’s religious or philosophical tradition. This broad-ranging subject area can include worship leadership, ritual care, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, religious education of adults or children, and social justice leadership. The BCCI reviewer will consider any course that teaches expertise in care to persons in spiritual or religious distress and any course that builds expertise in the promotion of spiritual or religious growth in persons or groups.
- Courses in History of a Religious or Philosophical Tradition ground the applicant in the tradition’s formative leaders, movements, and/or beliefs that give shape and meaning to the tradition across time.
- Courses in Sacred or Foundational Texts study the documents that serve as authoritative references for the structure and meaning of the applicant’s practices and beliefs. This subject area can also include the study of authoritative oral traditions that preserve and interpret the tradition’s practices and beliefs.
- Courses in World Religion-Philosophy may be graduate level survey courses studying multiple religions or philosophical traditions. Courses offering in-depth study of a religion or philosophical tradition outside of the broadly understood religion or tradition of the applicant’s identified belief system can also be accepted. For example, an applicant trained in a tradition identified with Christianity should have completed a course in a non-Christian religion like Islam or Buddhism.
Regular Applicants
If you would like to become a Board-Certified chaplain (BCC), a Provisional Board-Certified chaplain (PBCC), an Associate Certified chaplain (ACC) or a Provisional Associate Certified chaplain (PACC), Please click the link below for more information on applying.
Subsequent Appearance Candidates
If you’ve been recommended for a Subsequent Appearance, please click the link below for more information on applying.
Advanced Certification Applicants
In addition, BCCI offers advanced certifications for BCCs who wish to demonstrate the advanced knowledge essential to practice in a specialized field of chaplaincy care.
Please click the link below for more information on applying.
Organizational Partner Applicants
If you would like to become a board certified chaplain (BCC) and are already a CPE supervisor or a certified chaplain of ACPE, CASC, NACC, NAJC or NAVAC, please download the application form below.
Board Certified Chaplain Organizational Partner Applicant (Word Doc)
If you have any questions regarding the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc. certification process, please contact the national office at 847.240.1014 or bcci@apchaplains.org
