Internships

Internships (CE545R)

Internships provide MDiv, MTS and MRL students with an opportunity to enrich their studies through a student-initiated practical experience for which academic credit is given. Internships provide students with an opportunity to tailor their course of study to meet specific learning goals, to enrich and/or complement their courses, to gain more experience in a particular aspect of ministry, or to obtain greater exposure to a broader range of vocational pathways and professional opportunities. Students are encouraged to select contexts of ministry that will enable them to explore interests, relevant vocational issues and/or develop skills (e.g., teaching, preaching, administration, etc.). Students may intern with a church, an agency or an existing internship program.

An internship will enable students to:

  • Sharpen reflective practices of leadership and ministry.
  • Further discern and clarify vocational identity and calling.
  • Gain understanding and proficiency in an area of ministry or interest.

Program Features

  • Choose a setting that relates to a vocational interest and/or direction.
  • Earn up to six credit hours while gaining practical experience.
  • Explore relevant vocational issues.
  • Practice skills.
  • Mentorship from initial meeting with Dr. Thomas Elliott, Director of Internships, regular meetings with internship supervisors and internship cohort to evaluate progress and provide guidance on the presentation.
  • Develop a final integrative presentation that fosters student learning goals and outcomes.

Credit

MDiv, MTS and MRL students may earn the following credits in an internship:

  • MDiv (elective credit of up to 6 credit hours)
  • MTS (elective credit up to 6 credit hours)
  • MRL (requirement of 6 credit hours)

MDiv and MTS students may take CE545R for variable elective credit for a maximum of six credit hours. MRL students are required to take CE545R for the full six credit hours.

One credit hour requires the completion of 42 hours of work in an internship setting. For example, in order to earn three (3) hours of credit at 42 hours/credit, a student would need to complete 126 hours of work (3 x 42 = 126).

Ordinarily, at least two thirds of the total hours worked for the internship would be actual contextual work. One third of the time may be used for study, reflection and supervision. No credit will be awarded retroactively for internship work previously conducted. Internships are graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis (S/U).

All internships are subject for approval by Dr. Thomas W. Elliott, Jr., Director of Internships.

Finding a setting, internship supervisor, and GDR supervisor

The student is responsible for completing the Internship (CE 545R) contract form, securing a setting, and internship supervisor for site supervision.

Setting: Students should secure a setting that relates to their overall interest in the internship.

Internship Supervisor: Students are supervised by an internship supervisor who is: 1) a ministry leader in the setting with a demonstrated capacity and commitment to aid students in theological reflection, vocational discernment, and spiritual formation. This site mentor is typically a full-time employed, ordained pastor or person with comparable ministry experience and a graduate of an accredited seminary or possessing comparable education; and/or 2) a director who has a master’s degree in the indicated field. Internship supervisors require the approval of the Director of Internships.

GDR Supervisor: The GDR Supervisor will lead cohort meetings throughout the internship and will work with students in developing their final integrative presentation.

Internship Process

STUDENTS initiate and develop an internship for “credit” by doing the following:

  1. Meet with the Director of Internships.
  2. Write an internship proposal that includes the following:
    • Rationale – the reason you are doing this internship and how it connects with your vocational goals (one sentence).
    • The practice of ministry – this could be ANYTHING from general pastoral ministry, to a particular kind of ministry (e.g., pastoral care, chaplaincy, non-profit, or agency work).
    • Learning outcomes - Internship learning outcomes should be in keeping with the “learning outcomes” appropriate to the student’s degree program for MDiv, MTS or MRL. Learning outcomes have to do with knowledge and/or skills that you wish to develop through your work in the setting. For example: 'To start a singles group' is a task, not a learning outcome. Some examples of learning outcomes include: ‘To develop skills in recruiting volunteers; to gain firsthand and theoretical understanding of the dynamics of small rural churches; to become more comfortable sharing myself in teaching or pastoral care situations; or to explore my capacity to function in a setting with children with limited verbal skills; etc. The more focus you have the richer your experience is likely to be.
    • A listing of readings, methods, or resources you plan to use to facilitate reflection (e.g., texts, one-on-one interviews, journal, etc.).
    • Site work schedule (based on the number of credit hours taken).
    • Schedule for weekly meetings with the internship supervisor for reflection and supervision. Though the program requires one hour meeting per week, students will need to schedule this with their internship supervisor.
  3. Complete a CE 545R Internship Cohort Contract with student and internship supervisor signatures. Submit to the Contextual Education Office.
  4. Praticpate in cohort meetings with GDR supervisor and peers. The GDR Supervisor will provide details on these cohort meeting.
  5. Develop a final integrative presentation. In dialogue with the GDR supervisor, the student is responsible for conceiving and completing a final integrative presentation. In general, this presentation should demonstrate that the student has made progress in realizing his or her learning outcomes. Specifically, the final presentation should be the product of the student's integration of any readings, reflection, and the practice of ministry in the student's setting. The final presentation may take a variety of forms; a standard academic paper, an audio-visual presentation, the development of a curriculum for a church program, the planning and leading of a retreat or seminar, etc.
  6. Complete a self-evaluation at the end of the internship.
  7. Compose a one-page summary of the internship and final integrative presentation, send to the GDR Supervisor.

Final evaluations

Final evaluations by the internship supervisor, GDR supervisor and student are due at the end of the semester. Copies of all evaluations should be submitted through the link provided to you by the Office of Contextual Education.

Grades

The student's grade will be assigned by the GDR supervisor and Director of Internships in consultation with the internship supervisor. The GDR supervisor will then forward the grade to Carmen Toussaint, Senior Program Coordinator, Office of Contextual Education, Carmen.Toussaint@emory.edu to be recorded in OPUS and approved by the Director of Internships for the Registrar's Office.

Please note: The following instructions refer to all internship opportunities except for Candler Advantage andAdvanced Summer Ministry Internships (ASMI). Please refer to instructions for Candler Advantage and ASMI on the "Internship Opportunities" tab. 

1. Meet with Director Dr. Thomas W. Elliott, Jr.

Students are required to contact the Office of Contextual Education at 404.727.4178 to schedule a meeting with Dr. Elliott. Please schedule eight weeks prior to the internship start date.

2. Submit an Internship Proposal

Students develop an internship proposal that will go to the internship supervisor, the GDR supervisor and Director of Internships, and the Contextual Education Office. See the Overview section of this page for details on the proposal.

3. Complete the Internship (CE545R) Contract Form

Students will complete the Internship Contract Form with two signatures (internship supervisor and the student). This form must be submitted with a copy of the full internship proposal to the Contextual Education Office. If all requirements are met, Dr. Thomas W. Elliott, Jr. will approve the internship. The Contextaul Education Office will submit the internship contract to the registrar office for student enrollment.

4. International Students

International students who qualify for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) may enroll in an internship. For more information, review the Contextual Education Handbook and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). International students must receive authorization before beginning an internship. (Please allow at least eight weeks before internship start date to complete the authorization process.)

5. Deadlines

Your Internship Proposal and Internship Contract Form must be completed and turned in to the Office of Contextual Education no later than four weeks prior to the internship start date.

The internship supervisor is responsible for:

  1. Meeting with the student in the first week of the semester for the purpose of reviewing and confirming the plan of work, and developing a weekly schedule for meetings.
  2. Meeting weekly with the student for reflection and supervision. Normally, these meetings require a minimum of one hour.
  3. Evaluating the student's work at the end of the internship. The link to complete the evaluation will be emailed to the supervisor from the Contextual Education Office. The evaulation will be shared with the student, Director of Internships, and GDR supervisor.
  4. Providing recommendations to the GDR supervisor and Director of Internships concerning what grade (S/U) the student shall be given for the internship. 

The GDR Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the work of the student intern by completing the following:

  1. Sign student contract;
  2. Conduct four cohort meetings. The cohort will meet four times during the semester for the following reasons: the first meeting for setup and orientation; the second and third meetings for monitoring learning outcomes, reflection, and supervision; and the fourth meeting for the final integrative presentation seminar and evaluation;
  3. Coach students in the development of a final integrative presentation.
    • In general, this presentation should demonstrate that the student has made progress in realizing their learning outcomes. Specifically, the final project should be the product of the student's integration of any readings, reflection, and the practice in the student's setting.
    • The final presentation may take a variety of forms; a standard academic paper, an audio-visual presentation, the development of a curriculum for a church program, the planning and leading of a retreat or seminar, etc. The presentation will be delivered at the last meeting of the cohort.
  4. Consult with the student and monitoring progress in the internship (site supervision and mentoring, hours, site work, etc.) learning outcomes, and the final integrative presentation, and providing guidance as needed;
  5. Complete a final evaluation of the student;
  6. Conferring with the Director of Internships on the final grade (S/U).

Please choose the internship(s) you are interested in and complete any application instructions they provide. After you have decided on a site, refer to the 'How to Enroll' tab on this page for instructions on enrollment at Candler.

Candler Advantage Summer Internship in Congregational Leadership

Eligibility -- Students who have successfully completed all the requirements for Contextual Education I and II and are returning for a third year at Candler are eligible to participate. Students on academic probation or who have a hold on their Candler financial account are not eligible.

$9,000 Stipends! Application deadline is February 28, 2023

Spring 2023: May 8-9, 2023

August Term 2023: August 7-11, 2023

You can find the application here. 

Advanced Summer Ministry Internships (ASMI)

Eligibility -- Any students who are in the MDiv, MRL, MRPL, or MTS program. This internship is a great opportunity for students who are seeking ministry experience in one of a variety of church and organizational contexts around the world.

First UMC of Panama City, FL - $9,000 stipend! Application deadline is March 17, 2023.

North Georgia Conference New Church - $9,000 stipend and includes up to four opportunities! Application deadline is March 17, 2023.

Lenbrook Retirement Community - $9,000 stipend! Application deadline is March 17, 2023.

Peachtree Road UMC - $9,000 stipend! Application deadline is March 17, 2023.

Other Paid Opportunities

Additional Opportunities

View all events »

"Ebenezer is a church that puts its faith into action, working to meet the needs of those in the community and advocate for change in our city and our nation. Ebenezer has been a model for how churches can be active and engaged....It is the stories of the members that I will carry with me,...I am grateful to be a part of the ways Ebenezer is continuing to create history and live into a deep and rich legacy."
-Jonese Austin, MDiv '22 Ebenezer Baptist Church