Supervised Ministries FAQs

How to get started

Q  I am newly enrolled in the program. What should I do about the Field Education requirements in my degree program?

A  You can start taking a Field Education course by following these steps:

1. Complete the prerequisite course if one is required for your degree program, i.e., PT520 or PT525, in the first semester after their enrollment. A Field Education course could be taken concurrently with the prerequisite course. If an opportunity arises in the semester before you start taking classes, you might contact the Field Education Coordinator for a special approval to take one Field Education course before taking the pre-requisite course. However, the prerequisite course has to be taken in the semester immediately following.
2. Register for the Field Education course with the Records Office. Please read carefully the course syllabi to make sure you are registering for the correct course.
3. Attend the mandatory Field Education Orientation.
4. Complete and turn in the preliminary course work to the Field Education Office.

Q  I am from out of state and going to start classes in the fall on campus but have not moved to the area yet. Can I start taking a Field Education course in my home church over the summer?

A  Yes, you can.  All you have to do is to seek approval from the Field Education Coordinator for taking one Field Education course prior to taking the prerequisite course (if applicable), then follow steps 2, 3 and 4 in Question 1.

Degree Requirements

Q  How many Field Education courses do I need to do in my degree program?

A  MA program requires two Field Education courses (except MAEM), the MAR requires three, the MDiv requires four (including a Cross-cultural Field Education course).

Q  I am in the MACP/MACM program.  They have an Internship requirement.  Can that count as part of my Field Education?

A  All MACP/MACM students are required to complete two Field Education courses through the Office of Supervised Ministries in addition to the Internship which is found in the Counseling and Psychology Department.

Q  I am in the MDiv program but I don't intend to become a pastor but to do missions work.  Can I take the Internship offered through the School of World Missions and Evangelism instead of the Office of Supervised Ministries?

A  For an MDiv emphasis in Missions/Evangelism, this may be accomplished through the School of World Missions and Evangelism.

Q  Can I take the same Field Ed course, e.g., PT124 Discipleship, for all of my Field Education requirements (other than the Cross-cultural Field Ed for M.Div)?

A  Yes.  You can either choose different areas for your Field Ed courses, or you can take all 3 in the same area.

Q  I transferred from another seminary and have some Christian Service course similar to your Field Education requirement.  Can I apply it as credit for my program?

A  Course transfers are handled on a case-by-case basis.  To discuss this, make an appointment to see the Director of Supervised Ministries.  You should also bring along a copy of your transcript from the previous seminary, the Christian Service course syllabus and curriculum and any other related coursework so that the Director may assess whether the course may qualify to transfer as credit.

Orientation Requirement

Q  When is the Field Education Orientation held?

A  It is typically held on the first Wednesdays & Thursdays of the first week of the semester on the Deerfield campus at 12:05 - 12:50 pm, i.e., first and second day of class.  Click here to check the details.  You will also see flyers on campus bulletin boards or drop by the Office of Supervised Ministries to ask for times and meeting place.

Q  Why do I have to attend the Field Education Orientation?

A  The orientation serves to introduce and inform students how they can register, plan and begin their first Field Education.  The orientation also serves to answer questions students may have concerning Field Education.  Last, Field Education coursework expectations and details are explained as well.  Failure to attend an orientation may lead to confusion and an inability to comprehend or complete the coursework requirements of Field Education.  Any submitted coursework that does not meet the requirements of the Office of Supervised Ministries may result in an unapproved Field Education.

Q  I missed the Field Education Orientation.  What do I do?

A  You must immediately contact the Field Education Coordinator to explain your situation.  Failure to do so means that you may not be allowed to begin your first Field Education.

Q  If I have already gone to an Field Education Orientation, do I have to attend another one?

A  Attendance is only required once prior to the beginning of your first Field Education course.

Registration

Q  If Field Education is zero credit hours, do I have to register for it?

A  Yes, because it still a required course for graduation.  Failure to register with the Records Office means that any Field Education done will not count towards graduation credit.

Q  Is it possible to register and take two Field Educations in a semester?

A  Permission is rarely granted during the regular semester.  However, churches or ministries operating under extremely unusual schedules may be considered.  Normally, if a student is not taking any other classes in that particular semester other than two Field Education courses, request is mostly likely to be granted.  Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.  Student has to come to the Field Ed office to obtain a signed approval before registering for the courses with the Records Office.  At the time of obtaining the approval, student will have to provide the course name and number of the two Field Ed courses he/she is taking. Students who are given permission to do two Field Education courses in the same semester have to follow these criteria:

1. They have to take two distinctively different Field Ed courses, e.g., PT113 Music and Worship and PT124 Discipleship.
2. Students have to have two different mentors for the two different Field Ed courses.

Contact the Field Education Coordinator to explain your situation in detail.

Q  I didn't realize I had to register for Field Education and I missed the registration dateline.  What can I do?

A  You must immediately contact the Records Office during the Add/Drop time and add the Field Education course you plan to take for the semester.  Failing to do so within the Add/Drop time results will mean not being able to register for that particular semester.

Q  Do I have to register every time I take a Field Ed course?

A  Yes.  Every Field Ed course is an individual course, you have to register for every course.

Q  I have been involved in this ministry for two years but never register it as my Field Education course.  Can I register now and count those experiences as Field Education credits?

A  The Office of Supervised Ministries cannot 'back-credit' your experiences.  All preliminary coursework have to be completed before the Field Education course in order for it to follow the proper Field Education course procedure.  Failure to do so will make all of the work done during the semester obsolete.

Mentors

Q  Who qualifies as a mentor?

A  The Office of Supervised Ministries requires Field Education mentors to have a minimum of three years full-time experience in the ministry that you would like to be mentored in.  A Master's degree is NOT required for a Field Education mentor.  If the mentor you are seeking to be mentored in has never mentored a TEDS student, you must have your mentor complete the Field Education Mentor Approval Form.  The student should also obtain a copy of the Guidebook for Field Education Mentors for your mentor to review.  The Office of Supervised Ministries will determine if the mentor has obtained preliminary approval to supervise the student in a Field Education course.

Q    The mentor I am having for Internship is already approved for Field Education.  Does he have to fill out another Mentor Approval Form?

A  Yes, because the requirements for Field Education mentors and Internship mentors are different and the forms will be filed in different database systems.  Please ask your mentor to complete an Internship Mentor Approval Form for approval.  To see requirements for Internship mentors, go to the Internship Question and Answer page.

Q    How can I find out if my mentor is approved after I submitted the Mentor Approval Form?

A  Due to the volume of Mentor Approval Forms that are submitted to The Office of Supervised Ministries every semester, the Office will only contact the student if the mentor is not approved.  If you do not receive any email or phone call from the Office, then you can consider your mentor being pre-approved.   (Full approval status of a three-year period will only come after the Field Education course is completed.)  There is a possibility that the Office never received the Mentor Approval Form due to various reasons.  You are encouraged to check with our Office if you had any concerns.

Q  My mentor doesn't have any full-time ministry experience but has served in the ministry for over 10 years part-time.  Does that qualify him as a mentor?

A  If the mentor has at least twice as many years or more of part-time experience in the ministry you are seeking to be mentored in, he/she may qualify.  Contact the Field Education Coordinator to discuss your mentor's situation.  A secondary mentor may be required if the primary mentor cannot fulfill the mentoring qualifications completely.

Q  How do I know if the person I am seeking as a Field Education mentor has been approved before and is still active in mentoring students?

A  Our office has a database of over 500 churches, ministries and supervisors from all 50 American states and all over the world, sorted according to the mentors' names. The database is also posted online. TEDS students may visit us during our office hours to verify if a mentor has been previously approved or simply check online. If there is no such listing, the student must have the mentor complete the Field Education Mentor Approval Form.  The student should also obtain a copy of the Guidebook for Field Education Mentors for your mentor to review.

Q  My mentor said he has mentored TEDS students before, but when I check the database, his name is not in there, why is that?

A  There might be several reasons as to why your mentor is not in the database:

1. The mentor has never mentored a TEDS student before.
2. The mentor has not mentored a TEDS student in the past 3 years and the approval status has expired.  Please ask your mentor to complete a fresh set of Field Education Mentor Approval Form.  The student should also download a copy of the Guidebook for Field Education Mentors for your mentor to review.
3. The mentor might have mentored students in Internship and you are looking in the Field Education database, or vice versa.
4. The mentor might have mentored TEDS students from other departments in their field-based courses.
5. The mentor's information has not been entered in the database yet, either the mentor has not finished the mentoring experience in the current semester, or the Field Education Coordinator is in the process of updating the database.
6. The mentor has not been granted full-approval after mentoring the previous student.

Q  If my mentor has already mentored a TEDS student before, does he or she have to complete another Mentor Approval Form?

A  If the student and mentor were involved in the same Field Education course that you seek to do, and it has not exceed three years since the last mentoring took place, plus the mentor is in the Mentor Database, the mentor does not have to complete a new form.  If the involvement was in another area other than that which you seek, then the mentor must either complete a fresh Field Education Mentor Approval Form or write a note to the Field Education Coordinator specifying why he/she is qualified to mentor the student in the particular Field Education course.

Q  Is it possible for me to be mentored under two people in one Field Education course?

A student may choose to have as many secondary mentors or consultants as he/she wishes.  However, the primary mentor has to fulfill 7 times out of the 10 required mentoring sessions of the Field Education course, while secondary mentors can only have no more 3 sessions with the student.  Secondary mentors should also have a minimum 3 years of qualified ministry experience in the same area.

Waiver and Substitution

Q  If I qualify to apply for a waiver, how long does the evaluation process take?

A  Due to the variety of deliberations and evaluations our office makes concerning waivers and the time when the waiver is turned in during the semester, they typically take between two to four weeks.  All waivers have to be submitted six months before the planned graduation date.  Applicants must note that submission of waiver does not guarantee approval of waiver.

Q  If my petition to waive Field Education or to substitute Internship is approved, do I have to take PT520/PT525 Personal Assessment and Ministry Orientation course, or PT801&802 Internship Seminars/PT795 MDiv Capstone Seminar?

A  Yes, the waiver is only for waiving the Field Education requirement or substituting the two credit Internship course; therefore, the above mentioned courses have to be taken accordingly to fulfill the graduation requirement.