Frequently-asked Questions about Certification

You may only apply for certification if you have met all of the prerequisites and will complete your fourth unit of CPE before the next certification application deadline. For the certification calendar, click here: www.nacc.org/certification/certification-timeline

If you cannot find your CPE evaluations in your personal files, contact the institution in which you took CPE. If they do not have your evaluations on file, ask them to write a letter on your behalf stating as such. If you are unable to submit your CPE evaluations after due diligence to obtain them, please contact the Administrative Specialist, Certification at the NACC office for further instruction.

The NACC accepts accredited units of CPE from the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), or the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC).
PLEASE SEE THIS IMPORTANT NOTICE: Policy Regarding Accepted CPE For NACC Certification

No, there is no required level of CPE as long as you have four units accredited by ACPE, USCCB or CASC.

You can learn more about chaplaincy by visiting our Choose Chaplaincy page.
You can read stories about the work chaplains do and why they do it in our publication:
Chaplain Encounters: Stories of Grace and Spiritual Healing from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.

• The chaplain has documented evidence of an undergraduate degree granted or acknowledged by an accredited academic institution.
• The chaplain has documented evidence of a Master’s degree in theology, divinity, religious studies, pastoral ministry, pastoral studies, or spirituality granted or acknowledged by an accredited academic institution.
• The chaplain has documented evidence of completion of four units of clinical pastoral education from a program accredited by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, or the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.
• The chaplain demonstrates maintenance of high standards of professional competence and moral and ethical conduct.
• The chaplain demonstrates personal, professional, and Roman Catholic theological competencies.
• The chaplain has ecclesiastical endorsement.
• The chaplain has demonstrated competence through submission of extensive written materials for review.
• The chaplain has been deemed competent by a three-member interview team of certified professional chaplains and/or clinical pastoral education supervisors and was recommended for certification by the interview team.
• The chaplain has been certified by the vote of the National Certification Commission upon their review of the interview team’s report and recommendations.
• The chaplain goes through a Renewal process every five years for professional chaplains and clinical pastoral educators to renew their certification.

Please see the certification timeline here: www.nacc.org/certification/certification-timeline

Certification Application Portfolios
Certification application portfolios are only accepted up to six weeks before the application deadline. Any certification application portfolios arriving before that will be returned to the applicant.
Transcripts/Letters of Recommendation
Transcripts and letters of recommendation may be sent at any time. Keep in mind that we keep transcripts on file for 5-years from the date of origin and letters of recommendation for 1-year from the date of origin for those that have not yet been certified.
Endorsement
The NACC office requests an endorsement on the behalf of the applicant upon the applicant’s materials being deemed acceptable to move forward with an interview. The applicant does not submit an endorsement.
Other Supportive Materials
All other supportive materials are to be submitted in the application binder as outlined in the Checklist for Supportive Materials Required for a Certification Interview

Please see the certification timeline here: www.nacc.org/certification/certification-timeline/

If you cannot submit a completed certification application binder by the current deadline, you will have to wait to submit your certification application binder at the next applicable deadline. Please see the Certification Calendar here: www.nacc.org/certification/certification-timeline/

No, the NACC office requests a letter of endorsement on your behalf once your application materials are deemed acceptable to move forward with an interview. Those that are not acquainted with their bishop are encouraged to introduce themselves; although, it is not a requirement.

• If you are a lay person, we will request your letter of endorsement from the (Arch) Bishop of the diocese in which you minister.
• If you are a Religious Priest, Brother, or Sister, we will request your letter of endorsement from your Major Superior.
• If you are a Diocesan Priest or Deacon, we will request your letter of endorsement from your Ordinary (from the diocese in which you are incardinated).

Yes, you request a letter of recommendation letter from a priest or pastor in active ministry within the diocese of your ministry. The letter must be on letterhead, include original signature, and be currently dated (no more than one-year older than the application deadline for which the applicant is applying).
This letter will accompany the letter of request from NACC, on your behalf, in which we request your ecclesiastical endorsement.

You may only apply for certification if you have met all of the prerequisites and will complete your degree before the next certification application deadline. For the certification calendar, click here: Certification Timeline

You can find out if an educational institution is accredited by going to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website at: www.chea.org.
If the institution shows an accreditation on this website, its accreditation is accepted by NACC.

For all degrees acquired outside the United States, you are required to have transcript analysis at your expense to verify that your international degree(s) meet(s) the requirements for a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in the United States.
For information on recognition of foreign qualifications, see the U.S. Department of Education Network for Education information at: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/studyrecog.doc.
For a list of credential evaluation services that have admission standards and an enforced code of good practice, see the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) at: www.naces.org/members.

Yes, as long as it is an accredited institution. For more information on accreditation, see How can I tell if an educational institution is accredited and that accreditation is accepted by NACC?.

No, the NACC does not require that you be employed in order to apply for certification.

No, the NACC has no required number of work hours.

It currently costs $395 to apply for certification.

Check or Money Order
You may submit a personal/institutional check or money order in Tab 09 of your binder for the payment of the fee. If your institution submits a check to the NACC, be sure they include your name on the check so we know to apply it to your account.  If you submit through the online portal, an invoice will be generated once your application is received. It will be emailed to you to send with payment through the mail.
Credit Card (Mastercard or Visa Only)
To pay by credit card, you may pay through the member portal. The Administrative Specialist, Certification will create an invoice for you to pay online. Once your invoice is created, the Administrative Specialist, Certification will notify you by email that your invoice is ready for payment. You may use the link in that email to pay your open invoice at that time.

If you are unable to make it to your scheduled interview, you may contact the Administrative Specialist, Certification. It may be possible to schedule you for the next round of interviews instead, but it is not guaranteed. Keep in mind that interview dates are between five and seven months apart for any given round.

No, you will be assigned a location, date and time of your interview based on the sites and interview dates established for a particular application deadline.
If you have a particular need, you may contact the Administrative Specialist, Certification once you have been approved to move forward with an interview to discuss your need. The Administrative Specialist, Certification may or may not be able to accommodate you.

Initial Certification at the NACC office is handled primarily by one staff person. At all times, we are at different stages in two application processes. Each interview weekend requires at least 50-60 volunteers or more whom are generously donating many hours of their time, almost all of whom are Board Certified members of the NACC.
Some tasks that each application round include (but is not limited to):

• Sending out information and answering member questions
• Processing all incoming Certification mail
• Initial review, processing of payment and notification of binder receipt
• In-depth binder review, revision notification letters, and further review with notifications
• Site selection and confirmation
• Site Coordinator and Spiritual Care Provider recruitment
• ITE assignment, interviewer recruitment and assignment
• Interviewer and applicant education
• Hotel, meals and travel logistics for all volunteers around the country
• Applicant material review by interview team members, conference call scheduling and reports
• Revising mailings for ITE’s, interviewers and applicants
• Interview weekend preparations, Site Coordination and interview weekend
• Certification Commission meeting logistics and paperwork preparation from all sites around the country
• Certification Commission meets and votes on recommendations from interview teams
• Database revised, paperwork revised, and notification packets sent to all applicants from previous round

Yes, you request a letter of recommendation letter from a priest or pastor in active ministry within the diocese of your ministry. The letter must be on letterhead, include original signature, and be currently dated (no more than one-year older than the application deadline for which the applicant is applying).
This letter will accompany the letter of request from NACC, on your behalf, in which we request your ecclesiastical endorsement.

Please see the certification application materials here: www.nacc.org/certification/initial-certification-materials.

We recommend that you find a mentor that you would like to work with. They should be Board Certified with the NACC and be familiar with the current procedures. We do not facilitate a mentor relationship.
You can find a mentor in your area by logging into your member profile on our website and searching the directory in your area. Be sure that they are Board Certified with BCC or BCC-S after their name.
If none of those mentors work for you and you need assistance finding a suitable mentor in your area, please contact your State Liaison. The state liaisons are listed here: https://www.nacc.org/membership/state-liaisons/#1447047174357-c7ef4587-0103.

More information here: Mentors for NACC Board Certification Applicants

Please see the prerequisites for certification here: www.nacc.org/certification/board-certified-chaplain/applying-for-certification

No, you may only apply for certification with the NACC if you are a member in good standing of a church in union with Rome. Please see the following list for churches that are in union with Rome: www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses#tab–episcopal-regions-archdioceses-and-dioceses-in-the-us.