Preparatory Stages of Becoming a Minister

There are several stages of preparation for Unitarian Universalist ministerial fellowship: Applicant, Aspirant, Candidate, Preliminary Fellowship, Full Fellowship.

Please review the Ministerial Fellowship Committee’s Orientation for Unitarian Universalist Aspirants and Candidates if you are interested in the credentialing process.

There are a variety of requirements for each stage in the process. Policies and procedures associated with each stage, can be found in the Requirements for Fellowship Manual linked below.

Applicants are persons who have contacted the Ministerial Credentialing Office indicating intent to pursue fellowship as a UU minister by completing the Initial Inquiry Form.

The Ministerial Credentialing Office maintains a record for each ministerial applicant.

Ministerial Fellowship Requirements Manual and Appendix

Major Requirements for Ministerial Fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association

  • An Masters of Divinity degree from an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) accredited seminary;
  • A career assessment from an approved center (see list in the Requirements for Fellowship Appendix);
  • A completed unit of Clinical Pastoral Education;
  • A completed internship;
  • And an interview with our national credentialing body, the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC)

Details about each of these requirements is found in the “Requirements for Fellowship Manual” linked above.

Financial Resources

Unitarian Universalist Association is committed to reducing barriers to those called to pursuit of credentialed ministry. Toward that end, the UUA offers several resources to reduce the financial burden of the process.

  • Career Assessment Grant
    Aspirants are eligible for a one time grant of $1500 to offset the cost of their career assessment. This grant is paid directly to the Center.
  • CPE Tuition Stipend
    A limited amount of funding is available through the St. Lawrence Foundation to offset the cost of tuition for CPE. Aspirants may apply for up to $1000.
  • Scholarship Funds (Applications open Feb 15 and close April 15 annually)
    –First Year Students are eligible for theThe Chuck and Nancy Thomas Scholarship.
    –Students in Aspirant or Candidate status are eligible to apply for the General named scholarships.
  • Mental Health Grant
    Funding is available to offset the cost of mental health care. Please email the Ministerial Credentialing Director at djackson@uua.org to access these resources.
  • The Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association also provides a variety of resources for members.