All ministry students participate in field education and field work as an integral part of their studies. The settings include suburban and urban churches, campus ministry, chaplaincy, and a variety of social service agencies. Several Chicago area Disciple congregations have long-standing commitments to the Teaching Parish Program and, through it, to helping prepare persons for ministry.

Students complete congregation-based field education during their second year; field work, which is usually work in a specialized ministry or social service agency, or a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, is done in the third year or during the summer preceding it. The Divinity School offers field education stipends of $3,000 and field work stipends of $1,500 to all second and third year ministry students, respectively. Because stipends are available for settings that could not otherwise afford to employ a student, students are able to choose mentors and opportunities in which they will best learn.