Ministry training, without the fog

It depends entirely on your tradition, and any site answering otherwise is answering for one denomination. Mainline and many evangelical denominations expect a Master of Divinity (MDiv) for ordination; many non-denominational and church-planting streams ordain on calling, character, and in-house training; some traditions run their own institutes (search interest in programs like Tony Evans' training center reflects that pastor-led model). Your denomination's ordination requirements — a documented, findable thing — are the only authoritative answer, and step one on our choosing page.

Online delivery is now mainstream at accredited seminaries — the legitimacy question is accreditation and your denomination's recognition, not the modality. The checks: is the school accredited by a recognized accreditor (ATS accredits graduate theological schools in North America; regional accreditors cover universities), and does your ordaining body accept its degrees? A cheap fast "degree" from an unaccredited diploma mill fails both checks and can quietly disqualify you later.

Clinical Pastoral Education — supervised spiritual-care training done in clinical settings (hospitals most commonly), organized in intensive units. It is the credentialing backbone of professional chaplaincy: board certification paths typically expect multiple CPE units plus graduate theological education. Parish pastors often do a unit for the pastoral-care formation; aspiring hospital/hospice/military chaplains should plan their whole path around it. Details on the CPE page.