Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) Program

The Doctor of Ministry is an advanced theological degree that provides students who are engaged in ministerial leadership the opportunity to enhance and expand their ministerial skills and to reflect on their own theological and spiritual development as men and women of God. It is the capstone professional degree program for individuals who hold the Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent, providing them with the opportunity for further study and reflection and to develop the advanced skills and knowledge required for ministry in the 21st century.

The program challenges students to: 1) assess their ministerial effectiveness and leadership; 2) reflect on their theological and spiritual development in light of their current ministerial responsibilities; 3) develop greater competency in their ministry; 4) pursue a comprehensive research project that leads to a critical examination of some aspect of their ministry in light of congregational needs, societal changes and theological commitments; and 5) become peers and mentors to their colleagues in the program.

In order to accomplish these purposes, the D.Min. Program needs to be integrated with the actual practice of ministry. All students are expected to be fully engaged in their own ministry—whether it is a congregational ministry, youth ministry, social service ministry or some other form of ministry—while enrolled in the degree program.

Graduation Requirements

To be awarded the degree, a student completes 28 credits of coursework offered in four 2-week Intensive Sessions over two years, plus 6 credits for the doctoral-level Dissertation Project utilizing an action-research model. A student must fulfill the following requirements:

– A Learning Contract prepared at the beginning of the program and revised periodically in consultation with his/her Faculty Advisor and Field Supervisor to reflect personal learning goals

– Four Doctor of Ministry Core Courses

– Four Research Methods Seminars

– Four Doctoral Elective Courses

– A grade-point average of at least 2.50

– An approved Dissertation Project Proposal

– Acquire a Field Advisor and develop a Site Team to provide support and mentoring

– The Dissertation Project Defense

– The completed Dissertation Project and Abstract submitted to the library

D.Min. Course Requirements: Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.

D.MIN. Core Courses (4 courses, 12 credits) The four required courses are:

MIN 8101 Spiritual Formation and Integration

MIN 8102 Theological and Ethical Perspectives of Ministerial Leadership

MIN 8103 The Changing Face of Society: Diversity and Its Impact on Ministry

MIN 8104 Transformational Leadership in a Postmodern World

Research Seminars (4 courses, 1 credit each) The four required Research courses are:

MIN 8802 Dissertation Research Seminar I: Formulating the Question

MIN 8801 Dissertation Research Seminar II: Bibliographic Research and Overview of the D.Min. Dissertation

MIN 8803 Dissertation Research Seminar III: Research Design Strategies

MIN 8804 Dissertation Research Seminar IV: Designing the Project Proposal

The Research Seminars build upon each other. The successful completion of earlier courses in the sequence is required for registration for later courses.

Elective Courses (4 courses, 12 credits) :

Family and Educational Ministry

MIN 8501 Ministry in the Midst of Diverse Lifestyles

MIN 8502 Religious Education and Ministry Needs of the Postmodern Family

MIN 8503 Challenges and Possibilities of the Emerging Global Family

MIN 8504 Faith Formation, Spirituality and Counseling in the Contemporary Family

Peace and Justice Ministry

MIN 8701 Multiculturalism, Diversity and Non-violent Conflict Resolution

MIN 8702 Issues in Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations

MIN 8703 Creating the Beloved Community

MIN 8704 Change Management for Faith Leaders