✵ Fall —Feb 1 for PhD ✵ Winter —October 15 for DMin
Program Details
36 Credit Hours
5 - 6 Years
The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) advances the professional competency of experienced ministers in today’s Church who seek to serve the ecclesial community while remaining attentive to the signs of the times. The program is intended for experienced ministers with a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent, or an MA in a ministry-related area, who are ready to take their practice of ministry to the next level. The program is taken on an intensive basis requiring two-week residencies in January and June for 3 years of course work. Concentrations include: Spirituality and Ministry, Spiritual Formation in the Local Community, U.S. Hispanic/Latino Ministry, African American Pastoral Leadership, or Pastoral Leadership.
Program Goals / Student Learning Outcomes
+
To enhance the understanding and practice of ministry through doctoral level pastoral theological education.
The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) Concentration in Spirituality and Ministry is a degree in practical theology with a concentration in spirituality and ministry. The doctoral-level courses focus on enhancing the understanding and practice of ministry through exploration of traditional and contemporary movements in Christian spirituality.
Curriculum & Degree Requirements
+
30 Credit Hours Required
PTC 8301 Use of Social Sciences in Practical Theology
PTC 8302 Practical Theology as Critical Reflection on Particular Contexts
PTC 8303 Hermeneutics of Scripture in Ministry
PTC 8304 Theological Integration for Ministry Seminar
PSC 9601 Doctoral Project I
PSC 9602 Doctoral Project II
PSC 9001 Proposal Writing
(The second digit of the course number designates the number of credit hours.)
Spiritual Formation in the Local Community
PTF 8305 Faith Development
PTF 8306 Spirituality and Culture
U.S. Hispanic/Latino Ministry
PTH 8305 Contemporary Issues in Hispanic/Latino Ministry
PTA 8305 Contemporary Issues in African American Ministry
PTA 8306 Contemporary African American Spiritualities
Spirituality and Ministry
PTS 8305/DSC 7301 History of Christian Spirituality
Doctoral-Level Spirituality Elective
Pastoral Leadership
In this concentration, the student completes the core curriculum and any two concentration-specific courses as listed above.
Academic Requirements
DMin candidacy is attained after successful completion of thirty doctoral hours of coursework.
A maximum of six applicable doctoral credit hours, earned within the last ten years, may be transferred into the DMin Program at the discretion of the Program Director.
A student must pass each course. Incomplete or insufficient work for a course or other curricular component may be grounds for probation or dismissal.
Professional ethical conduct required by a student’s denomination is presumed throughout the DMin Program. Violation of these principles may be grounds for probation or dismissal.
The minimum time for degree completion is three years; the normal maximum time for completion is six years after matriculation. The expected time of completion is 5 years.
Upon acceptance of the student’s Doctoral Project by the Doctoral Project Committee and with the assistance of the DMin Administration, a student makes arrangements for an oral presentation to the OST faculty, students, and invited guests. The oral presentation normally requires a student’s presence on campus. Satisfactory completion of this presentation is one of the final requirements before conferral of the degree.
See the Admissions & Registrations section of the OST Catalog or visit the Apply page for a full outline of Admission Requirements.
Application for Candidacy
Acceptance into the DMin Program does not imply acceptance to Candidacy for the degree. Normally, after successfully completing 30 credit hours, the student works with the DMin Administration to form his/her Doctoral Project Committee (DPC) and writes the doctoral project proposal under their guidance. Candidacy status is conferred once the student’s proposal receives final approval by their DPC and the student petitions in writing for doctoral candidacy. (Additional information and policies regarding these and other program matters are found in the DMin Handbook, presented at orientation.)
Admission Requirements for Doctor of Ministry (DMin) include:
Essay
A six to ten-page essay in which the applicant describes:
The applicant’s understanding of ministry in light of a given faith tradition
Reasons for undertaking the DMin program and how it relates to that understanding of ministry
Projected area of specialized competency
A specific challenge to applicant’s particular ministry which the applicant hopes to address in a future pastoral project
Letter of Endorsement Ecclesiastical approbation/denominational endorsement is required when appropriate. If married, spousal approval (checked off on doctoral application)
Specialization requirements:
Spiritual Formation in the Local Community - Annotated bibliography of works that have been read in the past three years that are germane to this area 51
Hispanic/Latino Ministry Spanish competency with the ability to comprehend, speak, read, and write. Also, experience in Hispanic ministry.
DMin Admission Standards
For those with theology or ministry-related MA Degrees (MAPS, MAPM, MATH, MATS, etc.) Applicants are eligible to apply for the DMin Degree if all the following criteria are met:
Earned a ministry-related master’s degree from an ATS accredited graduate school or international equivalent.
You have had at least 3 years of full-time or significant ministry experience after degree completion
You will continue in full-time or significant ministry during the time of your doctoral studies.
Click here to view and download the current Doctor of Ministry Handbook.
