Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Overview

Purpose of the Doctor of Ministry Program

The Doctor of Ministry degree program is designed to provide advanced training in the practice of biblically and theologically oriented ministry to those actively involved in vocational or bivocational ministry. The program concentrates on developing expertise in the biblical rationale, sociological strategy, and practical implementation of ministry.

The Doctor of Ministry degree is the highest professional degree for those engaged in local church and parachurch ministries, world missions, and similar ministries. (The Ph.D. degree, by comparison, purposes primarily to equip students to engage in scholarly research and teaching.) The D.Min. program is offered “in ministry” rather than “in residence,” as it assumes students will remain in ministry throughout the program and does not require them to relocate to Dallas. It normally requires a minimum of three years of meaningful ministry experience. Each course assumes this ministry experience and endeavors to integrate learning with the student’s present context of ministry as well as future goals.

One of the most inviting features of the D.Min. at Dallas is that the curriculum is designed with a high degree of flexibility. Of the 27 hours of course work required for the degree, only six hours are prescribed so that students may tailor their programs to their own ministry goals. Three additional hours are granted for the student’s applied research project, which the student reports in the dissertation.

Goals

Educational Goals

To enable students to:

  • evaluate personal, spiritual, and professional development
  • chart a course for lifelong learning and improvement
  • assess and construct ministries from a biblical theology applied in a variety of contemporary contexts
  • conduct applied research of professional, doctoral-level breadth and depth within their chosen field of study
  • articulate and defend evangelical theology in the practice of ministry.

Spiritual Goal

To enable students to manifest a maturing and Spirit-filled character.

Ministry Goals

To enable students to:

  • enhance identified ministerial skills such as preaching, counseling, leadership, administration, vision-casting, educational programming, and communication
  • communicate God's Word effectively through preaching, teaching, writing, or other media
  • lead and manage a church or ministry organization competently
  • work successfully and ethically with people in a variety of ministry situations
  • provide the framework for developing a biblical ministry in a culturally and ethnically diverse context
  • demonstrate excellence in character and in ministry.

Admission Requirements 

The D.Min. program admits men and women who show evidence that they (1) are born again; (2) are of proven Christian character; (3) are endowed with appropriate spiritual gifts; and (4) adhere to the following doctrines: the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Christ, the spiritual lostness of the human race, the substitutionary atonement and bodily resurrection of Christ, salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, and the physical return of Christ.

In addition, the following prerequisites apply to D.Min. applicants.

  • normally have at least three years of vocational or bivocational Christian ministry experience since receiving their first graduate theological degree
  • give evidence of growth and competence in ministerial skills and leadership
  • be involved in an ongoing ministry (including lay ministry)
  • have an academic record that demonstrates superior ability and shows promise of success in doctoral studies; and
  • hold an accredited Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree, or a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree plus leveling courses as necessary to provide M.Div. equivalence. Prerequisite degrees and/or equivalence must include:
    • a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit (80 hours for selected DTS master’s degrees) and
    • four semesters of Greek and two semesters of Hebrew. (If a student has only three semesters of Greek, he or she may take ID201 Computer Tools for Biblical Exegesis in lieu of the fourth semester of Greek. For selected DTS master’s degrees the student needs only ID201 Computer Tools for Biblical Exegesis in lieu of Greek and Hebrew.)

Credits needed to meet M.Div. equivalence requirements must cover the breadth and scope of Dallas Seminary’s curriculum and commitment to Scripture as prescribed by the D.Min. Office and the Registrar’s Office. Courses required for M.Div. equivalence may be earned at Dallas Seminary, its extension sites, through external studies programs, or other accredited institutions. For more information on M.Div. equivalence, please contact the Doctor of Ministry Office or the Registrar’s Office.

Applicants must supply the requisite written admission materials and must have a personal or phone interview with members of the faculty. Prospective D.Min. students may apply for admission at any time. The deadline for the summer seminar is February 15 and for the winter seminar, August 15. Further details on admission requirements and procedures are available from the Admissions Office.

D.Min. Program Overview

The Doctor of Ministry program offers two tracks of study, a track in Ministry Leadership and a track in Christian Education. Students may select different emphases within each of the two tracks. While the D.Min. program generally follows a standard model in which students, in consultation with their adviser, design and customize their degree plan around individual ministry needs and goals, some emphases follow a cohort model. In the cohort model, students proceed through the courses necessary for their emphasis with a small group of ministry colleagues. This group moves through the designated part of the program together. The cohort model has the advantage of providing a community experience with fellow learners and faculty mentors.

Ministry Leadership Track

The Ministry Leadership track is designed to equip students for greater ministry effectiveness in their respective area of leadership. Ministry leaders can concentrate their individualized plan of study in Church Planting, Pastoral Leadership, Marriage and Family, Urban Ministries, or customize their own concentration. The Ministry Leadership track also offers the following cohort emphases.

  • Large Church Pastors

    This cohort-based emphasis provides advanced training in the practice of biblically and theologically oriented ministry for pastors serving in large churches. It is designed to support and promote pastoral leadership development through the evaluation of problems, programs and/or procedures unique to pastors of large churches. Attention is given to leadership development and case-study research method.

  • Executive/Associate Pastors

    This cohort-based emphasis provides advanced training in the practice of biblically and theologically oriented ministry for executive and associate pastors serving in in the local church. This training specialty supports and promotes pastoral leadership development through the evaluation of problems, programs and/or procedures unique to executive and associate church leaders. Attention is given to leadership development and case-study research method.

  • Church Planting and Multiplication

    This cohort-based emphasis provides advanced training in the practice of biblically and theologically oriented ministry for church planters. It focuses on an evaluation of problems, programs and/or procedures unique to church planting multipliers through case-study methodology, with special attention given to leadership development.

Christian Education Track 

The Doctor of Ministry track in Christian Education is designed to enhance ministry competence for those serving in such church or parachurch educational leadership roles as: (1) executive/associate pastors; (2) church education specialists; (3) ministers to children, youth, or adults; (4) family life educators; (5) administrators of Christian schools or colleges; (6) camp leaders, and (7) ministers to women.

The Christian Education track also offers a cohort-based emphasis in Women in Ministry, which provides advanced training in the practice of biblically and theologically oriented ministry for women. It is designed to support and promote the complementary role of men and women in ministry.

Students in the D.Min. Christian Education track will work with the Christian Education department chair to design a program to meet their ministry needs.

D.Min. Extension Programs

The Seminary offers D.Min. classes in two locations outside the Dallas area, Guatemala City, Guatemala, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These extensions are designed to provide greater access to D.Min. studies for interested students.

The D.Min. extension in Guatemala City is the Seminary’s Spanish language D.Min. program for Hispanic leaders in the United States, Latin America, and Spain. It is offered on the campus of Seminario Teológico Centroamericano (SETECA) in Guatemala City. The courses offered in the Spanish D.Min. program are the same as those offered in Dallas, but are contextualized for Hispanic ministry. All courses in the Spanish D.Min. program can be completed at SETECA. Interested students should contact the D.Min. office for more information.

The D.Min. extension in Philadelphia meets on the campus of Philadelphia Biblical University (PBU) in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia extension is designed to make the Dallas Seminary D.Min. degree more accessible to students living in the Northeast; however, any D.Min. student may take courses at PBU. Students can take all but two courses at PBU—they must come to Dallas for DM101 and DM102.

International students entering the United States on an F-1 student visa are required to take all D.Min. courses at the Dallas main campus.

Course Requirements 

The D.Min. program requires 27 semester hours of course work (which includes from 21 to 24 hours of prescribed and elective courses and from 3 to 6 hours of independent study courses), plus a 3-hour applied research project related to the student's ministry. The program normally requires at least four years of study.

Normally, three prescribed courses must be taken by all D.Min. students: DM101 The Ministry Leader, DM102 Applied Research Project Development Seminar, and DM103 The Applied Research Project. Some cohorts fuse the leadership and/or research components into the selected cohort. In addition, students normally complete at least one independent study course, DM901 Independent Study. Course descriptions for these and other D.Min. courses may be found in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog.

All courses are six months in length, but include only one week of residence on the main campus or at the Philadelphia extension site. During the preresident months, students read and interact with course material. After the course meets for the resident week, students complete an assignment that is appropriate to their ministry. Dallas Seminary alumni are allowed to audit the resident portion of a course as space permits. Registration for summer D.Min. courses must be completed by March 15, and registration for winter D.Min. courses must be completed by September 15. Electives in the various areas of concentration are listed in the "Course Description" section of this catalog.

All work leading to the Doctor of Ministry degree must be completed in no less than three and no more than six years from the time of matriculation. A minimal grade of B- must be received in every course credited toward graduation and also on the applied research project.

Additional information on D.Min. policies and procedures is given in the Doctor of Ministry Handbook.

Download the D. Min Student Handbook.

Transfer of Credit

Transfer of up to 10 hours of doctoral-level credit may be applied toward the D.Min. degree if those hours constitute equivalent work. Normally only courses taken after receiving an M.A., M.Div., Th.M., S.T.M., or equivalent degree can be credited toward the D.Min. degree. Requests for transfer of credit should be directed to the director of D.Min. studies. Plans to take other courses for transfer credit must be approved by the D.Min. committee prior to taking the course.

Admission to Candidacy

Students may be admitted to candidacy for the D.Min. degree by action of the faculty only after these requirements have been met: (1) completion of all residence requirements and all independent study courses leading to the degree; (2) evidence of proven Christian character; (3) effectiveness in Christian ministry; and (4) adherence to the following doctrines: the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Christ, the spiritual lostness of the human race, the substitutionary atonement and bodily resurrection of Christ, salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, and the physical return of Christ.

Students in the D.Min. program must also provide a written letter from the local church or organization where the student is serving, endorsing the student’s ministry.

DTS Application for D.Min. Admission 

Apply Online (English only)
Download English Application for D.Min. Admission
Download Spanish Application for D.Min. Admission

Description
The downloadable application is only for applicants seeking to attend DTS in the Doctor of Ministry program.

Applied Research Project Requirements 

The applied research project is the student’s major research project in the degree program. It must be directly related to his or her ministry and must make a significant contribution to the field of professional ministry as well as to the student’s personal life. The project normally should deal with some aspect of communication, administration, nurture, leadership, or Christian education. The length is to be appropriate for the subject as judged by the student’s advisers.

If the applied research project is not completed within the first year after enrolling in DM103, then the student will be required to register for DM105 Applied Research Continuation each summer and winter term until project completion.

Details on the procedures and deadlines for the topic approval, proposal, and first and final drafts of the applied research project are available in the Doctor of Ministry Office as well as in the D.Min. Handbook.

Graduation Requirements

Candidates for the D.Min. degree must have completed 27 semester hours of course work and the 3-hour applied research project along with any other requirements that may have been assigned. The completion of minimum requirements does not automatically qualify a student for the degree. The candidate must evidence to the satisfaction of the faculty proven Christian character, ability and acceptability in Christian ministry, and adherence to the doctrines stated in the Admission to Candidacy section above.

Diplomas will not be awarded, transcripts issued, or placement assistance provided unless all financial obligations to the Seminary and/or the student loan program are current.