Doctor of Educational Ministry

The DEdMin 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 DEdMin applicants. All applicants must:

• normally have at least three years of vocational or bivocational Christian ministry experience;
• give evidence of growth and competence in educational ministerial skills and leadership;
• be involved in an ongoing educational ministry (including lay ministry);
• have an academic record that demonstrates superior ability and shows promise of success in doctoral studies; and
• hold a Dallas Theological Seminary’s Master of Arts in Christian Education (MACE) or its equivalent, Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Theology (ThM), or a Master of Arts (MA) degree plus leveling courses as necessary to provide DTS MACE equivalence.

Courses needed to meet the DTS MACE equivalence requirements must cover the breadth and scope of DTS’s curriculum and commitment to Scripture as prescribed by the DMin/DEdMin office and the Registrar’s office. Courses required for MACE equivalence may be earned at DTS, its extension sites, through external studies programs, or other accredited institutions. For more information on MACE 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 DEdMin students may apply for admission at any time. The normal deadline for applications for admission in the fall is March 15, but applications will be considered on a continual basis and individuals may be admitted as space allows. Further details on admission requirements and procedures are available from the Admissions office.

The DEdMin program requires 39 semester hours, 36 of which are coursework (including 30 to 33 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, eight prescribed courses must be taken by all DEdMin students: DE7302 History and Philosophy of Christian Education (required for those students who have not taken an equivalent course at the masters level), DM7102 Applied Research Project Development Seminar, DM7103 The Applied Research Project Seminar, DM7205 Selected Topics of Biblical Issues in Today’s Educational Ministry, DE7310 Instructional and Learning Theories, DM7740 Trends in Contemporary Theological Movements, and ID7201 Computer Tools for Biblical Exegesis. Some cohorts fuse the leadership and/or research components into the selected cohort. In addition, students normally complete at least one independent study course, DM7901 Independent Study, designed in consultation with the director of the program. Course descriptions for these and other DEdMin courses may be found in the Course Descriptions section of the catalog.

All courses are six months in length and include one or two weeks of residence in either January or July. During the pre-resident months, students read and interact with course material. After the course meets for the resident week, students complete assignments that are appropriate for their ministry. DTS alumni are allowed to audit the resident portion of a course as space permits. Registration for summer DEdMin courses must be completed by March 15, and registration for winter DEdMin courses must be completed by September 15. Electives in the various areas of concentration are listed in the Course Descriptions section of the catalog.

All work leading to the Doctor of Educational 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.

Transfer of up to 10 hours of doctoral-level credit may be applied toward the DEdMin degree if those hours constitute equivalent work. Normally only courses taken after receiving an MA, MDiv, ThM, STM, or equivalent degree can be credited toward the DEdMin degree. Requests for transfer of credit should be sent to the director of DMin/DEdMin studies. Plans to take other courses for transfer credit must be approved by the DMin/DEdMin committee prior to taking the course.

Students may be admitted to candidacy for the DEdMin degree by action of the faculty only after these requirements have been met: (1) completion of all residency requirements leading to the degree; (2) the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 21 semester hours of coursework; (3) evidence of proven Christian character; (4) effectiveness in Christian ministry; and (5) 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 applying to candidacy for the DEdMin degree must also provide a written letter of reference from the local church or organization where the student is serving, endorsing the student’s ministry.

Students must be admitted to candidacy before they can register for DM7103 The Applied Research Project. Three of the 6 hours that remain for completion of the degree can be taken concurrently with DM7103 (3 hours).

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 educational ministry related to communication, administration, nurture, or program leadership. The length is to be appropriate for the subject as judged by the student’s advisors.

If the applied research project is not completed within the first year after enrolling in DM7103, then the student will be required to register for DM7105 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 DEdMin handbook.

Candidates for the DEdMin degree must have completed 36 credit hours of coursework (or 79 credit hours for the two-stage DEdMin) and the 3-hour applied research project, along with any other requirements that may have been assigned. A minimum grade of B- must be received in every course credited toward graduation and on the applied research project. The completion of minimum requirements does not automatically qualify a student for the degree.

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.