Doctor of Ministry

The Doctor of Ministry 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 DMin 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 (MDiv) or Master of Theology (ThM) degree, or a Master of Arts (MA) degree plus leveling courses as necessary to provide MDiv equivalence. Prerequisite degrees and/or equivalence must include:
  • a minimum of 80 semester hours of credit and
  • three semesters of Greek and two semesters of Hebrew. (If a student has only two semesters of Greek, he or she may take ID7201 Computer Tools for Biblical Exegesis in lieu of the third semester of Greek. For selected DTS master’s degrees the student needs only ID7201 Computer Tools for Biblical Exegesis in lieu of Greek and Hebrew.)

Credits needed to meet MDiv equivalence requirements must cover the breadth and scope of Dallas Theological Seminary’s curriculum and commitment to Scripture as prescribed by the DMin Office and the Registrar’s Office. Courses required for MDiv equivalence may be earned at DTS, its extension sites, through external studies programs, or other accredited institutions. For more information on MDiv 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 DMin students may apply for admission at any time. The application deadline for the summer seminar is March 1, and the deadline for the winter seminar is August 1. Further details on admission requirements and procedures are available from the Admissions Office.

Transfer of Credit

Transfer of credit for the DMin may not exceed 10 credit hours. Doctoral-level credit completed at another accredited institution may be applied toward the DMin 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 DMin degree.

The training and courses completed in the Basic and Advanced Chaplaincy programs of the US Army or equivalent training and courses completed as a chaplain in other branches of the US Military may be transferred for up to 10 hours of credit toward a DMin degree at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Requests for transfer of credit should be directed to the director of DMin studies. Plans to take other courses for transfer credit must be approved by the DMin committee prior to taking the course.

The DMin 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 usually requires at least four years of study.

Normally, three prescribed courses must be taken by all DMin students: DM7101 The Ministry Leader, DM7102 Applied Research Project Development Seminar, and DM7103 The Applied Research Project. Some cohorts fuse the leadership and/or research components into the selected cohort. In addition, students usually complete at least one independent study course, DM7901 Independent Study. Course descriptions for these and other DMin courses may be found in the Course Descriptions section of the catalog.

All courses are six months in length, but include only one or two week residence on the main campus. During the pre-resident 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. DTS alumni are allowed to audit the resident portion of a course as space permits. Registration for summer DMin courses must be completed by March 15, and registration for winter DMin courses must be completed by September 15. Electives in the various areas of concentration are listed in the “Course Description” section of the 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 DMin policies and procedures is given in the Doctor of Ministry Handbook.

Students may be admitted to candidacy for the DMin degree by action of the faculty only after these requirements have been met: (1) completion of all residence 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 DMin 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 as well as a personal reference from another source.

Students must be admitted to candidacy before they can register for DM7103 The Applied Research Project. Six of the 9 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 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 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 DMin Handbook.

Candidates for the DMin degree must have completed 27 credit hours of coursework 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 core doctrinal statement.

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.