Online Doctor of Ministry Degree (DMin)

While a MDiv is preferred, it is not required to apply for the DMin program. We consider your entire ministry background recognizing that the path God led you down to get to this point might be unique. You will need to have a Master’s degree, prior ministry experience, and be serving in a current ministry setting.

Practically speaking, a Doctor of Ministry degree opens doors for our graduates to higher levels of leadership both within and beyond their current ministry context. The largest benefit to earning a DMin degree is becoming a Christian ministry researcher/scholar. The church needs leaders who think deeply, engage problems fully, explore creative solutions, and share what they are learning. Christian ministry researcher/scholars are equipped to be experts in leadership for the benefit of the church worldwide and God’s glory. As ministry leaders, our graduates are creating curriculum, training others, writing books, teaching in higher education, running non-profit organizations, developing programs, and much more.

As students entering the DMin program, they become part of a new cohort of students who journey through the coursework and dissertation process at the same time. As a cohort, you will take 2 classes per semester in the fall and spring. Being part of a cohort makes your experiences within the program richer in several ways:

• Online education can be challenging. Being part of a cohort provides you with brothers and sisters in Christ who are experiencing the same challenges. You can reach out to one another to provide resources, encouragement, and advice.
• Community-based learning is valuable. Throughout your lifetime, God has been equipping you in many ways. There are things that you know and have experienced that you can bring into the DMin classes to share with others. Each of the other members of your cohort also have things to share. When you engage one another and share together, deeper and broader learning can occur.
• Diversity helps us grow. Our DMin students come from all over the world. There are diverse backgrounds, opinions, interests, and experiences within each cohort. You will have the opportunity to experience how God has made us each unique while also one in Christ Jesus.

God calls us to be in community. He knows that we need others for support and to challenge us. Your cohort is an intentional Christian group gathered to honor God through pursuing education. Walking this journey together is a gift.

Each applied research project is unique. This is because applied research is based within a specific context and focused on problems and participants within that context. Within the program, you will learn many ways that you can conduct applied research and consider which options will be most useful to your own ministry context. A few examples of applied research dissertation topics within this program are:

• Assessing training in character development on young men in church leadership.
• Examining the effectiveness of leadership training for women in Uganda, Africa.

Analyzing the effects of scripture in helping to reframe personal trauma for spiritual growth.

The dissertation phase of doctoral studies is quite challenging. Before entering that phase, you will take 2 classes to prepare for the dissertation process. Also, each of the other courses you take will have elements that are designed to help you develop doctoral research and writing skills. When you begin your dissertation, you will get access to our many online-based resources. These include templates, examples, and guides for each portion of the dissertation. Often cohorts continue to reach out to one another during the dissertation phase to provide encouragement. Additionally, you will be assigned a committee who will come alongside you to provide guidance. It is our hope that all of our DMin students will conduct meaningful research, complete their dissertation process, and graduate.

The online courses are available within the semester each is offered. As a student in the program, you will gain access to upcoming courses 10 days prior to the start of the semester. Each week within the course has specific activities, assignments, and deadlines. You will engage in the course while it is active. After a course ends, it is archived within Canvas, our school’s learning management system. Until you graduate, you will be able to access your archived courses to review prior materials.

It will be important to have a computer that is in good working condition. You will need a reliable internet connection that can support weekly Zoom sessions as well as uploading/downloading documents regularly. Because of the Zoom sessions, you will need speakers and a microphone. These may be built into a laptop but will need to be added to most desktop units. Also, if you are not familiar with Microsoft Office products such as Word and PowerPoint, you should begin familiarizing yourself with these tools as they will be used regularly within the program.

Since the Doctor of Ministry degree is focused on developing ministry leaders to be effective researcher/scholars, every professor within the program has a strong background in ministry leadership, higher education, and research. Prior ministry experiences include running a small group ministry, leading worship, being a senior pastor, developing women’s ministries, teaching within the church and Christian higher education, and many other areas. Every professor has at least one doctoral degree and passionately continues to learn within their areas of expertise through personal study. Most have also published in journals, web-based publications, and books. To learn more about the credentials and accomplishments of individual faculty members, review the bios provided on the Doctor of Ministry webpage.