The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in religious ministry. It often includes an original research component, and may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in ministry. It is categorized as an advanced doctoral degree that prepares for religious leadership, teaching, and pastoral scholarship. The Doctor of Ministry is primarily concerned with the "acquisition of knowledge and research skills, to further advance or enhance professional practice"

Doctor of Ministry by Country

United States and Canada

ATS accreditation standards requires matriculants to have a Master of Divinity (MDiv) or its equivalent and no fewer than three years of full-time ministry, and candidates to complete at least one year of coursework before the doctoral dissertation or research project. The degree requires a minimum of 30 semester credits. Normally, the degree requires between three and six years to complete. The degree's purpose is to "enhance the practice of ministry for persons who hold the MDiv or its educational equivalent and who have engaged in substantial ministerial leadership." 135 ATS accredited schools offer the degree. Doctor of Ministry concentrations vary by institution and include

biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible, with ''Bible'' referring to the books of the canonical Hebrew Bible in mainstream Jewish usage and the Christian Bible including the can ...

, applied theology, evangelism, pastoral counseling or the psychology of religion, homiletics, spiritual formation,

ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...

, church growth, church leadership, apologetics and Bible translation.

Australia

In Australia, under the Australian College of Theology standards, the D.Min. degree is academically equivalent to a Ph.D. or Th.D. within the same Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF level 10) research doctoral award which is to "qualify individuals who apply a substantial body of knowledge to research, investigate and develop new knowledge, in one or more fields of investigation, scholarship or professional practice." As such, the admission requirements, length of study, and the overall academic requirements of the three degrees are the same: candidates must submit a final thesis of 80,000-100,000 words in order to complete the degree.

References

{{Reflist Ministry Religious degrees

Doctor of Ministry by Country

United States and Canada

Australia

See also

References