Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree is a 32 semester credit hour degree that provides advanced knowledge and research skills in relation to an area of ministry practice. The program is structured around three years of practical and theological courses (one per semester) and one research course per year that prepares a student for work on an individual Research Project. By the end of the third year, the student will be assigned a Project Advisor, who will work with the student in the fourth and any subsequent year through the proposal, implementation, and completion phases of the Project.
A student who has successfully completed the degree should be able to:
Admission Requirements
- An accredited master's degree in a ministry-related area with at least a 3.0 GPA. Students without an accredited Master of Divinity degree will be evaluated for admission based on the DMin admission requirements as defined by the Association of Theological Schools in Standard 5.5 and the DMin Application Evaluation Worksheet.
- Students may be conditionally admitted to the DMin, with the understanding that they must satisfactorily address academic gaps as defined by the DMIN Application Evaluation Worksheet the before beginning their doctoral coursework.
- Significant ministry experience.
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For students whose first language is not English and have not earned a Bachelor degree taught in English in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada, the TOEFL is required. Students must receive at least a score of 95. A score of 7.0 on the IELTS for regular academic admission.
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Official transcript from degree granting institution(s).
- Three letters of reference (one pastoral, one academic, one from a lay person who has been under their ministry).
- Spiritual Journey and Calling Essay.
- An artifact showing academic research abilities.
- A criminal history background check must be completed before acceptance into any Wesley Seminary degree program if a felony was disclosed by the student on the application form.
Project Phase
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Project - Students will be assigned a Project Advisor near the end of the initial three years. An first reader will also be chosen. Students will continue to register for MIN-802 Project Continuation (one credit hour) until project completion. . The Project Committee will consist of three members: the project advisor, a first reader, and a second reader. The project advisor and the first reader must be approved by the VPAA. The second reader will be appointed by the DMin director from the seminary’s full-time faculty before the defense of the Project proposal.
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Graduation Requirements
- Successful completion of 32 hours of coursework with at least 3.00 GPA
- A minimum grade "B-" in each course.
- Successful oral defense of a submitted project.
- All requirements for the degree must be completed within seven years of enrollment in the DMin.
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Payment of all tuition and fees is required to receive a diploma.
Program of Study
Foundations Courses
| BIBL-710 | Advanced Exegesis for Ministry Practice | 3 |
| CHST-710 | Advanced Studies in Christian History for Ministry Practice | 3 |
| THEO-710 | Advanced Studies in Theology For Ministry Practice | 3 |
Spiritual Formation Courses
| SPIR-700 | The Spiritual Life of the Person | 1 |
| SPIR-720 | Scripture in the Spiritual Life | 1 |
| SPIR-740 | The Spiritual Life in Community | 1 |
| SPIR-760 | Tradition in the Spiritual Life | 1 |
| SPIR-770 | The Spiritual Life in Society | 1 |
| SPIR-790 | The Kingdom and the Spiritual Life | 1 |
Research Courses
Practice Courses
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| Electives from Doctoral Ministry Practice Courses | 9 |
