Doctor of Ministry
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The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is a professional doctorate 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.[1] The Doctor of Ministry is primarily concerned with the "acquisition of knowledge and research skills, to further advance or enhance professional practice"[2] Depending on the particular program, it may be shorter and less research-focused than the Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Theology.
Doctor of Ministry by Country
[edit]United States and Canada
[edit]ATS accreditation standards requires matriculants to have a Master of Divinity (MDiv) or its equivalent[3] and no fewer than three years of full-time ministry,[3] and candidates to complete at least one year of coursework before the doctoral dissertation or research project.[3] The degree requires a minimum of 30 semester credits.[1] Normally, the degree requires between three and six years to complete.[3] 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."[3]
135 ATS accredited schools offer the degree.[4] Doctor of Ministry concentrations vary by institution and include biblical studies, applied theology, evangelism, pastoral counseling or the psychology of religion, homiletics, spiritual formation, ethics, church growth, church leadership, apologetics[5] and Bible translation.
Australia
[edit]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[6] 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."[7] 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.[8]
See Also
[edit]- Doctor of Theology
- Master of Theology
- Master of Divinity
- Master of Theological Studies
- Bachelor of Divinity
References
[edit]- ^ a b Standards of Accreditation for The Commission on Accrediting of The Association of Theological Schools (PDF). June 2020. p. 12.
- ^ Smith, Nancy-Jane (2009). Achieving Your Professional Doctorate: A Handbook. New York: McGraw Hill. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-335-22721-1.
- ^ a b c d e Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools. "Degree Program Standards: Doctor of Ministry". Standards of Accreditation (PDF). Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. pp. 124–126. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- ^ Tanner, Tom (February 2020). "New data to consider on duration of Doctor of Ministry degree" (PDF). Colloquy Online. The Association of Theological Schools Commission on Accrediting.
- ^ "DMin Concentrations". Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ^ "Our Courses – Australian College of Theology". www.actheology.edu.au. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
- ^ Garland, Andrew (2015-02-06). "AQF qualifications". www.aqf.edu.au. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
- ^ "Doctor of Ministry". www.actheology.edu.au. Retrieved 2019-01-14.