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Programs > Doctorate

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Credit Hours

Years

Enhance Your Ministry Skills

The Doctor of Ministry program at Grace School of Theology is designed to broaden your vision, deepen your theological foundation, and enhance your practical ministry skills. Courses are planned to challenge you and enrich you both personally and professionally.

We provide affordable, accessible, and attainable seminary education to equip you to do the work that God has prepared for you to do.

Doctor of Ministry (DMin) 30 Credit Hours

The Doctor of Ministry program is designed to prepare students currently in vocational ministry with the highest level of expertise in the biblical and theological application of God’s truth to their contextual ministry setting in the church and para-church. The PhD degree, by comparison, purposes primarily to equip students to engage in scholarly research and teaching.

The Doctor of Ministry program allows students to remain in the location where they are ministering except for attending intensive courses. Each course builds on ministry experience and endeavors to integrate learning with the student’s present ministry as well as his or her future goals.

The Doctor of Ministry is an advanced professional degree designed to broaden the student’s vision of ministry, deepen their theological foundation for ministry and enhance one’s ministry skills.

The program focuses on practical ministry from a biblical and theological perspective. Courses are planned to challenge and enrich the student both personally and professionally. This happens in several ways:

  • Interaction with outstanding resident and adjunct faculty mentors who have proven track records in ministry.
  • Exposure to contemporary resources that are designed to help keep one’s ministry both biblically accurate and culturally relevant.
  • Camaraderie with ministry peers that will encourage one’s heart and stimulate the mind toward thoughtful enhancement of ministry.
  • Involvement in practical ministry projects that will enhance one’s current ministry.

Who Would Benefit from the DMin Program?

Pastors, including “senior,” “lead,” and associate pastors who are currently involved in Christian ministry would benefit the most from the DMin.

In addition, para-church ministry personnel (i.e. Young Life, Campus Crusade for Christ, missionaries, etc.) will also find that the DMin program would enhance their ministry skills and perspective.

Grace, being a global educational institution, anticipates that international students will also benefit from the DMin program as they serve in their own country and prepare to become leaders within their Christian community.

Delivery Method

All courses are offered in an intensive block format, with each course consisting of three parts:

  • Pre-Residency (approximately two months) — preliminary reading and other assignments
  • Residency — one-week intensive classroom interaction, offered remotely/online
  • Post-Residency (approximately two months) — a final course assignment that applies what you have learned to life and ministry

Program Overview

If you are a pastor, whether a senior, lead, or associate pastor, or para-church ministry personnel who is currently involved full-time in Christian ministry, you would benefit the most from the DMin Program.

b

Core Courses

Contemporary Theological Issues
Effective Biblical Leadership
Issues in Grace Theology and Praxis

10 credit hours

l

Project

Designed to synthesize ministry knowledge in a doctoral-level practical project, the ministry project phase begins when coursework is completed.

8 credit hours

Electives

Ministry and Missions
Leadership
Practical Theology
Counseling
Interdisciplinary Track
12 credit hours

Admission Requirements

Acknowledgment and Respect of Grace’s Doctrinal Statement

It is expected that a student who applies to the Doctor of Ministry program at Grace School of Theology has carefully read its Doctrinal Statement and has prayerfully decided that further doctoral education and training at Grace is a benefit to one’s ministry.

Grace admits students into all of its academic programs who may not be in total agreement with its theological position on the condition that they acknowledge Grace’s beliefs, respect them, and respect fellow students, faculty, and staff who hold to the Grace position.

During the learning experience, it is expected that there will be collegial respect for each other’s positions within the framework of the authority of Scripture.

Grace welcomes robust critical thinking and discussion as part of its educational philosophy but reserves the right to dismiss any student who causes division or dissension in the classroom, through online discussion boards, or in social media communications.

Academic Preparation

Admission to the Doctor of Ministry program requires a TRACS, Regional, or ATS accredited Master of Divinity degree (a minimum of 90 semester credit hours), or its equivalent, including at least one year (2 semesters) of Greek, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited or equivalent institution. The Master of Divinity degree must be of comparable educational content (biblical, theological, ministerial) to that of Grace. Applicants who do not meet these requirements may petition the Admissions Committee for consideration.

Ministry Experience

Applicants to the Doctor of Ministry program must normally have at least three years of ministry experience completed after receiving the Master of Divinity and evidence of capacity for an advanced level of competence and reflection. Ongoing engagement in ministry in a specific ministry context is required for continuance in the program. Evidence of mature Christian character and significant ministry achievement must be demonstrated in the application.

Evidence of Research and Writing Ability

Applicants must submit a ten-page research paper (excluding title page, table of contents, and bibliography) that exegetically and theologically explains the biblical position on one of the following topics: openness theology, prosperity theology, homosexuality, and philosophy of leadership. The paper must interact with different Christian viewpoints and must utilize at least ten different resources. The paper must be footnoted and follow the Turabian (Chicago 8th Edition) style manual.

Students who have completed a graduate thesis (Master’s level or higher) in a theological discipline requiring competent exegesis and theological reflection may submit it in lieu of the research paper for consideration in meeting this requirement.

This paper will be utilized to assess student proficiency in written English, critical thinking skills, exegetical ability, and theological competence. If upon review this paper does not demonstrate an appropriate level of these abilities, the student may be admitted into the program but will not be allowed to begin work on their final project until improvement has been shown through the papers that will be written in the three Core courses. If the student still has not shown improvement after the three required courses, it will be incumbent upon the student to obtain outside training in these areas and demonstrate proficiency to the Dean of DMin Studies. Only after this happens will the student be allowed to register for their final project.

DMIN Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the DMin Degree at Grace, students will be able to:

  1. Construct biblical solutions that address the student’s challenges in his/her specific contextual and cultural ministry.
  2. Develop a biblical theology of personal and corporate spiritual formation.
  3. Demonstrate advanced ministry and leadership skills in one’s particular area of ministry.
  4. Communicate biblical and theological truths that result in ministry effectiveness.
  5. Contribute to the body of knowledge in Christian ministry.

DMin Program Overview

DMin Core (10 Credits Hours)
DM-901 (3 Credits Hours)Contemporary Theological Issues
DM-902 (4 Credits Hours)Effective Biblical Leadership
DM-903 (3 Credits Hours)Issues in Grace Theology and Praxis
DMin Project (8 Credits Hours)
The Ministry Project phase of the DMin program begins when coursework is completed. It is designed to synthesize ministry knowledge in a doctoral level practical ministry project.
DMin Electives (12 Credit Hours)
Students choose four courses from one of the following tracks:Ministry and Missions Track
Leadership Track
Practical Theology Track
Counseling Track
Interdisciplinary Track

DMin Summary of Requirements

Core 10 Credits
Project 8 Credits
Electives 12 Credits
Total 30 Credits
Tim Hill - Grace School of Theology in The Woodlands, TX

As one of the older students, I have benefited greatly from my studies in GSOT’s DMin program. The courses on Contemporary Theological Issues and Issues in Free Grace Theology have strengthened my grasp of important areas of theology and brought to the surface many areas of theology I have not paid much attention to lately. My church has also benefited from some practical courses such as Leadership. The principles practiced have had a very positive impact in the church. The courses on Spiritual Formation and Hebrews have influenced my life personally as well as in my ministry of writing and teaching.

Tim Hill

DMin Graduate, US

File - Grace School of Theology in The Woodlands, TX
Applied Research Project Handbook
File - Grace School of Theology in The Woodlands, TX
Frequently Asked Questions – DMin

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