Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry (abbreviated DMin or D.Min.) degree is a professional doctorate and not a research doctorate which may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry.[1]
Doctor of Ministry by country/region
United States and Canada
Under Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) standards, programs must require matriculants to have earned the degree Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or its equivalent[1] and to have engaged in no fewer than three years of full-time ministry,[1] though some programs require more.[2] The ATS requires students to complete at least one year of coursework followed by the completion of the doctoral dissertation or research project.[1] Normally, the degree requires between three and six years to complete.[1] The degree's purpose is to "enhance the practice of ministry for persons who hold the M.Div. or its educational equivalent and who have engaged in substantial ministerial leadership."[1] As such, Doctor of Ministry concentrations vary by institution and include applied theology, evangelism, pastoral counseling or the psychology of religion, homiletics, spiritual formation, ethics, church growth, church leadership, apologetics[3]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[4] 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."[5] 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.[6]
References
- 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.
- "DMin Application Information". Duke Divinity School. Duke University. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- "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.