Doctor of Ministry

The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree is a doctorate often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, pastoral psychology or the psychology of religion, church growth, homiletics, or spiritual formation. Under Association of Theological Schools (ATS) guidelines, one needs to have completed the equivalent of 3 years of full-time ministry after the initial theological degree, normally the Master of Divinity (M.Div.). If the initial theological degree is not equivalent to the M.Div., preliminary coursework may be required before entering a D.Min. program.

The D.Min. differs from the Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Religion or Religious Studies in that the focus is on application-oriented research. Thus, while the PhD and ThD is granted upon the successful completion of a dissertation that makes an original contribution or synthesis to a discrete field of theoretical knowledge, the D.Min. is granted upon the successful completion of a doctoral project and dissertation based upon that project.

The D.Min degree is designed for working clergy, and most D.Min. programs are structured to allow for part time study by priests/pastors, missionaries, and denominational leaders. Conversely, the Th.D. is considered more academically oriented with theological research and language studies.