The Doctor of Ministry Degree Program

The Doctor of Ministry program is offered to qualified men and women currently engaged in ministry.

Philosophy of the Program

The quality and success of the several ministries are usually largely determined by one’s communication skills, both oral and written. It is the task of the Doctor of Ministry program to assist students to so craft their spiritual gifts, in writing, speaking, and other leadership abilities, that they may be able to serve with distinction.

Conditions of Enrollment

Consecutive, continuous enrollment is required until all doctoral study is completed and all graduation requirements are fulfilled. Students complete the program at their own pace but are required to pay for a minimum of 36 credits and be continuously enrolled for 24 months. Students who take longer are responsible for continuous enrollment by registering for at least one research credit with tuition through the last term in which all graduation requirements are fulfilled and academic materials are received in the office in final form (see p. 18, “Continuing Matriculation Requirement”). The deadline date for the receipt of all fully approved final evaluations, documents, and program requirements is March 1 in order to graduate in May. The actual time required to complete the program depends on the student’s background and the amount of time devoted to studies (assuming all required courses are taken as they are offered). Payment of the tuition is due when the student receives his letter of acceptance and registers for class, NOT when he moves to candidacy status.

Admission to the Doctor of Ministry program is not acceptance into candidacy for the degree.   The  student  will  be  recognized  as  a candidate for the degree only after the successful completion of the five six-hour courses and the seminary requirement for the degree with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above,  the completion of any entrance deficiencies, and the recommendation of the faculty. A candidate must display proficiency in the integration of course work and demonstrate the ability to complete the degree requirements with evidence of writing skills appropriate to doctoral level work.

Admission and Requirements of the Degree Program

Purposes of the Program. The Doctor of ministry program (36 credits) is designed for those who have already demonstrated competence in ministry and desire a higher level of professional expertise through advanced, professional education. The program equips leaders in areas of pastoral ministry, religious education ministry, evangelism and missions, pastoral counseling, Judaic ministries and lay-ministry development.

Admission Requirements. In addition to satisfying the Seminary’s admission requirements, the applicant normally must possess:

1.  A fully accredited Master of Divinity degree or equivalent, from a fully accredited institution;

2.  A 3.0 minimum grade point average, with evidence of potential for work at the doctoral level;

3.  Involvement in three years of full-time experience in an appropriate ministry, positively evaluated by the applicant’s peers, with the applicant normally being a minimum of 30 years of age at the time of admission;

4.  The completion of application forms and submission of required admission fees.
Each student will write a thesis proposal describing the problem statement or thesis, the precedent literature, the methodology, how findings will be handled, and possible conclusions and recommendations toward which the study is directed.  The student in consultation with the major professor will design a program consisting of five areas of study of six credits each, each with a research component, and the dissertation or research project (6 credits). The completed work will make a new application of the current theory in the major field selected.

Graduation Requirements. All course work at a GPA of 3.5 and the successful completion of the Doctor of Ministry dissertation or project (six semester hours) with a minimum grade of “B”.  The dissertation requirement is built into the regular credit requirements needed to complete the degree, i.e., by registering and completing successfully the dissertation DDP 8006 for the doctoral program.

Because it is not possible to complete the dissertation in one semester’s completion of the research course, the student must maintain matriculation by registering repeatedly for this course until the research is completed and the dissertation is approved for oral defense by the student’s advisor. No more than 9 credits can be accumulated in the repeat of this research and these credits cannot replace any other requirement of the program in which the student is registered.  Matriculation can then be maintained, if necessary, by registering each semester for the one credit research course (see p. 18, “Continuing Matriculation Requirement”).

The Design of the Degree

The St. Petersburg Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry Program is designed to provide ministry analysis, guidance, and training to increase ministerial competency. The study programs seek to provide direction in four ministry areas: Research/Writing, Bible-based Communication, Administration/Leadership, and Personal Development.  All DMin candidates will be required to take, as a part of their program, if not previously  taken, CJS Jewish Roots and Foundations of Scripture I and II.

Biblical Research

The Bible is God’s infallible Word. It is the minister’s primary source. To understand the Bible, illumination of the Holy Spirit is essential. In addition, a necessary tool to understanding the Bible is a thorough grasp of the historical and geographical backgrounds, and the language and customs in which the biblical texts being read are set. Reason, meditation, research, testing hypotheses, evaluating theories, and carefully analyzing evidence, in general and with open mindedness, characterize the critically honest investigator.

Survey Research

Some projects encourage the student to send out questionnaires to obtain information. The validity of such a survey is conditioned by factors such as distribution, circumstances, types of questions, etc. No survey can be distributed until specifically approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, who will consult with the relevant professional expertise to determine the adequacy and the ethical appropriateness of the project, including the rights to privacy for those being surveyed.

Objectives of the Doctoral Program

This program provides the student with the ability to do the following:

Students registered in the doctoral program must consult their advisor at the beginning of their program for the correct choice of courses supporting the interests of the student.