Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)

Purpose

The Doctor of Ministry program is designed to provide advanced studies for ministers who hold an M.Div. degree to enhance their spiritual maturity, theological understanding, and skills in the practice of ministry.

Goal

The goals of this program are to enable the students to be more effective in their respective field of ministry, and they consist of three areas: biblical and theological, personal, and ministry.

1. Biblical and Theological Goals:

  1. formulate a biblical and theological framework for effective ministry in a variety of contemporary contexts;
  2. assess their present ministry contexts through this framework and be able to make improvements as a result;
  3. conduct applied research at a doctoral level within their chosen field of study;
  4. acquire the academic skills necessary for lifelong study of Scripture and theology for more effective teaching of God’s Word.

2. Personal Goals:

  1. reflect on personal life experiences for healing and growth;
  2. cultivate a godly character through the disciplines of spiritual formation;
  3. chart a course for lifelong learning and improvement.

3. Ministry Goals:

  • enhance ministerial skills such as preaching, leadership, counseling, administration, vision casting, educational programming, communication, second-generation Asian-American ministry, cross-cultural missions, etc.;
  • communicate God’s Word effectively in a postmodern and multicultural environment;
  • lead and manage a church or Christian organization effectively;
  • have a global perspective in bringing the Christian message to other cultures and ethnic groups;
  • train other leaders to enhance their ministries in local churches and organizations;
Admission Requirements
  1. A Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from an ATS or ATA accredited school or other theological master’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 (B or 83.5-86.4%). Applicants with a non-M.Div. degree will be required to complete some M.Div. credits prior to completion of 18 credit units of D.Min. program of study.
  2. At least three years of experience in full-time ministry after receiving the M.Div. degree. Applicants with ministry experience prior to receiving the M.Div. or other master’s degree may be considered case by case.
  3. Recommendations by two church leaders.
  4. English proficiency in both reading and writing.
  5. The ability to understand Mandarin.
Program Content and Arrangement
  1. The student must complete 34 semester units (30 units of coursework and 4 units of dissertation).
  2. Courses are offered under the following five categories: biblical studies, pastoral ministries, missions, pastoral counseling, and other. Students may not take more than five courses under the same category.
  3. All courses are offered in the form of one-week intensive classes with four hours of instruction per day.  Each course is weighted three units.
  4. The D.Min. program runs in the order of the following semesters: the winter semester (Dec. to Mar.), summer semester (May to Aug.) and fall semester (Sept. to Nov.).
  5. Winter intensive courses: offered from January to February each year on the main campus. Four to six courses are offered each winter.
  6. Summer intensive courses: offered from June to July each year on the main campus. Six to eight courses are offered each summer.
  7. Fall intensive courses: offered from September to October each year on the main campus. Four to six courses are offered each winter.
  8. The minimum enrollment for each course is five students per class.
Duration and Location
  1. The program must be completed between three to six years (3 semesters each year). Students may petition to extend their studies for one more year.
  2. Courses taken off-campus or transferred credits should not exceed two-fifth of the total units. Moreover, the total of these two should not exceed half of the total units. At least half of the total units must be taken at main campus.
Core Courses
  • PTS815   Spiritual Formation in Local Church (3)
  • TSS848   Theology of Ministry (3)
  • TSS870   Dissertation Methodology and Research (3)
  • TSS871   D.Min Dissertation Proposal and Writing Tutorial (3)
  • TSS872   Dissertation/Graduation Project (4)
Graduation Requirements
  1. Complete 34 semester units (dissertation included) with a GPA of 3.0 (B or 83.5-86.4%) or above.
  2. Complete the dissertation and pass the oral defense of dissertation.
  3. Obtain academic clearance.