Academics
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
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- Description
- Admission Requirements
- Program Requirements
- Study Options
- Online Curriculum
- Two Required Courses
- Transfer Credit
- Tuition
- Selection of Faculty Consultant and Nomination Procedure
- Doctoral Project
- Non-Project Option
- Specializations available for the Doctor of Ministry
- Applied Ministries
- Creative Arts
- Ecumenical Ministries
- Franklian Psychology (Logotherapy/Existential Analysis)
- Health Care Ministries
- Hispanic Ministries
- Jewish Spiritual Direction
- Liturgy
- Management Ministries
- Pastoral Care and Counseling
- Scripture
- Spiritual Direction
- Theological Studies
- Women’s Studies in Ministry
This degree is a 30 credit program that may be completed in no less than eighteen months and no more than four years.
The degree of Doctor of Ministry has become a nationally accepted terminal professional degree for ministry. The uniqueness of the D.Min. program offered by the Graduate Theological Foundation is found in its exclusive orientation toward ministry as a pastoral ecumenical commitment, through specialized study pursued at the numerous residency sites selected by degree candidates. The Foundation is offering an educational experience as a degree program designed specifically to address the needs of ministry in an environment which is supportive and nurturing, but appropriately independent of any one ecclesial body.
- Baccalaureate degree or equivalent validated by a transcript.
- Master’s degree in a cognate field of education such as theology, ministry, pastoral care or administration validated by a transcript.
- Five years of accumulated experience in a cognate field of ministry.
- Completion of the Application Procedure.
- Students are expected to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook of the year of their acceptance with particular focus on their particular degree program. Students are bound by the academic and financial requirements of the Handbook in use at the time of their acceptance. The current Student Handbook as well as past years’ Handbooks can be viewed here.
- Completion of six Units of Study: two required from the Graduate Theological Foundation (see below), and four completed through the Foundation, through other approved educational institutions, or through the use of transfer credit. Students may also choose to take advantage of the Foundation’s D.Min. online curriculum.
- Completion of the Doctoral Project (or NPO) and submission of one electronic copy including the Project Consultant’s evaluation forms. All academic requirements must be met by February 1 prior to graduation.
- Attendance at the Convocation/Graduation (Non-US residents are exempt from this requirement).
Study Options
This program requires the completion of six Units of Study. A Unit of Study is defined as 40 contact hours of instruction, and is equivalent to a 3-credit graduate-level course, one Unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, or 4 Continuing Education Units.
Units of Study may be completed through the Foundation, from other approved venues, or by using transfer credit.
The Study Options button on the Foundation’s website under the heading Academics lists the course offerings of the Foundation and provides information about the various methods of earning Units of Study for your degree.
For further information on the Foundation’s optional online curriculum for the D.Min, please click here
All students are required to take two courses directly from the Foundation. These two courses are a Research Methodology course, and a second course of the student’s choice from any of the Foundation’s online, distance, or residential offerings.
Research Methodology is a required course for all students completing an exit project. Students completing the Non-Project Option in lieu of the exit project must either complete the Research Methodology course or an alternate course from the Foundation’s online, distance, or residential course offerings. The Research Methodology course requirement is explained here.
The Study Options button on the Foundation’s website under the heading Academics lists the course offerings of the Foundation and provides information about the various methods of earning Units of Study for your degree.
Any student wishing to have previously completed academic work evaluated for possible transfer credit or wishing to complete coursework through a venue other than the Graduate Theological Foundation for use as transfer credit toward a degree, must contact the Office of the Registrar for approval. Accepted transfer credit has the potential to decrease the total tuition paid by the student. Requests for acceptance of transfer credit are reviewed on a case by case basis.
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Total Program Cost amounts include all required courses if taken through the Foundation. The acceptance of transfer credit will decrease total program cost.
Total Program Cost: $12,300
Degree candidates are bound by the regulations of the Student Handbook of the year in which they are accepted into their program of study. Tuition fees will not change during a student’s course of study, providing the student submits payments and papers on schedule and completes the degree program within the prescribed time. If the student does not conform to scheduled payment and/or paper submission deadlines, the student’s file will be deactivated. Upon reactivation, the student will be responsible for the tuition and degree requirements which are current at the time of reactivation.
Transfer Credit
Any student wishing to have previously completed academic work evaluated for possible transfer credit or wishing to complete coursework through a venue other than the Graduate Theological Foundation for use as transfer credit toward a degree, must contact the Office of the Registrar for approval. Accepted transfer credit has the potential to decrease the total tuition paid by the student. Requests for acceptance of transfer credit are reviewed on a case by case basis.
Tuition payment schedule for Professional Doctorates
1/3 of total fees paid within 30 days of acceptance
1/3 of total fees paid within one year of the date of acceptance
1/3 of total fees paid by March 1 of the year of graduation
Payment Plan Option
Students who are unable to make tuition payments in three installments may request to be placed on a payment plan. The payment plan option allows the student to make small monthly or quarterly tuition payments for the duration of the degree program. There is no interest charged on payment plans. If a student requests a mailed invoice as a reminder to make payment, there is a ten dollar fee per invoice.
To make tuition and fee payments online click here.
Students select a faculty member of the Foundation to serve as Project Consultant. This enables the student to receive helpful and pragmatic evaluative feedback from a member of the faculty in the developmental process of producing the Exit Project. The role of the faculty Project Consultant is responsive and suggestive rather than “supervisory” as is the case with academic thesis writing. The faculty person is encouraged to limit feedback to pragmatically helpful hints and suggestions and not to attempt any censorship of the project. The exercise of discretion with respect to time demands is very important for both the student and faculty member. The faculty Project Consultant must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Project Consultant’s Report Form. The assessment from the Project Consultant is due by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.
- The student peruses the Faculty Details page and makes a selection.
- The student completes the Faculty Project Consultant Nomination Form 107 (Forms).
- Academic Affairs provides the nominated faculty member with Form 107.
- The selected faculty member notifies Academic Affairs of acceptance of student nomination.
- Academic Affairs informs the student and faculty member of relationship approval and contact information is provided.
The Doctoral Project is a translation into practice of the insights, values and creative concerns developed during the course of the units of interactive learning and the intervening periods of reading, reflection, and application. The project should directly relate the implications of the evolving relationships within the actual life of congregations or communities of faith and worship.
The Doctoral Project is a demonstration of praxis. Its structure, focus and content, therefore, allows for a wide range of differing forms appropriate to the actual area of the practice of ministry addressed. The form may range, for example, from an original musical score or liturgy to a research manuscript or instructional video. A note about the length of the project is impractical when speaking of video and audio cassettes, workbooks and manuals, as well as other hands-on praxis-based projects. For manuscript-style doctoral projects, the length should be 35,000-40,000 words (140-160 pages), double-spaced, footnoted, and with significant bibliographical references of at least 35 sources. It is also a recommendation for the bibliography to include an annotated listing of the 10-12 sources that were key to the development of the project.
In keeping with the nature of the entire Doctoral Program as an open interaction with fellow professionals, the project is a demonstration of practice, an exploration of applied reflections, or creative work rather than a test submitted to prove competency. One copy of the Doctoral Project, in its final form, must be submitted to the Foundation by February 1 prior to graduation.
The NPO is available for this degree program. For information on the NPO, please Click Here.
- Applied Ministries
- Creative Arts
- Ecumenical Ministries
- Franklian Psychology (Logotherapy/Existential Analysis)
- Health Care Ministries
- Hispanic Ministries
- Liturgy
- Management Ministries
- Pastoral Care
- Pastoral Counseling
- Scripture
- Spiritual Direction
- Jewish Spiritual Direction
Degree candidates must commit themselves to the specialized course of
study for all four Units of Study. The Doctoral Project must also focus
upon the chosen specialization.
study for all four Units of Study. The Doctoral Project must also focus
upon the chosen specialization.
Though some students prefer to seek a concentration or a specialization in their Doctor of Ministry degree program, most prefer to broaden their professional experience by taking each of the four required Units of Study in a different area of ministry training. This is the Applied Ministries program. Doctor of Ministry in Applied Ministries students are at liberty to pursue various topics, either from the concentration or specialization list, for the completion of their degree requirements, and, unlike the concentration and specialization programs, the topic of the Doctoral project is open to the student's own choice. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The concentration in Creative Arts is designed for those in ministry who are seriously engaged in the fine arts — poetry, prose, music, dance, painting, sculpture, graphics, liturgical design — and who see this involvement as integral to their commitment to ministry. The specialization conceives of the role of the arts in relation to theology, spirituality and pastoral practice as active creativity, not merely interpretation, pedagogy, elaboration or embellishment. The artist-as-theologian and minister-as-artist is the positive focus of the concentration. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The concentration in Ecumenical Ministries is designed for those ministry professionals whose responsibilities are addressed primarily to the developing and nurturing of multi-level dialogue among various faith communities and their leaders, both inter-Christian as well as among Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The degree in Franklian Psychology is specifically designed for the experienced counseling practitioner who would benefit from an academic study of Viktor Frankl and his logotherapeutic theory and methodology. For those desiring to specialize in Franklian Psychology, the Foundation requires the completion of the Diplomate Certification from the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy and a letter from the Institute verifying that the applicant is in good standing. The Diplomate Certification and the letter fulfill all requirements for the Doctor of Ministry degree with a specialization in Franklian Psychology. Please see the P.R.I.M.E. section for information on this degree and the Viktor Frankl Institute for Logotherapy. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The degree in Health Care Ministries focuses upon interfacing and integrating spirituality and health care with particular attention given to the spiritual nurture of the care giver and the spiritual direction of the care recipient. Close attention is paid to the need for interfacing effectively the health care environment (spiritual-social-professional) and the health care institution itself (hospital - nursing home - detention center). Admission is restricted to those with a bachelor's degree and master's degree in a cognate field of ministry such as the M.S.N., M.S.W., M.P.H., or equivalent. Applicants should have at least five years in such ministries as nursing, social work, social services, juvenile detention, or health care administration. In this program there is a recommendation for the student to attend one full session of the Westberg Symposium in addition to the four Units of Study. The website for the Westberg Symposium is www.ipnrc.parishnurses.org. Contact information: International Parish Nurse Resource Center, 475 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis MO 63119, (Tel) 314 918-2559, (Fax) 574-918-2558. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The degree in Hispanic Ministries is specifically designed for those ministry professionals and pastors that are called upon to serve communities of faith who embody the life and culture of Spanish speaking peoples, with special attention to the unique issues and opportunities opening up in the U.S. in view of this rapidly growing community. Coursework completed for this program must specialize in studies in the field of Hispanic ministry and, to facilitate this specialization, the Foundation maintains relationships with several leading national institutions in this field of ministry. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
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Jewish Spiritual Direction is available as a specialization in affiliation with Lev Shomea, a P.R.I.M.E. institution. Please see the P.R.I.M.E. section for information on this degree and Lev Shomea.
The concentration in Liturgy is designed for those charged with responsibilities for liturgical education and planning, and the conduct of liturgy on the congregational or diocese/synod/conference levels. It is assumed that candidates are well advanced in both technical study and praxis. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The concentration in Management has been developed specifically for the ministry professional who is primarily responsible for the various management components of a religious community or institution. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling is specifically designed for practicing professional counselors, pastors, chaplains, hospice workers, and others who seek to broaden their training and strengthen their understanding of the psychological dimensions of human behavior and the nurture of the human spirit. Individuals wishing to pursue licensure must comply with the licensure and/or board certification requirements of the state in which they intend to be engaged in professional counseling. To view the optional online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The concentration in Scripture focuses on the place of the Scriptures in the community of faith and worship in liturgy, the life of faith, religious education and spirituality. A background in the study of the texts allows for the emphasis on praxis which is being pursued in the active ministry. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The degree in Spiritual Direction is designed specifically for those professionally engaged in spiritual direction as a ministry of guidance, nurture and support to serve those seeking growth and deepening of the inner life of the Spirit. The program is exclusively committed to the advanced professional education of spiritual directors, retreat directors and religious counselors already in practice. It presumes the candidate has already completed the appropriate theological studies, skills training and forms of supervised practicum or the equivalent. It is also presumed that the participant will have been under a spiritual director at some time in the past. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
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This degree program is designed for the ministry professional who has a strong background in formal theology and wishes to pursue theological studies at a deeper level but with a particular praxis orientation rather than strictly a systemic or philosophical agenda. The degree provides for some flexibility in the selection of a range of courses in formal theological studies and is configured to assist those in education and ministry in the construction of a theological frame of reference for service to the faith community as teacher, pastor, and religious leader. Though the student is at liberty to select courses specifically relevant to his or her on theological agenda, there is an online curriculum designed for those who prefer to follow a set series of course selections. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
The Women’s Studies in Ministry specialization in the Doctor of Ministry program is designed to address broad issues facing ministry professionals focusing particularly upon social, psychological, and pastoral characteristics of gender-specific situations both facing women in ministry and women served by those in ministry. This specialization is venue-specific requiring all six courses to be taken from within the specified curriculum developed and offered by faculty at the Foundation. From a host of carefully constructed E-Tutorials, students seeking this specialization will select courses relevant to their field of service. To view the online curriculum for this degree concentration, please click here.
