The Doctor of Ministry degree is a three-to-four-year, 32-hour degree program and is the highest professional degree offered by a theological school. The McAfee Doctor of Ministry Degree program was developed to help those seeking to enhance their ministry by providing the level of knowledge, theoretical clarity, and competence of practice commensurate with the highest earned degree for the profession and practice of ministry. Students remain in their fields of service for the entire program, coming to McAfee for classes and focused collegial interaction, for individual study at the library, or to engage in consultation with the student’s faculty supervisor.
The purpose of the Doctor of Ministry Degree is to provide a top-tier level of knowledge, theoretical clarity, and competence of practice commensurate with the highest earned degree for the profession and practice of ministry. Students engage in a hybrid learning format that allows them to attend 2-week seminars with their cohorts. This allows students to remain fully engaged with their families, full-time ministries, and places of residence while completing the program.
The D.Min. will help you further your skills in ministry and provide you with the kind of learning experience that you will value throughout your lifetime. Students remain in their fields of service for the entire program. Student come directly to McAfee for classes and focused collegial interaction, for individual study at the library, and to engage in consultation with the student’s faculty supervisor.
In its recent accreditation visit, the Association of Theological Schools affirmed McAfee’s Doctor of Ministry program for its integrative nature as well as its strong focus on the practice of ministry. It also recognized the program for its high academic standards, the strong research contributions and diversity of its faculty and the quality of the projects completed by its graduates that reflect an effective partnership between students, their ministry contexts and the School.
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Deadlines
Requirements
Program Specializations
Doctoral students can specialize in the following areas:
- Christian Spirituality
- Justice and Peacemaking
- Leadership and Ministry
- Preaching
- Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy
- Scripture and Life of the Church
- Theology and Christian Worship
- Mission and Community Development
Program Features
Faculty Supervision
Each doctoral student will work closely with a Faculty Supervisor in their area of specialization. Faculty Supervisors provide advising in the program process, collaboration on integrating research and ministry, and supervision of the Project Thesis.
Mentoring and Advanced Research Integration
Students complete three classes of mentoring through spiritual direction and coaching. A Spiritual Director or a Ministry Coach works with the student in each unit and serves on the student’s oral defense committee. Guided by faculty and Directors or Coaches, students will focus on their own vocation, context, and specialization as they explore spirituality, vocation, contextual competency, and research while working towards developing a project proposal for their thesis.
Seminars
Students will attend three seminars on campus of 2 weeks duration each, normally scheduled in summer. One week is online and the second week is on campus.
Project Thesis
The culmination of the D.Min. program is the completion of a Project Thesis. The Project Thesis reflects the research skills learned in the program and demonstrates the student’s capacity to integrate biblical, theological, historical, and contextual research with a specific ministry project that is practical and reflective of the student’s abilities as a leader and minister.