The Doctor of Ministry Program
The Doctor of Ministry is offered to a wide variety
of ministries throughout Northern Ohio.
The D.Min. program at Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology provides a generalist orientation in the various areas of pastoral ministry. To this end, the program offers the following goals.
- The D.Min. serves individuals in varying ministerial contexts and ecclesial communities.
- The D.Min. enhances competencies for ministry and ministerial leadership.
- The D.Min. fosters the ongoing formation, education, and theological reflection of ministers for their continued growth in ministry.
- The D.Min. integrates the classic disciplines of Scripture, Systematics, Liturgical-Sacramental, History and Pastoral Theology with the practical disciplines of ministry through its format and structure.
- The D.Min. promotes one’s place of ministry by nourishing both the community served by the minister as well as the minister.
- The D.Min. program reflects an increased level of competency over and above the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) curriculum.
- The D.Min. contributes to the field of practical theology and ministry.
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Degree Design and Requirements
Goals and Objectives
The program is designed to foster the development of the ministers’ understanding of the contexts of their ministries within the Christian community, and to help them situate their ministries within the total life of the Church.
The participants are given the opportunity not only to study various aspects of ministry but also to focus on a specific area of ministry and to develop in depth a particular ministerial project.
To achieve these general goals, the following functional objectives are offered:
- To provide the participant with course work in the following areas: leadership, administration, theology, communication, education and pastoral care.
- To enable the learner to specialize in one of the above areas.
- To provide peer relationships, theological reflection on ministry and special research skills.
- To guide the candidate to produce a significant project in ministry that will not only enhance his/her ministry, but also contribute to the general field of ministry.
Eligibility
Any ordained minister, religious, or lay person who is engaged in ministry may apply for admission provided that the following academic, professional and ecclesial requirements can be met:
- Academic: Admission to the D.Min. program requires the possession of a M.Div. degree or its educational equivalent. Those possessing a M.Div. degree should have a “B” or (3.0) accumulative average. For applicants possessing a Master of Arts Degree, a transcript assessment will determine what areas of theology will be required to achieve equivalency. Ordinarily, equivalency requires additional courses in the areas of systematic theology, scripture, pastoral theology, history, and liturgical-sacramental theology.
- Professional: Applicants are eligible for admission to the Doctor of Ministry Program after completing a minimum of three years of full-time ministry. The applicant must currently be assigned to a place of ministry that can serve as a field context throughout the duration of the program.
- Ecclesial: Applicants are to present a memo of understanding to co-workers and ecclesial superior(s) stating their intentions to pursue doctoral studies. A letter of recommendation from one’s ecclesiastical superior is required.
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The Doctor of Ministry Program works in
conjunction with your current ministry.
Requirements
The degree requires the completion of thirty semester hours of academic course work along with successful participation in yearly Colleague Experiences scheduled each semester.
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Six core area courses (12 hrs)
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Elective courses (12 hrs)
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D.Min. Project (6 hrs)
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First year and Pre-Semester Orientations
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Project Forums
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Theological Reflection
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Small group and communal prayer
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Yearly evaluation and assessment
Program Components
Academic Courses
Core Area Courses (12 credit hours).
These six areas, which constitute the core curriculum of the D.Min. reflect the breadth of pastoral competencies necessary for contemporary ministry and initiate possible areas for student concentration. In the first three semesters, students will participate in two seminar courses each semester in the areas of Leadership, Administration, Communication, Education, Pastoral Care and a select area in Theology.
Electives (12 credit hours).
Students focus on one of the above areas as an elective concentration. Students may take courses from the seminary curriculum or other approved graduate programs or initiate independent study with specific faculty members.
Yearly Colleague Experiences
There will be two orientations for Doctor of Ministry Students: The First Year Orientation and the Pre-Semester Orientation.
The First Year Orientation is for all newly accepted students. This orientation at the beginning of the program defines the parameters, philosophy and overview of the Doctor of Ministry Program.
The Pre-Semester Orientation will be a morning or afternoon session with individual student cohorts (i.e. first year students, second year students, etc.). This orientation will allow students to raise individual issues with regard to the scope of their involvement in theological reflection, the project forum, and related issues surrounding research skills on their current level of study within the program. It provides opportunities for students to interact with their course facilitators, give input into syllabi design, and discuss learning needs.
Yearly assessment and evaluation
Students receive letter grades at the end of each semester that reflect the quality of their academic work. At the close of the academic year, students review their overall performance and progress in the program with the director. Students must maintain a B (3.0) average.
Project Forums
These forums assist students in developing a solid Doctor of Ministry Project. Students will meet five times each semester for a seventy-five minute period to participate in the Project Forum. Doctoral students participate in the Project Forum each semester as cohort groups until they have reached candidacy. These forums discuss techniques in research design, help individual learners develop their theological and bibliographical foundations, hone commuter skills, and create a strategic plan for the project’s implementation and evaluation.
Theological Reflection
Twice each semester students will meet for theological reflection. These sessions will allow students to explore pastoral issues and share ministerial experiences with their peers linking the sectors of theology, spirituality, preaching, and ministerial practice with society and contemporary culture. The objectives of these sessions develop connections between ministry and culture, theology and praxis, theory and ministry.
Small Group and Communal Prayer
Students have an opportunity to pray together three times a semester. Two of these gatherings allow members of aparticular cohort (i.e. first year students, second year students, etc.) to set aside time for quiet reflection and informal prayer in small groups. Once a semester, all of the D.Min students will share in a large group experience of prayer reflecting their different traditions and liturgical styles.
The Final Phase: The Doctor of Ministry Project
Students completing all of the required course work map out a prospectus of their project with individual faculty mentors who direct students through the final phases of their doctoral projects.
Candidacy Symposium
The official "green light" to implement the Doctor of Ministry Project is given at the conclusion of this symposium. Successful candidates have synthesized the theological basis of their projects with an annotated bibliography and final research design. They have received input fror-n peers and direction from their faculty mentors. Students now prepare for project implementation, analysis and evaluation.
The Doctoral Project (6 credit hours)
Students demonstrate the integration of their doctoral work through a final project implemented from their ministerial context as field research. The project focus evaluates and improves an existing area of ministry or develops a new program based on a ministerial need. Students receive six credit hours while working with their mentor during this phase of implementation.
Project Colloquium
This colloquium allows students to present their completed project to the learning community. The faculty advisor, readers and peers are able to support the candidate's project and assess its overall contribution to the field of ministry.
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Tuition for the Doctoral Program
The cost of the doctoral program is $15,600.00* (for the six semesters).
Break down of yearly base costs per student:
- $2600.00 per semester or $5200.00 per year.
- $300.00 Graduation Fee The Doctoral Project (6 credit hours)
* Tuition may be subject to change.
Tuition discounts for priests, religious and ministers in the Cleveland Diocese are available.
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Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) Curriculum
Curriculum Requirements : 30 semester hours
| Core Courses | 12 |
Leadership |
2 |
Adminstration |
2 |
Communication |
2 |
Education |
2 |
Pastoral Care |
2 |
Theology |
2 |
Colleague Experiences |
0 |
Elective Readings or Courses |
12 |
The Doctoral Project |
6 |
Total Hours: (of core courses, electives, and project) |
30 semester hours |
| * either course fulfills core area | + At the completion of the project, the student is required to complete a colloquium with his/her advisor and two faculty readers. |
