The Doctor of Ministry program (D.Min.) is an advanced, professional, theological degree to enhance the practice of ministry for pastors, ministry staff, and those carrying leadership responsibilities in other Christian organizations. Its purpose is to serve and advance the church by providing an environment in which experienced church and para-church leaders can have their thinking enriched, their skills strengthened, and their spiritual lives renewed for the challenges of ministry today.

Graduates of the NES D.Min. program will be able to demonstrate:

• an advanced understanding of the nature and purposes of pastoral ministry
• enhanced competencies in pastoral and cultural analysis and ministerial leadership skills
• enriched ability to think biblically and theologically about all aspects of ministry
• an ability to integrate their understanding and competencies into a theologically reflective practice of ministry
• continued growth and increased maturity in personal and spiritual formation

In short, the Doctor of Ministry degree equips people to serve Christ’s church with the highest levels of excellence, wisdom, and skill. The D.Min. is the highest professional degree for ordained persons in the parish or related ministries. The primary emphasis of the D.Min. is the practice of ministry, which distinguishes it from the Ph.D. and other degrees that are focused more narrowly on scholarly research alone. The D.Min. degree builds on the M.Div. degree and a minimum of three years professional practice in ministry (both of which are prerequisites).

The D.Min. program enhances the mission of the Seminary “to serve the global church by preparing men and women for Christian ministry.” Specifically, it supports NES’ intention to “develop theologically-reflective, spiritually-formed, professionally-competent persons for Christ-centered ministry to contemporary culture.” The unique strength of the NES D.Min. program is its integrative focus on three areas of study that are indispensible for faithful service to the church and world in the 21st century: scripture, spirituality, and Christian leadership.

Grounded in Northeastern Seminary’s commitment to the centrality and authority of Holy Scripture, doctoral students at NES will find their proficiency in biblical interpretation and application strengthened, their grasp and experience of the rich resources of human and Christian spirituality deepened, and their competence as Christian leaders and practitioners enhanced. The learning experience is enhanced at NES through coursework taken with a highly selective group of peers in ministry, and guided by NES faculty and internationally-known scholar-pastors.

Northeastern’s D.Min. program is an in-service curriculum that allows participants to complete the program while remaining in full-time ministry. Classes are offered in one-week intensives in January and June, with extensive pre- and post-seminar assignments and on-line interaction that allow students to apply class materials to the local setting.

Earning the Doctor of Ministry degree requires completion of 36 credit hours: 10 three-credit classes, plus a 6-credit dissertation. The following six courses are required:

• Calling and Vocation (opening retreat)
• Theological Foundations for Ministry
• Scriptural Foundations for Ministry
• Spirituality for Ministry
• Transformational Leadership
• Research Methodology (preparation for the dissertation)

The D.Min. curriculum is completed with four elective courses that allow the student to pursue particular areas of interest. Electives are offered on such topics as Developing Healthy Spiritual Communities, Contemporary Theological Issues, and Preaching and Scripture. Directed studies are available for students who wish to pursue areas of interest not represented in current course offerings.

The following features enrich the NES D.Min. program:

• Retreat experiences: Even in the midst of the academic rigor of the D.Min. degree, we want to provide you with the gift of time and space for the renewal of your soul. As a result, spiritual formation retreats are an integral part of the rhythm of the program. Entering students begin the D.Min. experience with a three-day, two-night retreat at a reflective/meditative off-site venue. This retreat focuses on understanding one’s ministry journey to date, determining personal growth goals for the rest of the program, and building relationships among the D.Min. students. The first class (Calling and Vocation) is taken in this retreat setting. Each of the remaining required courses also includes a 24-hour off-site retreat during the residence week. In addition, D.Min. students are invited to attend (at no charge) the annual All-Seminary Retreat where the entire NES community gathers for worship, learning, and community.
• On-line collaboration: Each one-week residency is preceded and followed by opportunities for on-line interaction with the faculty member and/or fellow students. This on-line interaction helps to create the collegial learning environment that characterizes our D.Min. program, and also allows students to integrate and apply classroom material.
• Spiritual formation: A signature feature of the NES D.Min. program is its interwoven emphasis on formative spirituality through a regular rhythm of retreat experiences and course work. Doctoral students are guided in the development of an integrational theology of human and Christian spirituality that equips them to nurture both their own spiritual formation and that of those they are called to serve within and outside the church.
• Exposure to nationally-known scholars and practitioners: In addition to our own outstanding NES faculty, the D.Min. program is intentional about providing students with access to some of the leading scholars and practitioners of our day. Students may take electives that are built around NES’ annual Conference on Ministry and receive focused time with the keynote presenters (past speakers have included Dallas Willard and Reggie McNeal). Dr. Leith Anderson, senior pastor of Wooddale Church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals, team teaches the Transformational Leadership class.
• Peer Interaction and Reflection: Learning at the doctoral level is enhanced by the opportunity to be part of a small, highly selective group of peers in ministry. Small class size ensures that the learning environment is highly collegial. Students form meaningful friendships with one another and develop long-term mentoring relationships with the faculty members who guide the class.
• Professional Development: Entering D.Min. participants will experience an extensive, personal, and professional assessment as part of their first class. This experience will be formative in nature and not evaluative. The information gained from this experience will be confidential and will be used by the student and his or her dissertation advisor during the program to enhance spiritual and personal development and effectiveness in ministry.

Classes are offered in two consecutive weeks each June and January. A student can take as many as four classes per year. Following this pattern, a student could complete the course work in two and one half years and (with satisfactory completion of the dissertation) graduate three years after entering the program.

Students may adjust the timeline according to individual needs such as ministry commitments and finances. For example, a student may opt to take just one of the two weeks of resident coursework in a given residency. Doing so will lengthen the timeline for completing the D.Min. degree, but may make the program more sustainable for the student. Students choosing to take the program at a slower pace should keep in mind that the maximum allowance for degree completion is six years. For each class, pre-course work begins 60-90 days before (April and October) the residency and follow-up work is completed 60 days after (August and March). Pre-classroom preparation for each one-week period on campus includes approximately 2,000 pages of reading, plus appropriate research, reflection, and writing. Post-residency assignments for each course typically include a substantial integration and application paper. Students must negotiate ministry and family commitments in order to allow for the significant time investment required to complete this program successfully.

The program culminates in the writing of a doctoral-level dissertation and publishable paper of one’s process, findings, and learning. This dissertation is intended to make a major contribution to the student’s own understanding of ministry and to the body of knowledge in the field of pastoral ministry.

Requirements for Course Completion
Students will normally be given 60 days following each residency to complete course assignments. Students not able to complete the work in that timeframe must petition the instructor for an extension. Students will be required to repeat the course at a later date if unable to meet the original and extended deadline. Any course not completed within six months must be repeated.

Graduation Requirements

• Satisfactory completion (80% or higher) of six required classes, four electives Successful completion and oral defense of a dissertation
• Satisfactory completion of all degree requirements in no more than six years after initial matriculation.

Dissertation
The D.Min research class will provide students with the methodological skills necessary to write a doctoral disseration. This class is offered on an as-needed basis, and so can be scheduled at a time in the program that is most strategic for the student.

• The topic of the dissertation research will be chosen in relation to the student’s ministry context. The faculty chair and ministry-site representative will work with each student to establish and define the dissertation. The D.Min. dissertation committee will work with the student throughout the design, research, and writing of the dissertation. It is assumed that the results of the dissertation research will enhance and strengthen the student’s personal ministry and benefit the student’s ministry site (church or institution).
• The completed dissertation should be a publishable document that displays the student’s ability to use appropriate theoretical and theological resources in addressing both the nature and the practice of ministry. The dissertation will demonstrate the candidate’s ability to identify a specific theological topic in ministry, organize an effective research model, use appropriate resources, and evaluate the results.
• Upon completion of the dissertation proposal, the candidate will be expected to participate in an oral defense and evaluation before his or her dissertation committee before being approved to proceed to the research and writing phase. The completed dissertation will be submitted to the D.Min. office in hard copy and electronic format.

The purpose of the D.Min. degree is to enhance the practice of ministry for persons who hold the Master of Divinity degree and have engaged in some form of ministerial leadership. Admission is on the basis of competence in theology and ministry, and giving evidence of the motivation and ability to pursue further study at the doctoral level. In examining the application, the Admissions Committee will consider whether the applicant:

• Is capable of doctoral-level work
• Has demonstrable learning in the various theological studies
• Has sufficient ministry experience to gain maximum benefit from the program
• Has articulated how the program will enhance his or her ministry
• Is spiritually and emotionally mature
• Has sufficient support structures (e.g., family, church, etc.) to successfully complete the program.

In order to determine whether the applicant meets these criteria, the following specific requirements are necessary for admission to the D.Min. program:

1. Completion of a Master of Divinity degree from a seminary accredited by The Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
2. In cases where the applicant has not received an accredited Master of Divinity, admission may be considered provided he or she possesses its educational equivalent. To do so the applicant must demonstrate that he or she has a strong foundation in all the areas of theological studies, namely: Biblical literature and theology, church history and historical theology, systematic theology, and pastoral theology. This would require a minimum of 15 credits in one of the four areas named above and 9 credits in each of the other three areas with a grade of B or better. The NES Core Curriculum meets the theological, biblical, and historical studies equivalency. As such, an applicant with another graduate degree may be considered for admission if he or she can also show proof of successful matriculation in theological preparation and meets the minimum credit standard.
3. Three years of full-time ministry or cross-cultural mission experience subsequent to the M.Div. degree or its educational equivalent. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis and must meet ATS standards for admission.
4. Official transcripts from all previous graduate and undergraduate-level academic work. Normally, a grade point average of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in previous graduate degree work is required.
5. Two ecclesiastical references from a supervisor of the church or para-church organization to which the applicant is accountable that indicate an ability to do above-average graduate-level academic work, affirms the applicant’s call to and gifts for Christian ministry, and gives their endorsement for the individual to pursue the D.Min. degree
6. One congregational or institutional reference that affirms the applicant’s call to and gifts for Christian ministry
7. A narrative of approximately 1,500 words on “Ministerial Experience and Program Expectations” in which the applicant (1) reviews and reflects on his or her ministerial experience and (2) offers a possible dissertation topic. Part 2 of this narrative does not constitute a formal dissertation proposal; it does, however, identify a potential topic or area of interest that the applicant may wish to pursue in the Doctor of Ministry program. Your narrative may be submitted as a Word or PDF document.
8. A graduate-level paper of 15 to 20 pages in length. This may be a paper the applicant has written earlier. The paper should demonstrate the applicant’s best work and ability in the following areas (your paper may be submitted as a Word or PDF document):
   • Knowledge of theological disciplines
   • Use of research methodology
   • Use of Chicago or another recognized style of writing research papers
9. In the case of international students for whom English is a second language, an Internet-based TOEFL score of 79 or higher is required (or equivalent score for computer or paper-based TOEFL).

Housing is available in area hotels and on or near the campus for those living outside the Rochester, NY, area or beyond a reasonable daily commute.

A housing fee of $30 per night is charged for double-occupancy townhouse rooms. Single-occupancy rate is $60.00 per night. Spouses may accompany students at the same rate.

Area Hotels