Program Overview

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Doctor of Ministry

Overview

The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program at the San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) prepares students to become spiritual leaders and address the complex challenges of ministry. Through a personalized, interdisciplinary approach, the program fosters transformative leadership by integrating diverse traditions and perspectives.

Program Details

• Degree: Doctorate
• Program Type: Graduate
• Mode of Study: On Campus
• School/College: San Francisco Theological Seminary

What is a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree?

The Doctor of Ministry program at SFTS is designed to prepare students to become spiritual leaders and address the complex challenges of ministry. The program's interdisciplinary and contextual focus equips students with the skills to approach ministry through a culturally competent, ecumenical, and spiritually grounded lens.

Why earn this degree at SFTS?

As a student in the Doctor of Ministry program, you will learn to integrate critical theological analysis, biblical reflection, and social analysis to address contemporary issues in ministry. The program's interdisciplinary and contextual focus equips you with the skills to approach ministry through a culturally competent, ecumenical, and spiritually grounded lens.

Additional Program Information

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The Doctor of Ministry degree does more than update professional skills and encourage individual growth; it also seeks to tap into the very wellspring of creative ministry. The program brings together a wide variety of active ministries to learn, explore, and envision creative approaches to community growth and spiritual connection.

Throughout its 50-year history, the program's hallmark has been the interfaith and international character of the student body and faculty, as well as its engagement with forward-looking scholarship at the intersection of spirituality and social justice. The seminary's collaborative environment is an incubator for the research and development of alternative understandings, new tools, and novel resources for ministry in a rapidly changing world.

Classes You'll Take

• Two foundational courses:
  • DM-6017: Pastor as Person
  • DM-6039: Theology, Culture & Mission
• AND:
  • DM-6014: Dissertation/Project Orientation Seminar
  • DM-6001: Dissertation/Project Proposal Seminar
• Four elective three-credit (tuition bearing) seminars:
  • DMin Supervision I and II (post-coursework)

Dissertation/Project (D/P)

The Dissertation/Project is the culminating requirement of the DMin degree. The D/P is an original project that effectively analyzes a practical problem of ministry, formulates solutions, and evaluates the effectiveness of those solutions. As the name suggests, the D/P combines a research dissertation and a practical project relevant to the student's particular ministry.

Prerequisites for the D.Min. Degree

• M.Div. degree, or equivalent Master's degree in theological or religious studies
• 3 years post-M.Div. professional ministry experience, typically but not necessarily, recognized through ordination
• An active practice of ministry, providing a context for the student's research project

Degree Requirements

• Six 3-unit seminars
• Dissertation/project orientation and proposal seminars
• Final dissertation/project
• Designed to be completed within a five-year period; most students are expected to begin with a summer session.

Concentrations

• Pastoral Care and Counseling
• Pastor as Spiritual Leader
• Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Research
• Literacy Executive Leadership
• Interdisciplinary Studies of Ministry

Program Highlights

• Offered in: In-person in Marin campus in summer and January intersession
• 6: 3-unit seminars
• 5: Years
• 1: Dissertation/project

Graduate Application Deadlines

• Upcoming: Fall 2025. Students are encouraged to apply by June 1 (for Fall) in order to ensure a smooth enrollment experience.

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