Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake (USML) is designed for seasoned ministers who hold a Master’s Degree in a theological discipline or an equivalent qualification. Positioned as a terminal professional degree distinct from a Ph.D., it emphasizes the refinement of practical skills and leadership acumen essential for effective ministry.
This degree enables you to engage your ministry in dialogue with the best insights from Scripture, Tradition, and the human sciences. The degree program’s goal is to develop pastoral leadership skills that meet the missionary needs of the church in today’s challenging cultural environment.
Designed to accommodate the schedules of busy professionals, the program features a hybrid delivery format. This structure caters to working individuals balancing professional responsibilities with academic pursuits.
Through case studies and projects drawn from ministerial experiences, scholars engage in integration and processing acquired advanced competency in ministerial leadership. To achieve this goal, the program provides scholars with a community of practice that combines ministerial integration with formal coursework and research supervision.
The curriculum focuses on Christian Leadership, with an emphasis on helping existing leaders grow in their vocations, equipping them to respond more effectively to God’s call. Additionally, for previously trained Spiritual Directors, we offer a modified curriculum that combines leadership courses with a special focus on the ministry of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.
Da el siguiente paso en tu vocación de servicio.
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Inscríbase hoy mismo y comience su camino de educación y formación en la Escuela de Liderazgo Parroquial y Evangelización.
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Who Benefits from the D.Min. Program?
- Experienced ministers, both lay and ordained, seeking career enhancement.
- Professionals aspiring to leadership roles in ministry, including Catholic school presidents or high school theology educators transitioning into administrative positions.
- Individuals aiming to strengthen their leadership effectiveness within their current ministry contexts.
- Aspiring to be a college professor or teach at the university level.
Trabajo del curso
The Doctor of Ministry program is an online program with a residential component. The residential component can be completed in just a few weeks each year, providing students with the opportunity to study, pray, and reflect alongside their peers and professors on our beautiful campus.
By providing online instruction and the opportunity to meet with peers and professors in person, the program offers the benefits of both styles of education while remaining flexible for today’s busy ministers.
D.Min. Dissertation
Every element of the Doctor of Ministry program is designed to support the successful completion of the dissertation project.
Coursework provides theological frameworks, research methodologies, and tools for evaluating both the minister and the ministerial context.
The hybrid distance-learning model allows students to remain embedded in their own ministerial settings, which serve as the primary context for research and reflection.
The dissertation project must make a significant contribution to the understanding and practice of ministry by advancing new knowledge and insight. The project should demonstrate the student’s ability to apply theological and social scientific frameworks to a clearly defined ministerial issue.
Doctoral students should begin exploring topics with their professors as soon as they begin the program. The process will be clearly outlined at the beginning of your course of study.
One key element of the dissertation process is establishing a relationship with your dissertation advisor. See faculty profiles in the next section.
D.Min. Faculty Profiles
To assist you in selecting faculty for your dissertation advisor and second reader, please review our faculty profiles.
Requisitos previos
- Completed three years of full-time ministry or its equivalent.
- Presently engaged in ministry.
- The regular expectation is the completion of a master’s degree in theology. However, students with an accredited masters in a non-theological subject. may be considered based on the completion of a Prior Learning Assessment.
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