Online Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The DMin prepares men and women for more effective ministry in the unique context where God has already called them. Knox designed it for people serving now as pastors, missionaries, teachers or administrators in churches, Christian schools or other ministries, and it brings seasoned leaders into a community of learning with peers and Knox faculty.

It is ideal if you want to:

• add theological depth to your ministry calling and context;
• strengthen the preaching, teaching, research and writing your work demands;
• grow your capacity to lead;
• mature spiritually, personally and professionally; and
• make a practical contribution through your final project, with individualized coaching through the project phase.

The Doctor of Ministry may be taken entirely online, or by adding one-week intensive courses offered periodically at the Knox campus. Online courses are asynchronous: a 3-credit course typically runs eight weeks, with weekly readings, video lectures and an assignment you complete on your own schedule. Knox enrolls students year-round.

A DMin and a PhD answer different questions. The DMin is a professional doctorate. It takes the work you are already doing in a church or ministry and deepens it, and it ends with a project that "integrates analytical and ministerial research, theological reflection, and practical application." A PhD is a research degree built around original scholarship, and it usually points toward teaching and academic writing.

If your goal is to lead a congregation or ministry with more depth, the DMin fits. If your goal is a career in the academy, a PhD is the usual path. Knox describes its academic master's, the MABTS, as preparation for students who "intend to pursue further graduate religious studies."

The DMin is 30 credit hours:

• Required courses: DM825 Doctoral Research and Writing for Ministry, DM888 Theological Ethics for Ministry, and DM918 Christ-Centered Preaching.
• Electives: 15 credit hours.
• Major Project: DM999, 6 credit hours.

You need a completed master's degree in a ministry-related area with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, plus significant ministry experience. The most common path is an MDiv from an accredited seminary. The admissions committee also considers applicants who show strong, advanced proficiency in all of the following:

• an accredited master's degree (or its equivalent) related to your ministry setting or calling;
• significant ministry experience;
• a clear account of your ministry calling and what a DMin would add to it;
• the ability to interpret Scripture and place it within your theological tradition;
• the ability to adapt ministry to your particular context; and
• a history of spiritual, personal and ministerial growth and maturity.

To apply, submit the online application with the $50 fee, official transcripts from every institution you attended, the pastoral, academic and personal reference forms, and an endorsement letter from your church or governing body. Applicants without a completed MDiv answer additional short-answer and essay questions. For specific criteria, email [email protected].

DMin tuition is $755 per credit hour, or $705 per credit hour for students 65 and over. The Major Project fee is $3,500, charged in addition to the 30 tuition credit hours. Other fees are listed on the tuition page.

The Church Partnership Program is available to all students and their partnering church. It splits tuition three ways between your church or qualified ministry, Knox donors and you. Knox does not accept federal student loans.

A DMin graduate will be able to articulate a Christ-centered view of ministry in which theological study, practice and ethical conduct inform one another, demonstrate the pastoral, oral and written skills that church leadership at its most mature requires, and contribute to the practice of ministry through a doctoral-level project.

In Knox's Graduating Student Questionnaire (classes of 2021 and 2022), 100% of DMin, MACCS and MABTS graduates agreed that they were competent in each learning outcome area. Read the full Statement of Educational Effectiveness.