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Doctor of Ministry
GOSPEL, CULTURE, AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE
CHURCH: Equipping leaders for a new, more faithful church, reformed not through accommodation to contemporary culture, but through critical engagement.
Addressing a pervasive need in the Church for a new paradigm for relating gospel and culture, this DMin program in Gospel and Culture enables pastors to engage the mission field of North American, postmodern, post-Christian society. As students engage in disciplined cultural analysis, they will find that familiar biblical texts, doctrines, and ethics take on new meanings as they confront the challenges of today. They will see the emergence of new readings of the Church’s situation and the human project alongside their own renewed and enlivened commitment to theological truths.
Launch of New DMin Curriculum and Concentrations in Summer 2022
CTS will transition to a new DMin curriculum and new concentrations in summer term 2022. Student pursuing the DMin in our existing concentrations will be supported with the required courses and electives to complete their degree. DMin students admitted in 2021 will have the option of transferring to one of the two new concentrations: Justice Studies and Leadership Studies.
JUSTICE STUDIES
Students pursuing a DMin in this area will gain conceptual and practical tools for the work of justice in their ministry contexts. In their program, students may explore justice in the arenas of ecology, race, sexuality and gender, disability, or other forms of social justice.
Student Learning Outcomes for New DMin curriculum
OVERALL DMIN PROGRAM GOALS:
• Design and implement a final project that demonstrates theologically informed interdisciplinary integration with evidence of critical awareness of cultural context(s) and employs a social scientific methodology. • Develop an informed plan of identifying, framing, and responding to a crucial ministry issue in the student’s context that identifies sources and resources. • Embody personal and spiritual maturity to reinvigorate and deepen their vocational calling by relating their ministry to clearly identified communities of support and accountability.
LEADERSHIP CONCENTRATION GOAL
Demonstrate capacity to articulate biblically informed theologies and theories of inclusive l eadership to ground strategies and practices relevant to specific ministry contexts.
JUSTICE CONCENTRATION GOAL
Demonstrate capacity to articulate biblically informed theologies and theories of justice that articulate multidimensional aims, outline strategies, and identify practices for responsible action in specific ministry contexts.
LEADERSHIP STUDIES
Students pursuing a DMin in this area will gain fresh conceptual and practical tools for leadership in their ministry contexts. In their program, students may focus on leadership in ministries (such as congregations, non-profit agencies, social entrepreneurial enterprises, etc.)
COMPARISON OF PRESENT DMIN CURRICULUM WITH NEW DMIN CURRICULUM LAUNCHING IN 2022
DMin Curriculum 2021-2022
Required Courses
Credits Intro Seminar 3 Introduction to Research Methodology 3 5 Electives 15 Practicum 3 Project Proposal Workshop 3 Project Literature Review 3 Final Project 6 Total Credits 36 Classes are taught in one of two formats:
Hybrid courses where students will take classes on campus for one week and complete the remainder of the course online; or Fully online courses.
Classes are offered over a three- to four-year period of the degree, but students will complete most of their studies, their practicum, and their project in their own ministry setting in consultation with the faculty.
A.New DMin Curricular Model launching in 2022 Required Courses Credits 3 Core Courses in Concentration— may be taken in any order
Biblical Perspectives of Justice: (specific title TBD)
Theological Perspectives of Justice: (specific title TBD)
Theories of Practice of Justice: (specific title TBD) OR Biblical Perspectives of Leadership: (specific title TBD)
Theological Perspectives of Leadership: (specific title TBD)
Theories of Practice of Leadership: (specific title TBD)
9
Introduction to Research Methodologies 3 3 Electives 9 Practicum 3 Project Proposal Workshop Project Literature Review Final Project Total Credits 3 3 6 36
DMin Program Administration
The DMin program operates under the supervision of Columbia’s Advanced Degrees Committee and is administered by a faculty member serving as associate dean for advanced professional studies. The program cooperates with the other member schools of the Atlanta Theological Association (ATA). Students may take courses in the DMin programs of other ATA member schools through cross-registration.
Advising
Each student is guided by an adviser who is assigned during the introductory seminar. The student is responsible for consulting with the adviser to develop a plan of study. When the student is ready to submit a proposal for the student’s project, first and second readers are chosen. The advisor may serve as either the first or second reader for the project; however, the first reader will become the new adviser of record. The first and second readers assist the student in developing a project proposal and evaluate the student’s written DMin research project.
Components of the Program (for those entering in 2021)
The thirty-six-hour program comprises the following: Introductory Seminar (3 credit hours). Students
take part in an intensive seminar at the outset of the program to explore interdisciplinary perspectives around contemporary issues of ministry and professional development. In this seminar students begin interdisciplinary integration and clarify an operative theory of ministry to guide their development of a study plan. Elective Courses (15 credit hours). The program requires a plan of study involving the integration of three dimensions: the biblical and theological norms of Christian faith; critical attention to the contemporary human situation; and the practices of ministry and church mission. In consultation with an adviser, each student develops a course of study to achieve the aims of both the student and the doctoral program. Students must complete at least one course in each of the three areas of the Columbia curriculum: Biblical, Practical Theology, and
Historical/Doctrinal. Introduction to Research Methodologies (3 credit hours).
This seminar is designed to introduce to the students the basic rudiments of qualitative research methods to utilize for ministry as well as for extensive research in their final projects.
This seminar and the Project Proposal Workshop which students register for near the end of the students’ coursework are required courses to prepare the students to articulate a welldesigned project proposal before implementing their projects and writing their final research project papers. Doctor of Ministry Practicum (3 credit hours).
A 200 hour minimum practicum provides supervised field based learning to expand the range and depth of skills of the student in a ministry practice which contributes to the well-being of the ministry context. The practicum is a student designed supervised ministry experience that normally takes place in the student’s ministry context that will enable the student to achieve specified learning goals, achievable in this context which can also be applied in future ministry situations. Students are also encouraged to use the practicum to focus on methodological work, testing strategies, or new practices of ministry related to the final project.
A practicum supervisor outside of the student’s ministry context and a peer group that will be part of the practicum project will be chosen by the student. A unit of Clinical Pastoral Education may be used to meet this requirement.
Project Proposal Workshop (3 credit hours).
Toward the end of the program coursework, each student participates in a project proposal seminar to clearly articulate the topic and design of the student’s final DMin project. This seminar, together with the Introduction to Research
Methodologies offered near the beginning of the students’ program, is offered to prepare the students to articulate well-designed project proposals, design data collection instruments, and enhance their preparation for executing their final projects, writing their final project papers, and planning an oral presentation and evaluation following the completion of the written project to reflect mastery of the project and achievement of the program outcomes.
DMin Project Literature Review (3 credit hours).
After students successfully complete their project proposals, they will critically review relevant literature for their projects with the careful guidance of their first readers. The culmination of the literature review may be the completion of the chapter outlining the theoretical and theological framework of the student’s project. The student must receive satisfactory evaluation from the first and second readers in order to pass the course.
Doctor of Ministry Project (6 credit hours).
Elements of the degree converge in the Doctor of Ministry Project. The student must complete a DMin project, comprised of a written project that explores an area of ministry related to the
student’s vocational calling, utilizes appropriate research methodologies and resources, and generates new knowledge regarding the practice of ministry. In order that the project can be an integrating focus for the entire course of study, students should start thinking about the proposal for the project early in the program. Ordinarily, the student’s ministry setting is the context of the DMin research project.
Students enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry degree program are required to request an extension if they have not completed the degree requirements within six years from the date of matriculation. Working with the director of the DMin program, the student crafts an extension proposal that is submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs for approval. Payment of the non-refundable extension fee is required at the time of submission.
Requirements for the Doctor of Ministry Degree
To be eligible for graduation with the DMin degree, students are expected to: • Have on file with the seminary a complete and official transcript of credits showing graduation with the MDiv degree (or its equivalent) from an
ATS-accredited institution; • Satisfactorily complete all the requirements of the degree with a total of 36 credit hours, 30 of which must be completed at Columbia; • Complete the Introduction to Research Methodologies course, Practicum, the Project Proposal Workshop, and DMin Literature Review; • Complete the DMin project requirements; • Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.00; • Demonstrate to the faculty that they have sustained a sound moral and religious character in seminary life and give promise of useful service in the ministry or other church vocations; and • Pay all bills to the seminary and give assurance that all open CTS accounts have been satisfied.
Students with education loans must agree to make prompt and regular payments.
Admission to the Doctor of Ministry Program
Admission to the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program requires a Master of Divinity (MDiv) or master’s in a ministry-related field. Admission will be open to applicants with an accredited master’s degree in a ministry related area with significant ministry experience. Students without an accredited Master of Divinity degree may be admitted, provided that applicant meets each of these criteria:
• The ability to thoughtfully interpret scripture and the theological tradition of one’s ministry context • The capacity to understand and adapt one’s ministry to the cultural context • Basic self-understanding of one’s ministerial identity and vocational calling • A readiness to engage in ongoing personal and spiritual formation for one’s ministry • An accredited master’s degree (or its educational equivalent) in an area related to one’s ministry setting or vocational calling • Significant ministerial experience that enables the applicant to engage as a ministry peer with other students in this advanced professional doctorate.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale to be considered for admission. Prospective students who have completed an MDiv with high academic standing, who have also served in a congregation or para-church ministry setting for at least three years, are strongly encouraged to apply. All prospective students, regardless of their GPA, are encouraged to apply; all applications will be thoroughly reviewed and considered for admission.
The application deadlines for the DMin programs are determined by an applicant’s desired term of entry – i.e., January Term or Summer Term. Deadlines and admissions decisions are as follows:
Application Admissions Deadline Decision
January Term October 15 November 15
Summer Term April 15 May 15
Students who are unable to matriculate during the term for which they were admitted may defer their admissions decision for up to two terms or one academic year. Deferral requests must be submitted in writing to admissionsstaff@ctsnet.edu. Incomplete applications and/or admitted students that do not matriculate and do not submit a deferral request will be administratively withdrawn from the admissions process with Columbia retaining application materials for at least one academic year. After one academic year, applicants may be required to submit new application materials to be considered for admission.
Application Requirements
The application process in entirely online. Applicants can apply by visiting https://ctsnet.edu/apply.
To be considered for admission to the DMin program, an applicant must submit to the admissions office the following materials:
• Online application for admission • $50 nonrefundable application fee • Resume / CV • Statement of Purpose: three – four pages, typed, double-spaced ministerial and intellectual biography that clearly outlines the applicant’s academic interests, how they have developed, and goals they hope to achieve within the degree program. The statement should also include key
information pertaining to the applicant’s ministry context, research focus, key problems, questions, and theories that arise from the applicant’s ministerial context and/or professional experience. • Plan of Study: one – two pages, typed, double- spaced that identifies their area of concentration and clearly outlines the applicant’s plan for completing their research and/or vocational goals within the DMin program. The Plan of
Study should also include an applicant’s area of research, courses they plan to take, and faculty with whom they hope to work. • Writing Sample: this should be a recent sample of the applicant’s writing that clearly demonstrates ability to write and critically engage an argument through the lens of contextual ministry and theological research.
Recent is defined as having been written in the last 3-5 years. If a recent sample is not available, the applicant may choose to submit an alternative writing assignment for which a prompt can be found online. Students seeking guidance concerning the academic writing sample or alternate writing assignment should email admissionsstaff@ctsnet.edu. • Official Transcript(s): applicants must submit transcripts from all colleges, universities, seminaries, and graduate schools attended by the applicant for at least one course whether or not a degree was granted. Official transcripts should be sent directly from the institution to
Columbia Theological Seminary. If an applicant is currently enrolled in a degree program, the applicant should send an official transcript that includes all work to-date. Such applicants will be admitted provisionally contingent upon receipt of the final transcript post-graduation. • Three Letters of Recommendation: recommendations may be academic, pastoral, or professional. DMin applicants are required to submit at least one academic and one pastoral recommendation.
Additional Requirements
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS | TOEFL REQUIREMENT
English Language Learners (ELL) and persons whose first language is not English are required to submit recent test scores, ordinarily taken within the last two years, from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In most cases, students accepted to Columbia’s first-level master’s degree programs submit a TOEFL score of 84 or higher on the internet-based TOEFL (iBT, iBT Home Edition, or Paper-delivered) with a minimum score of 21 in each of the skill sections. TOEFL scores should be submitted by TOEFL directly to Columbia (Institutional Code: 5118). All test fees are the responsibility of the applicant.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS | I-20S AND FINANCIAL CERTIFICATION
International students applying to Columbia’s doctoral degree programs are not eligible to apply for F Visa sponsorship due to the format in which doctoral courses are offered. However, all international doctoral applicants are still are required to complete Columbia’s financial certification process upon admission. The process will ensure the student has adequate financial resources to cover tuition, fees, travel, and living expenses for the duration of their academic study. Financial certification must be completed no less than ninety (90) days prior to the program start date.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS | HEALTH INSURANCE REQUIREMENT
International students admitted to the Seminary’s doctoral programs are not eligible to participate in the Seminary’s international student health insurance plan and should maintain appropriate health insurance in their country of origin.
TRANSFER STUDENTS | LETTER OF GOOD STANDING
Students transferring from another seminary or graduate school are required to submit a letter of good standing that certifies the student will leave their current school in good standing with the institution – academic, financial, and otherwise.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK
After admission and prior to enrollment, all admitted students must complete a background check that will be conducted via a Columbia-approved third-party. All admissions decisions are contingent upon the successful completion of the criminal background check.
TITLE IX TRAINING BY EVERFI
All admitted students are required to complete an online Title IX training provided by Columbia prior to matriculation. The training will familiarize students with matters related to Title IX, sexual misconduct, and reporting.
ADMISSIONS DEPOSIT
A nonrefundable admissions deposit of $250 is required of all students enrolling at Columbia Theological Seminary. The deposit is due within thirty (30) days of a student’s admission decision and no later than July 30, in order to confirm the student’s place in the program.
GRE TEST SCORES
The Columbia Admissions Office welcomes the submission of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) test scores. However, this is not required to be considered for admission.
Transfer Credit
With prior approval from the Office of Academic Affairs, a student may receive up to 6 hours of transfer credit from another ATS accredited institution. Each course must be at the advanced degree level and the grade must be at least a B (3.0 on a scale of 4.0). Independent studies and enhanced master's degree courses will not be considered for transfer credit. A course submitted for advanced standing must have been taken no more than five years before entrance into the program. Students may not receive credit for academic work applied toward another degree.
