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Doctor of Ministry

Program Code: D-DIV-DMN
Degree Designation: Doctor of Ministry
Department: Divinity School
Website: divinity.duke.edu/academics/dmin

Program Summary

The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program offers theological education on Scripture, engagement with the living Christian tradition, and attention to and reflection on contemporary contexts in order to provide formation for leaders of faithful Christian ministries. Because the degree is designed to promote rigorous and imaginative reflection on the practice of ministry and to enhance the critical skills of persons engaged in the leadership of congregations or church-related institutions, a central feature of the degree is its integration of practical ministerial experience with structured theological reflection.

The DMin program operates with a hybrid pedagogy of intensive residencies and online synchronous and asynchronous engagements, allowing for the integration of theoretical learning with contextual ministry formation. While synchronous online activities typically involve weekly zoom meetings, asynchronous online activities include self-paced learning in the form of pre-recorded lectures, discussion forums, and group study and presentations.

Through study and engagement within this program, students will be able to:

  • Read and exegete Scripture and the great texts of the Christian tradition for the purpose of preaching and teaching the gospel with clarity, power, and reverence;

  • Think theologically and critically about the doctrines and practices of the church and about the world in which the church finds itself, in ways that are both faithful to the historic ecclesial traditions and responsive to the challenges of our time;

  • Act with compassion and effectiveness in leading Christian ministries of worship, preaching, education, and formation in service to and transformation of the world;

  • Cultivate personal and spiritual maturity for the purpose of strengthening vocational clarity.

Academic Requirements

The requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry are:

  • Fifteen courses completed in no less than two academic years (the DMin degree is not eligible for credit transfer);

  • The completion and committee approval of a substantial written thesis;

  • Compilation of a portfolio to be reviewed by an academic advisor;

  • The maintenance of a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0;

  • Completion of all requirements for the degree within a maximum six-year period.

  • Required Courses

    • DMNISTRY 901

    • OLDTEST 901

    • DMNISTRY 904

    • NEWTEST 901

    • CHURHST 903

    • DMNISTRY 903

    • XTIANTHE 904

    • DMNISTRY 902

    • DMNISTRY 905

    • DMNISTRY 906

    • DMNISTRY 907

  • Spiritual Formation

    • DMNISTRY 900, completed at least 5 times

  • Portfolio

  • Thesis

Administration

The DMin degree is structured on a cohort model that organizes learning around short-term (generally one-week) immersive residential seminars in conjunction with ongoing group interaction facilitated by online tools. Each residential seminar will be followed by a period utilizing structured synchronous and asynchronous classrooms during which students will engage one another and faculty on a weekly basis. The structured character of the synchronous and asynchronous classrooms includes assignments that require students both to integrate course material with the ecclesial practices that are part of their daily work and to do so in conversation with the community of peers formed during the residential immersive weeks and sustained through online communication. The five terms of coursework span approximately two academic years; tuition payments are distributed across six terms. The degree program concludes with a period of independent research and writing, one to two years in length, culminating in the production of a substantial written thesis. As a means to exhibit growth and understanding of theological reflection, every DMin student must compile a student portfolio that an advisor will review in the student’s fifth term. Both the portfolio and the advisor’s final evaluation are submitted to the academic dean.

After their first year of study, Doctor of Ministry students may elect to substitute one directed study class for a cohort course. This may be an enhanced class within the Duke Divinity School curriculum or a directed study with a regular rank faculty member. Students must apply to the Director of the Program for permission no later than the registration period before the upcoming immersive week, thus, October for Spring, February for Summer, and March for Fall. Electives are expected to involve reading and study that are congruent with the level of study required by other courses in the Doctor of Ministry program. This course cannot replace the required Formation Seminar (DMNISTRY 900) courses.

Students should follow the curricular paradigm below. More information on paradigms can be found in Academic Policies.

Continuation Requirements

The progress of all students is reviewed at the end of every semester by the Academic Policies Committee. The following are the continuation requirements for the DMin degree program:

  • The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. A student who falls below this level may be dismissed;

  • The student must demonstrate progress in the program by completing courses. A student who has three or more unresolved incompletes or a pattern of multiple withdrawals may, at the discretion of the academic dean, be dismissed, placed on an involuntary leave of absence until the incomplete work is resolved, or asked to participate in a limited program;

  • Doctor of Ministry students who have registered for the required courses and have completed all coursework except the thesis must register for Thesis Continuation (CONTDIV 503) each term until they complete all the requirements for the program;

  • Except for extenuating circumstances, students who have completed the course requirements but have failed to complete the thesis by the end of the fourth year of writing will be administratively withdrawn from the doctoral program. A student may request to have the ThM awarded within one year of the withdrawal term.

Recommended DMin Curricular Paradigm

  • Term 1 (Fall)

    • DMNISTRY 900 (Formation Seminar)

    • OLDTEST 901 (Old Testament)

    • Cohort Course

  • Term 2 (Spring)

    • DMNISTRY 900 (Formation Seminar)

    • NEWTEST 901 (New Testament)

    • Cohort Course

  • Term 3 (Summer)

    • CHURHST 903 (Church History)

    • DMNISTRY 900 (Formation Seminar)

    • Cohort Course

  • Term 4 (Fall)

    • DMNISTRY 900 (Formation Seminar)

    • XTIANTHE 904 (Christian Theology)

    • Cohort Course

  • Term 5 (Spring)

    • DMNISTRY 900 (Formation Seminar)

    • DMNISTRY 906 (Thesis Seminar)

    • Cohort Course

    • Completion of Student Portfolio

  • Term 6 (Summer)

    • DMNISTRY 907 (Thesis Writing Phase)

Bulletin Links

2025-2026 Divinity School Bulletin. Download PDF here.