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Doctor of Ministry

Explore creative approaches to contemporary ministry with a personalized program of study, with a Doctor of Ministry (D.MIN.).  

Degrees Offered

Doctorate

Program Types

Graduate

Mode of Study

On Campus

What is a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree?

In the Doctor of Ministry program at the San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS), you will prepare to become a spiritual leader and address the complex challenges of ministry. Through a personalized, interdisciplinary approach where the focus is on social justice, theological reflection, and contextual problem-solving, the program fosters transformative leadership by integrating diverse traditions and perspectives. Emphasizing interfaith collaboration, the program encourages you to explore innovative solutions for community growth, culminating in a field research project tailored to your specific interests. 

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. You will engage with forward-looking scholars on spirituality and social justice, collaborate in an interfaith environment, and develop innovative tools and strategies for ministry. Your learning will culminate in a field research project, tailored to your interests, allowing you to apply what you've learned to real-world challenges. 

Additional program information

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. It is also the only Doctor of Ministry program in the country to feature a concentration in Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Research Literacy. 

The interdisciplinary/contextual focus of the D.Min. degree provides students with a framework to integrate critical theological analysis and Biblical reflection with contextually applied social analysis to examine current issues in ministry. It also opens the door to the development of innovative and creative approaches to the challenges of ministry today.

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. During this period, students are enrolled in DMin Supervision.

  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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
Apply Now
Graduate application deadlines
Upcoming
Spring 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025. Students are encouraged to submit their application by the priority application date in order to expedite processing and ensure a smooth enrollment experience.
View deadlines

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