Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)

• Prerequisites

  • Applicants for admission to the Doctor of Ministry program must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a four-year college or university accredited by one of the nationally recognized regional accrediting agencies or the international equivalent. Applicants must have completed an accredited master’s degree in a ministry-related area from a seminary or university accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada or its international equivalent. Applicants without an accredited Master of Divinity degree may be admitted, provided applicants meet each of these criteria: (a) the ability to thoughtfully interpret scripture and the theological tradition of one’s ministry context, (b) the capacity to understand and adapt one’s ministry to the cultural context, (c) a basic self-understanding of one’s ministerial identity and vocational calling, (d) a readiness to engage in ongoing personal and spiritual formation for one’s ministry, (e) an accredited master’s degree (or its educational equivalent) in an area related to one’s ministry setting or vocational calling, and (f) significant ministerial experience that enables the applicant to engage as a ministry peer with other students in this advanced professional doctorate.

    Applicants must also have significant ministry experience, not limited to a congregational setting. Ordination is not a requirement.

     

• Residency & Time Requirement

  • The D.Min. program ordinarily takes three to four years to complete. In Charlotte, courses will include short weekday on-campus intensive sessions several times per academic term paired with online work. In Richmond, courses will feature one-week, on-campus intensive sessions paired with online work.

    2019 Cohort – Charlotte
    The following are on-campus dates for the Charlotte 2019 cohort:
    August 22-23, 2019
    September 19, 2019
    October 10, 2019
    November 14-15, 2019
    Spring 2020 dates TBD

    2020 Cohort – Richmond
    On-campus dates for Fall 2020 in Richmond are TBD

• Cohorts

  • The faculty at Union Presbyterian Seminary are deeply invested in their students and wish to fully engage and support the Doctor of Ministry students. Due to their commitment to students and the size of the faculty, cohorts will be intentionally small.

• Course Requirements

  • The degree requires 30 credit hours comprised of 6 hybrid classes, 1 online course, and 3 project-based courses.

    Year 1, Fall term: two foundational courses

    Ecclesiology in World Christian Perspective (3 credit hours)
    The World in and around the Church (3 credit hours)

    Year 1, Spring term: two required courses

    Research Methods Seminar (3 credit hours; online format)
    Mini-project Seminar (3 credit hours; students work with faculty mentors through the semester; at the conclusion of the course students come to campus to share their research with student peers in their cohort)

    Year 2: four elective courses (3 credit hours each; hybrid format)

    The following list illustrates the kinds of elective courses that may be offered in the program:
    The New Testament and Ethical Challenges
    Proclaiming Justice in the Church and Public Square
    Theology and the Politics of Food
    The Theological Vision of Martin Luther King, Jr
    Ecology and Worship
    Religious Leadership, Social Issues, and the Public Square
    Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in Conflict and Conversation
    Community Engaged Teaching and Learning
    Images of Jesus in Contemporary Culture and World Religions
    Theology as a Public Act
    Comparative Theology and Interreligious Dialogue
    Biblical Themes and World Literature
    ‘What is truth?’ The Gospel of John as Epistemological Narrative

    Year 3: Integrative project in consultation with advisor (6 credits)

    Year 4: Integrative project in consultation with advisor (if needed; at the conclusion of their program, in either Year 3 or Year 4, students will come to campus to share their research with other final-stage candidates for the degree)

• Application

  • The deadline for applications to the Fall 2019 Charlotte campus cohort has passed. Applications for the Fall 2020 Richmond cohort will open in the fall.

    Printable D.Min. application checklist

    Application steps:
    Applications are not reviewed by our Faculty Admissions Committee until all of the following steps are completed. Steps can be completed in any order.

    1. Complete application. Download the D.Min application and save using naming convention LastNameFirstName-DMin before beginning the application. Completed applications should be sent by email to admissions@upsem.edu.

    2. Send $50 application fee. You may mail the application fee to Office of Admissions, 3401 Brook Road, Richmond VA 23227 or call the Office of Admissions (804) 278-4221 to pay by credit card.

    3. Submit three references.
    One of these persons should offer an academic reference. The two other persons should be able to speak to your ministry experience. All should address your ability to contribute to and benefit from this program. Please forward the evaluation form to your three references to complete. Your references may return the form directly to us via email to admissions@upsem.edu or by mail to Office of Admissions, 3401 Brook Road, Richmond VA 23227.

    4. Submit all transcripts. Official (signed and sealed) transcripts from ALL previously attended academic institutions are required. Institutions can email eScripts to admissions@upsem.edu or mail paper transcripts to Union Presbyterian Seminary, Office of Admissions, 3401 Brook Road, Richmond VA 23227. Do not send transcripts to the Charlotte campus.

    5. Complete a background check. A background check is required of all applicants who are US Citizens, Resident Aliens, and International Applicants who have lived in the US for more than two years. To order your background check, go to the CastleBranch website, enter “ua37” into the Package Code field and click go. Review and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Use, then click continue to proceed to payment and confirmation.

    6. Submit your Personal Disclosure Statement. Download the PDF and return to UPSem Admissions.

    Materials can be mailed to:
    Union Presbyterian Seminary, Attn: Admissions
    3401 Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23227

    Materials may also be emailed to admissions@upsem.edu.

    For questions about the application process, email Sheridan Taylor or call 804-278-4221.