Doctor of Ministry

Stay on the cutting edge of ministry

Navigate:

• Program Overview
• Purpose of the Program
• Course Offerings
• M.Div. Equivalence

Register for Doctor of Ministry Courses!

Is it time to sharpen your skills?

We live at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Times have changed. People think differently. New ways of “doing church” are practiced. Such a condition underscores the need for continuing education on the part of ministry professionals (whether pastors, youth workers, Christian education directors, counsellors, or parachurch leaders). Like other professional persons, ministry professionals need to keep on the cutting edge in their own field.

Providence Theological Seminary has designed the Doctor of Ministry program for just that purpose. It is intended to increase the competency of Christian leaders so that they can achieve excellence in their current and future ministries. While this necessitates significant attention to theory, the end in view is professional. The program builds on an undergraduate Masters level structure which is professionally-oriented (namely, the Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent) and contains a balance of work in both theoretical and skill areas of ministry. The Doctor of Ministry at Providence is not a “mini-Ph.D.,” that is, it is not an academic research doctorate; it is a professional doctorate which emphasizes a high degree of skill in the practice of ministry.

There are two tracks in the Doctor of Ministry program: Pastoral and Counselling. The Pastoral Track draws on the significant practical and pastoral experience of the seminary faculty, combined with their expertise in Bible, systematic theology, and practical theology. The Counselling Track draws on the Seminary Faculty’s strength in the area of biblical counselling.

If you are seeking to hone your ministry skills to a fine edge in order to excel in service to the Kingdom of God, then we would invite you to consider the Doctor of Ministry program at Providence Theological Seminary.

Doctor of Ministry courses occur in one-week modules in August, January, and May (see below for specific dates).

Apply to the Doctor of Ministry Program.

Overview

The Doctor of Ministry is the highest professional degree in Christian ministry offered by Providence Theological Seminary. The program is designed to assist in increasing the competency of Christian leaders so that they can achieve excellence in their current and future ministries. While this necessitates significant attention to theory, the end in view is professional. The program presupposes Master of Divinity studies and builds on biblical and theological foundations; it also utilizes the social sciences and related disciplines.

The Doctor of Ministry is not an in-sequence degree; that is, it may not be taken directly after the completion of the Master of Divinity program. Students must have at least three years of full-time Christian ministry experience between completing the Master of Divinity (or its deemed equivalent) and commencing Doctor of Ministry studies. The Doctor of Ministry is an in-service degree; participants must be engaged in regular ministry during their involvement in the program. The Doctor of Ministry cannot normally be taken in residence on campus.

The Doctor of Ministry program at Providence Seminary is structured on the Master of Divinity program, which is also a professional program containing a balance of work in both the theoretical and skill areas of ministry. The Doctor of Ministry strives to further both of these areas and to maintain a distinct biblical/theological foundation for ministry.

There are two tracks in the Providence Doctor of Ministry program. The Pastoral Track contains two personal ministry courses, two courses relating to the project/dissertation, and three courses relating directly to pastoral ministry. The Counselling Track contains the two personal ministry courses, one course for writing the project/dissertation, and four courses relating directly to counselling ministry. The Pastoral Track draws on significant practical experience in the Seminary faculty, combined with their theological expertise. The Counselling Track draws on the strength of the Seminary’s faculty as the premier Christian counselling program in Canada.

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 Click here for more information on the Doctor of Ministry.

 Click here to view the complete Seminary Academic Catalogue.

Purpose of the Program

The Doctor of Ministry program is fashioned for the individual who is active in some area of professional Christian ministry and who wishes to upgrade his/her qualifications without taking a leave of absence. Specific purposes include:

1. Providing doctoral level continuing professional education for those engaged in full-time ministry vocations.
2. Challenging and assisting students in relating biblical studies and theology to the practice of ministry through an integrative program in order that a true “theologizing” of ministry is achieved.
3. Assisting students in developing higher levels of academic skills and research as a basis for their ministry.
4. Assisting students in developing higher levels of professional competence in the skills needed for ministry.
5. Assisting students in gaining new insights and abilities in relating biblical truth and Christian life to the problems of the society in which they live and function.
6. Challenging students with new concepts and resources which may be used in developing biblical solutions to problems encountered in their ministry.
7. Fostering the development of the perspectives and pursuits necessary for personal and corporate spiritual life, and fostering the development of the disciplines required for Christian ministry leadership.

M. Div Equivalence

Equivalence to the Master of Divinity degree is determined by the Seminary on the basis of a comparison between the applicant’s transcript and the Seminary’s requirements for the Master of Divinity. The total will normally include a minimum of 78 semester hours of approved graduate (master’s level) study in areas which parallel the Master of Divinity program at Providence. The M. Div equivalence link shows the courses needed to achieve the equivalence. Some credit may, at the discretion of the Doctoral Admissions Committee, be given for relevant teaching experience in an academic post-secondary institution.

Participants lacking such prerequisites (for instance, those with M.A. degrees) may be admitted with deficiencies, which will be removed through course work in addition to that required for the Doctor of Ministry degree itself. Such prerequisites must be removed prior to enrollment in the fourth course of the Doctor of Ministry program.

Click here to apply for the Doctor of Ministry Program.

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