Program purpose
Preparation for thoughtful, accountable service.
Doctoral theological reflection, research ethics, ministry evidence, a qualifying assessment, concentration seminars, and a three-stage doctoral project.
What you will study
A coherent academic pathway.
The complete program requires 36 semester credits.
- Doctoral core — 18 credits
- Selected concentration — 9 credits
- Doctoral project — 9 credits
Available concentrations
- Pastoral Ministry
- Apostolic Leadership
Courses and requirements
Your complete course map.
Select a course to read its scope, prerequisites, learning hours, and assessment requirements. Follow prerequisite order; the course list does not promise a delivery date.
Doctoral core 18 credits
DMN801 Doctoral Ministry Inquiry3 credits
Formulate a ministry problem suitable for doctoral investigation. Evaluate research approaches, contribution to practice, feasibility, and the limits of the proposed inquiry.
Prerequisites: Doctoral admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMN802 Advanced Theological Reflection3 credits
Critically integrate biblical exegesis, theological scholarship, and ministry context. Defend a theological framework that can guide and evaluate doctoral practice.
Prerequisites: Doctoral admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMN803 Research Ethics and Ministry Evidence3 credits
Design ethically responsible inquiry with explicit consent, data protection, power awareness, and review arrangements. Evaluate what conclusions different kinds of ministry evidence can support.
Prerequisites: Doctoral admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMN804 Literature Review and Scholarly Argument3 credits
Synthesize relevant theological and ministry scholarship, identify a defensible gap, and construct an argument. Distinguish original contribution from unsupported novelty claims.
Prerequisites: Doctoral admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMN805 Ministry Evaluation and Research Methods3 credits
Select and justify methods appropriate to a theological ministry question. Design a credible evaluation plan, including limitations and responsible interpretation of findings.
Prerequisites: Doctoral admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMN806 Doctoral Integration Seminar3 credits
Present a coherent ministry inquiry framework and demonstrate readiness for advanced project work. Complete a qualifying assessment of theological reasoning, scholarship, method, and ethics.
Prerequisites: DMN801–DMN805 completed with B or higher.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
Pastoral Ministry concentration 9 credits
DMP811 Advanced Pastoral Leadership3 credits
Critically evaluate complex pastoral leadership through theology, ethics, and contextual evidence. Develop a scholarly response to a defined ministry leadership problem.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and accepted qualifying assessment.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMP812 Congregational Renewal and Formation3 credits
Investigate congregational formation, discipleship, and renewal through a coherent theological framework. Design an intervention with feasible responsibilities and evaluation.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and accepted qualifying assessment.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMP813 Pastoral Practice Research Seminar3 credits
Develop a project design focused on pastoral practice. Defend the proposed contribution, method, ministry setting, and limits before faculty review.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and accepted qualifying assessment.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
Doctoral project 9 credits
DMN891 Doctoral Project Proposal3 credits
Produce an approved doctoral project proposal with theological framework, literature synthesis, method, review requirements, and milestones. Obtain proposal and ethics approval before recruitment or implementation.
Prerequisites: Doctoral core, qualifying assessment and all three selected pathway seminars.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMN892 Doctoral Project Implementation and Analysis3 credits
Carry out the approved inquiry under supervision and required review. Maintain accurate records, analyze evidence, and justify changes without exceeding the approved scope.
Prerequisites: DMN891 and required research approvals.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DMN893 Doctoral Project Report and Defense3 credits
Complete the doctoral project report and oral defense. Demonstrate a defensible contribution to ministry practice, acknowledge limitations, and complete required revisions.
Prerequisites: DMN892.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
Apostolic Leadership concentration
This replaces the Pastoral Ministry concentration’s nine credits. It does not add a second doctorate.
DAP811 Apostolic Ecclesiology and Oversight3 credits
Critically investigate apostolic service, ecclesiology, oversight, and accountability. Develop a scholarly framework for leadership across congregations or ministry networks.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and accepted qualifying assessment.
At least 135 documented learning hours. The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DAP812 Apostolic Leadership and Multiplication3 credits
Evaluate leader formation, mission partnership, succession, and church multiplication through theology and contextual evidence. Avoid treating growth aspirations as demonstrated outcomes.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and accepted qualifying assessment.
At least 135 documented learning hours. The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
DAP813 Apostolic Leadership Research Seminar3 credits
Develop a doctoral project design addressing a defined apostolic leadership problem. Defend its theological contribution, governance implications, method, and feasibility.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and accepted qualifying assessment.
At least 135 documented learning hours. The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
Academic standards and transfer requirements
Each semester credit requires at least 45 documented learning hours: approximately 15 hours of instruction or equivalent faculty-guided engagement and 30 hours of independent work. A 3-credit course requires 135 hours; a 6-credit course requires 270. Shorter terms do not reduce workload.
Undergraduate and certificate courses require C or higher and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00; graduate and doctoral courses require B or higher and at least 3.00. Grades: A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79, D 60-69, F below 60. Complete at least 67% of attempted credits within 150% of the published program credits. Existing repeat and appeal procedures continue.
Each syllabus specifies measurable outcomes, readings, learning activities, workload, prerequisites, assessment weights, accessibility, and integrity rules before teaching. Assess Scripture and theology, evidence and method, ministry application, and ethics and communication. Final projects require at least 3 on the four-level rubric in every dimension, the minimum course grade, and accepted revisions.
Bachelor students complete at least 30 credits through GDICU, including all 12 advanced field and capstone credits. At least half of each certificate and master degree, and every required culminating project and GDICU-supervised practice component, must be completed through GDICU. All doctoral credits are completed through GDICU. Transfer requires documented content, level, workload, and outcome equivalence; C minimum undergraduate, B minimum graduate.
Count each course once within a credential. Approved certificate courses may apply once to a bachelor degree after admission and a course-by-course equivalency review. Undergraduate work cannot become graduate credit. Previously awarded graduate-degree work cannot be reused in another graduate award. Experience, attendance, ordination, or office alone earns no academic credit.
No recruitment, intervention, or data collection begins before proposal approval and documented institutional ethics review, consent, confidentiality, safeguarding, and site permissions where required. A theological text or archival study also requires source integrity and any access permissions. Existing examination, one-revision, and appeal policies continue.
Academic requirements do not open applications or enrollment. Faculty assignments, complete teaching packages, library access, supervision, accessibility, student support, systems, financial terms, and applicable authorization must be verified before program release. Existing student catalog rights and written transition plans remain in force.
Read the complete academic catalog for the governing program and student policies.
Who may apply
Admission begins with verified preparation.
A verified earned master’s in theology or ministry with at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA or documented equivalent, transcripts, a substantial theological writing sample, a ministry-inquiry statement, ministry endorsement, at least five years of ministry experience, and a documented doctoral-readiness review. The institution’s name and degree title alone do not establish readiness; any assigned preparatory work is additional to the 36-credit doctorate.
Completion standard
Progress must be demonstrated.
Complete all 36 doctoral credits through GDICU, earn B or higher in applied courses, maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA, pass the qualifying assessment, and complete the proposal, implementation, report, and oral defense requirements.