Program purpose
Preparation for thoughtful, accountable service.
Demonstrate independent critical scholarship in constructive and historical Christian theology. Justify the question, sources, method, ethical protections, and limits of the inquiry. Defend an original contribution to Christian scholarship before a doctoral examination committee.
What you will study
A coherent academic pathway.
The complete program requires 60 semester credits.
- Doctoral core — 18 credits
- Field seminars — 12 credits
- Advanced research and comprehensive examination — 12 credits
- Dissertation — 18 credits
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.
Field seminars 12 credits
DTHE811 Advanced Theological Method3 credits
Critique theological methods and explain how Scripture, tradition, and reasoning support a scholarly argument.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and passed doctoral qualifying assessment.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Submit a critical literature synthesis, a defended scholarly argument, and a field-specific research design; earn B or higher.
DTHE812 Doctrinal Sources and Historical Debate3 credits
Evaluate primary doctrinal sources and historical debates with careful contextual interpretation.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and passed doctoral qualifying assessment.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Submit a critical literature synthesis, a defended scholarly argument, and a field-specific research design; earn B or higher.
DTHE813 Constructive Christian Theology3 credits
Develop a sustained constructive theological argument that answers substantial scholarly objections.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and passed doctoral qualifying assessment.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Submit a critical literature synthesis, a defended scholarly argument, and a field-specific research design; earn B or higher.
DTHE814 Theology Research Seminar3 credits
Defend an original theological question, source base, method, and contribution to Christian scholarship.
Prerequisites: DMN801 through DMN806 and passed doctoral qualifying assessment.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Submit a critical literature synthesis, a defended scholarly argument, and a field-specific research design; earn B or higher.
Advanced research and comprehensive examination 12 credits
RES901 Advanced Theological Research Design3 credits
Justify a research design connecting the question, sources, method, ethics, and claims; distinguish conceptual, historical, textual, and empirical theological inquiry.
Prerequisites: All 18 doctoral core credits and 12 field seminar credits.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Faculty assess a substantial research product and oral examination; RES904 requires written and oral comprehensive examination by two doctoral-qualified faculty, with B or higher and rubric scores of at least 3.
RES902 Primary Sources and Research Language Competence3 credits
Demonstrate the language or source-analysis competence required by the approved dissertation; evaluate translations and interpretive limitations.
Prerequisites: All 18 doctoral core credits and 12 field seminar credits.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Faculty assess a substantial research product and oral examination; RES904 requires written and oral comprehensive examination by two doctoral-qualified faculty, with B or higher and rubric scores of at least 3.
RES903 Evidence Analysis and Scholarly Interpretation3 credits
Analyze a defined theological source set or approved nonclinical evidence using transparent procedures and warranted conclusions.
Prerequisites: All 18 doctoral core credits and 12 field seminar credits.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Faculty assess a substantial research product and oral examination; RES904 requires written and oral comprehensive examination by two doctoral-qualified faculty, with B or higher and rubric scores of at least 3.
RES904 Research Synthesis and Comprehensive Examination3 credits
Synthesize the field and method and defend readiness for an original dissertation through a written examination and oral comprehensive examination.
Prerequisites: All 18 doctoral core credits and 12 field seminar credits. RES901, RES902 and RES903.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Faculty assess a substantial research product and oral examination; RES904 requires written and oral comprehensive examination by two doctoral-qualified faculty, with B or higher and rubric scores of at least 3.
Dissertation 18 credits
RES991 Dissertation Proposal and Candidacy6 credits
Produce an original research question, literature synthesis, contribution statement, method, ethics plan, and feasible milestones. Defend the proposal before candidacy.
Prerequisites: All 42 taught doctoral credits including passed RES904; supervisor and committee assigned.
Workload: At least 270 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Doctoral committee assesses the milestone and distinct evidence. Final defense uses at least three doctoral-qualified examiners, one other than the principal supervisor; B or higher and at least 3 in every rubric dimension are required.
RES992 Dissertation Research and Analysis6 credits
Carry out the approved research and submit independently assessed source analysis and dissertation chapters. Obtain required review before recruitment, data collection, or implementation.
Prerequisites: RES991, accepted proposal, and all required ethics and site permissions.
Workload: At least 270 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Doctoral committee assesses the milestone and distinct evidence. Final defense uses at least three doctoral-qualified examiners, one other than the principal supervisor; B or higher and at least 3 in every rubric dimension are required.
RES993 Dissertation Completion and Defense6 credits
Complete an original contribution to Christian scholarship, defend its method and conclusions, and submit accepted revisions and the final archival copy.
Prerequisites: RES992 and committee permission to proceed to defense.
Workload: At least 270 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Doctoral committee assesses the milestone and distinct evidence. Final defense uses at least three doctoral-qualified examiners, one other than the principal supervisor; B or higher and at least 3 in every rubric dimension are required.
Course sequence
- Complete DMN801-DMN805 before DMN806 and pass its written and oral qualifying assessment before field seminars.
- Complete the 12 field-seminar credits before RES901-RES903; demonstrate research-language or primary-source competence in RES902. Complete RES901-RES903 before RES904 and pass the written and oral comprehensive examination.
- Complete all 42 taught credits before RES991. Defend the proposal for candidacy, then complete RES992 research and analysis, followed by RES993 final defense and accepted revisions.
Final project and examination
An 18-credit original dissertation in three six-credit stages: defended proposal and candidacy, research and analysis, final dissertation and oral defense. Establish an original contribution to the named field of Christian scholarship; a ministry activity report alone is insufficient.
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 degree in theology or ministry with at least 3.00 GPA or documented equivalent, transcripts, a substantial theological research sample, field-specific research proposal, ministry endorsement, and at least five years of ministry experience, following the existing doctoral baseline. A doctoral-qualified panel also verifies field, method, and research-language or primary-source competence; deficiencies require additional preparation before the relevant research.
Completion standard
Progress must be demonstrated.
Complete all 60 credits in the prescribed course map. Earn B or higher in each applied course and at least 3.00 cumulative GPA. Complete the stated sequence, institutional-study minimum, required supervision, final assessment, and accepted revisions. An 18-credit original dissertation in three six-credit stages: defended proposal and candidacy, research and analysis, final dissertation and oral defense. Establish an original contribution to the named field of Christian scholarship; a ministry activity report alone is insufficient.