Doctor of Ministry

Individual Study Program

Professional doctoral study in the D.Min. program places a premium on independent work done in a candidate's "back-home" situation. What a candidate needs to study to further his or her aims will, of course, vary widely from person to person. The Individual Study Program component is designed to help each candidate map out a systematic combination of learning projects, guided by the ministerial concern chosen as the program's focus.

The Individual Study Program will be negotiated with candidates before and during the first Workshop . It represents an agreement (which becomes a written document) between candidate and Seminary, and it is an integral part of the degree's requirements. It may include a variety of activities, some proposed by the candidate and others suggested by the Seminary. A basic and a specialized bibliography will always be a major part of the program, and such things as continuing education seminars, academic courses at Princeton or elsewhere, independent consultation with resource persons, and field observation or supervision may be incorporated as well.

Accountability for the Individual Study Program will take a variety of forms, depending on individual situations, and may include the submission of written reports; structured consultations with faculty advisors; and the presentation of research or position papers on subjects related to the candidate's focal concern. From the outset, the Individual Study Program brings a candidate progressively closer to the culminating Final Project.