The Doctor of Ministry Program

Please Note:

Important Application Notice for 2007-2008

Princeton Seminary is now in the midst of a campus wide curriculum review and restructuring which involves all degree programs, including the D.Min. Because we anticipate that a significantly changed and improved D.Min. will be the outcome, we have temporarily suspended applications and admissions through the 2007-2008 academic year, which means we will not admit a new cohort of D.Min. candidates for beginning in either the 2007 or 2008 fall semesters. Our hope is that we will be able to accept applications to begin work in the fall of 2009.

Our commitment both as a school and as a particular degree program is to offer the best designed and resourced professional doctoral experience possible in service to heightened understanding, reform, and theological innovation in ministries of all kinds. We deeply appreciate your support and your participation.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this causes for those who had planned to apply this year, but wish to assure you of our interest in having your application next year for a revitalized program. Any materials you may have already sent us in anticipation of the January 15 application deadline will be carefully preserved, and we will keep you informed of our progress.

All existing D.Min. candidates will continue to work under the rubrics of the program to which they were admitted.

Our aim in these pages is to offer you as complete a picture as we can of the Doctor of Ministry program, answer some of the most frequently asked questions about it, and make it as easy as possible for you to get more information or apply to the program. Please use the navigation bar on the right to explore what’s here and get in touch with us. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.

What is a "D.Min." and Where Did It Come From?

The Doctor of Ministry degree first appeared in American theological education ca. 1970 after several years of intense deliberation within the Association of Theological Schools (the main accrediting organization for seminaries in the United States and Canada). It became a "mushroom" phenomenon: in 1970 there were only three programs enrolling about 200 students, but by 1975 when the first full accreditations were awarded by the ATS there were fifty D.Min. programs containing about 3,500 students! Within a few more years that number doubled yet again, where it remains today.

The idea of a professional doctorate for practicing ministers, somewhat parallel to a research doctorate for academics (Ph.D.), had been under discussion among theological educators since the 1930's. During and after World War II the subject receded into the background, but by the 1960's and with the formation of the ATS the topic emerged again. An early (and hotly disputed) decision was taken not to rename the basic theological degree as a doctorate along the lines of law and medicine. The way was then clear to develop a wholly new approach to advanced professional study beyond the Master of Divinity degree, emphasizing the integration of theological reflection and ministerial practice. The Doctor of Ministry was born.

Princeton Seminary remains proud of its leadership role in the earliest development of the D.Min. Ours was in the first group of programs to be developed and was one of the first four D.Min.’s to be fully accredited by the ATS in 1975. We continue to participate actively with sister seminaries in researching, planning, and further developing the D.Min. approach to advanced theological learning.

How are D.Min. Programs Different?

While according to accreditation standards all D.Min. programs share a commitment to the integration of theory and practice in ministry, the ways they go about that educational task differ markedly. Some make use of "courses" in the traditional manner, while others (like ours) rely on special seminars or "workshops" limited to D.Min. candidates. Some focus on certain ministerial functions or skills (preaching, counseling, etc.) while others work at a more general level of ministry process and dynamics. Some require extended on-campus residence, while others (probably most) are designed to be done by ministers who live far away. Some programs conduct all or part of their work in remote locations away from the main campus, while others do not. Some programs are competitive in admission, while others are not particularly so. All D.Min.’s require the completion of a substantial written doctoral dissertation or project, but the specific shapes and requirements differ widely among programs.

By ATS accreditation standards, all D.Min. programs require the Master of Divinity degree or its academic equivalent as a prerequisite, and all require three years’ full-time ministry experience beyond the basic theological degree before granting admission. Normally D.Min. programs require their candidates to continue in the engagement of full-time ministry while engaged in the program.

For more complete information about accreditation standards consult the Association of Theological Schoolswebsite or the specific D.Min. accreditation standards page.

How Do I Find the Right Program for Me?

It is important in planning your D.Min. to gather information from a variety of schools to compare and contrast their offerings and determine which comes closest to meeting your own particular continuing education needs. There is no "best" program for everyone. Please check in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for more specifics.

Some key questions to ask yourself in guiding your planning:

Do I want to sharpen a particular ministry skill, or concentrate more on analysis and critical reflection about ministry in general?
Do I already have an interest in a particular area of ministerial concern that I would like to deepen and research, or do I want to be a generalist?
What do I want to use this work and degree for? Being a better field ed supervisor? Organizing my ministry work more coherently? Preparing for a specialized ministry? Working out my own theological understanding? Getting a better job?
Is being on the main campus itself for a time important, or is an extension program just as good for me?
How much peer-based learning and interaction do I want, as compared to more traditional instruction?
How much time can I devote to D.Min. work and for how many years to complete the degree?
How strongly does the faculty of a school support and participate in its D.Min.?

These are but a few of the "leading questions" to bring to information you receive about various D.Min. programs, including the information we are offering here about the D.Min. (Prin.). The main thing to seek is a combination of your individual needs and the characteristics of a particular program that seems to get the "best fit" for an exciting and demanding educational experience.

(This was not a quiz, but if from the above questions your "profile" turned out to be:

Critical reflection on ministry (rather than skill-building);
Interest in a ministry concern for in-depth research;
Any objective but getting a better job;
Preference for the main campus, peer interaction, and strong faculty involvement;
Willingness to give serious regular time (average one day a week) for a 3 or 4 year period . . . .

you may have come to the right place!)

Contact Information

You may contact the D.Min office with any questions that are not answered for you on the website:

By mail:

Director, Doctor of Ministry Program
Princeton Theological Seminary
P.O. Box 821
Princeton, New Jersey 08542-0803
By telephone at (609) 497-7875
Via E-mail at dmin@ptsem.edu