— Professional Doctoral Degrees —

Program Overview

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Contents on this page:

Program Overview | Concentrations | Why a DMin at Southern Seminary? | Cost

DMin Program Overview

The DMin degree is a three-year program designed for those in full-time ministry. While providing a world-class education at an affordable price, our programs offer tremendous flexibility, allowing students to receive their degree without having to leave their current place of ministry. The first two years consist of two one-week seminars per year and 2 ½ day Project Methodology seminar that precedes the third seminar (a total of 22 ½ days on campus during the program). These seminars are offered during the winter and summer terms. Prior to each seminar, students will complete pre-seminar work that typically consists of approximately 2500 pages of reading and several writing assignments. Seminars will require some assignments during the week of the seminar. Following each seminar, students will integrate their classroom knowledge in their ministry context through an Applied Ministry Experience component. After completing the four seminars and Applied Ministry Experiences, students will then enter the main writing stage of the degree. The writing project is a 100-125 page research project that applies specifically to the student’s interest and ministry context. The culmination of the degree is an oral examination over the written project. Students are required to come to the campus for this examination.

DMin Program Concentrations

Has your church membership plateaued? Do you find some types of texts easier to preach than others? Do you want to supplement your mission field experience with leading-edge research? Are you a Korean or an African-American church leader looking for ways to improve your leadership skills? Are you finding out that real world problems are not always easy to solve? Do you feel left behind by the current trends in education? If you are facing any of these issues, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has a D.Min. program concentration for you.

Why a D.Min. at Southern Seminary?

Cohort Learning
Southern’s D.Min. courses allow you to study with a cohort of other pastors, staff members, or missionaries who are often facing the same issues you are. Not only does the cohort system promote collegiality and friendships that may last a lifetime, but it also provides a ready-made base for prayer support.
Convenient Scheduling
Courses are offered in manageable, one-week segments (M-F) that allow you to complete the degree with just over twenty days on campus over the length of the degree. Our goal is to offer a solid academic and practical program that does not sacrifice your on-the-field time in the process.
Internet Interaction
Between on-campus classes, you will interact with your cohort and professors via the Internet. The on-line discussions only strengthen later discussions in the classroom.
Faculty Expertise & Experience
All of our faculty members are experts in their fields, having earned a doctoral degree and having significant experience in the local church or the mission field. Our professors are practitioners as well as scholars.
Guest Lecturers
In the Southern Seminary D.Min. program, you will learn not only from our on-campus faculty, but also from other practitioners in the field. Guests in the past have included Jerry Vines, Thom Rainer, James Merritt, Lee Strobel, Lance Quinn, Robert Coleman, Gary McIntosh, Buddy Gray, and other gifted church leaders.
Faculty Guidance & Mentoring
You will be assigned a supervisor who will give support throughout the program. In addition, our D.Min. office staff stand ready to help you in any way that we can. Thus, you will always have guidance as you move toward graduation.
Practical Application
The Applied Ministry Experience in each program allows you to apply what you learn in the classroom to your specific ministry context. Our goal is to provide assignments and projects that help you to do your ministry—not complicate it.
Proven Track Record
Our D.Min. graduates are serving as pastors, staff members, missionaries, state convention and denominational employees, and adjunct professors. Our oldest graduates (having graduated in their 70s!) are still serving faithfully in ministry.
Intentional Evaluation
We evaluate our programs after every seminar and make necessary changes based on student critiques. Our goal will always be to be the finest D.Min. program in the country.

Cost

Southern Seminary offers the D.Min. degree at an affordable cost with a workable payment plan:

  Full Program
Tuition Costs*
Down Payment Payment Plan**
SBC $9,850 $1000 due
at first seminar
$245.83/month
for 36 months
Non-SBC $12,515 $319.86/month
for 36 months
*D.Ed.Min., D.Miss., and D.M.M. have different costs. Please see the current catalog for that information.
**36-month payment plan is interest-free if payments are made on time.

The Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention helps pay for the tuition of students from Southern Baptist churches, which allows for the reduced price for SBC students. To find out how to join the SBC, Contact the SBC Executive Committee’s Office of Convention Relations.

D.Min. students pay $1000 upon attending their first seminar. The remainder of the program fee is paid through a 36-month interest-free payment plan. Textbooks, lodging, food, travel, and graduation costs are not included in the program fee.


Truth. Legacy. Vision. Southern Seminary Sesquicentennial

Announcements

RSS
Christianity in Africa class

A special opportunity is available to students during the upcoming winter term. Along with George Martin, Randy Arnett (over 30 years ministry experience in West Africa) and Charles Juma (from East Africa) will be offering the course 33477, “Topics in Missions: Christianity in Africa.” The seminar format class will be offered from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Dec. 14-18. (more…)

Church planting family banquet

On Friday, Dec. 4, the Church Planting Center will be hosting its annual church planting family banquet from 6-8 p.m. in the President’s Reception Room. You must RSVP by Nov. 24 to attend. Come hear Cincinnati-area church planter and Southern Seminary graduate Michael Clary, and his wife share about the difficulties and delights of being a church planting family. (more…)

Study break during finals

The SBTS Student Council will serve coffee and doughnuts to all students from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1. Come by the lobby of 5th and Broadway early to pick up your free Blue Book for you final exam. The event is sponsored by the Seminary Student Council.


Blogs

RSS
Render Not to Caesar What Is God’s
by Denny BurkNov 20

I just finished reading and signing The Manhattan Declaration (MD), and I urge you to do the same. The Manhattan Declaration is a document affirming the sanctity of human life, the sanctity of marriage, and the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

The Blur of Gender — Is The New York Times Trying to Tell Us Something?
by R. Albert Mohler Jr.Nov 20

Is The New York Times trying to tell us something? Just eleven days after running a story on gender-bending teenagers on the front page of its “Style” section, the paper is back with yet another front page story in the same section, this time on gender-bending young adults. The articles even cite the same psychologist as authority. What’s going on here?

When Morality Collapses — The Therapeutic Evasion
by R. Albert Mohler Jr.Nov 19

Any civilization requires a stable, rational, and consensual moral framework in order to survive. Western civilization has been built on a framework of Christian morality, with the so-called “Judeo-Christian ethic” providing the moral principles that support laws, ethical reasoning, and moral impulses.

Turning the Bible into Toilet Paper
by Denny BurkNov 18

I mentioned yesterday that I am in New Orleans this week to deliver a paper on homosexuality at the Evangelical Theological Society. Yesterday I came across an article that relates to the subject matter of that paper.