EQUIPPING LEADERS, STRENGTHENING CHURCHES
The church deserves the very best leaders.
Fully online concentrations now available
Through our online D.Min. concentrations (Applied Theology, Biblical Counseling, Christian Ministry, and Global Missions), you can complete your full degree without a single trip to campus.
Three new D.Min. concentrations now available
Explore our three new concentrations today. They include:
your current ministry
We offer the Doctor of Ministry degree in both a modular and fully-online format so that pastors and church leaders do not have to relocate.
Through our Online Concentrations, you can complete your full degree without a single trip to campus.
Through our modular format, seminars are offered in manageable, one-week segments (Tuesday– Friday) that allow you to complete the degree with less than thirty 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.
3
Years
The Doctor of Ministry degree can be completed in a short season.
4
Trips to Louisville
You can complete a D.Min. at Southern without leaving your current place of ministry.
ministry network
Relational Learning
You will complete your entire D.Min. with the same cohort – a group of like-minded ministry practitioners. Develop lasting bonds with other ministry leaders in the D.Min.
Expert Coaching
Every D.Min. student is paired with a faculty supervisor that works with them throughout their program. Meet a lifelong mentor with seasoned ministry experience.
Spiritual Refreshment
Each seminar week begins with doctoral chapel as a part of our priority on Christian worship and formation. Seminary weeks are a time of spiritual refreshment.
“Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.”
challenges of ministry
The D.Min. is an extension of your current ministry, not a distraction from it.
The Doctor of Ministry is about helping church leaders improve what they’re actively doing every week. All of our professors are committed to making every aspect of your education more meaningful to you, your ministry, and your work.
From the very beginning of your D.Min. degree, you will be working on a 100-125 page research project that applies specifically to your interests and ministry context. The culmination of the degree is an oral examination over the written project. Southern’s Doctor of Ministry is centered on learning and research with immediate ministry impact.
Kevin Ezell
PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN MISSION BOARD
D.MIN., SOUTHERN SEMINARY
“Looking back on the educational opportunities that I experienced, my D.Min. degree has proven to be the one where I received the most practical pastoral training. I am forever indebted to the professors who poured their lives into mine and helped me become a stronger leader and pastor.”
Miguel Núñez
PASTOR, Iglesia Bautista Internacional
D.MIN., SOUTHERN SEMINARY
“The Word of God, when truly embraced, transforms society,” Núñez writes in his thesis. “The changes in society must come from the expository preaching of the Word of God and the articulation of the Christian worldview in as many places and circumstances as possible.”
faculty support
Our professors are practitioners as well as scholars, with significant experience in academia and in ministry.
Students come to Southern because they expect academic excellence, and people hire Southern grads because they know our students are prepared in a richer way. How do we accomplish all of this? It starts with the best support from faculty – particularly in writing.
Within their learning communities, students are encouraged to produce scholarship for the church. There are even opportunities to publish alongside Southern faculty. The first two years consist of four day seminars, which are held in January and July. Students will complete pre-seminar work that consists of approximately 2,500 pages of reading and several writing assignments as well as assignments during or after the seminar. Following each seminar, students will take a Contexutalized Writing Seminar in which they will work toward the completion of their ministry research project.
*Available fully online. Learn more here.
Our unique structure ensures the timely and successful completion of your degree program, as you begin work on your doctoral project writing from day one.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer (July) | Foundational Seminar 1 Students will complete 80610 Introduction to Research and Writing online prior to their first seminar. |
One Week on Campus |
| Fall (August – December) | Contextualized Writing Seminar 1 During this seminar, students will begin their ministry research project. |
Online |
| Winter (January) | Foundational Seminar 2 Project Methodology |
Two Weeks on Campus |
| Spring (February – May) | Contextualized Writing Seminar 2 During this time, students will finalize their project proposal. |
Online |
| Year Two | ||
| Summer (July) | Foundational Seminar 3 | One Week on Campus |
| Fall (August – December) | Contextualized Writing Seminar 3 During this seminar, students will complete chapter two of their ministry research project. |
Online |
| Winter (January) | Foundational Seminar 4 | One Week on Campus |
| Spring (February – May) | Contextualized Writing Seminar 4 During this time, students will complete chapter three of their ministry research project. |
Online |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall (August – December) | Ministry Research Project and Writing During this seminar, students will complete chapters four and five of their ministry research project. |
Project implementation in your place of ministry |
| Spring (February – May) | Ministry Research Project and Writing Students will defend their project. |
Graduation |
| Total of 32 Credit Hours | ||
- Students will be able to demonstrate an advanced understanding and integration of ministry into various theological disciplines.
- Students will be able to demonstrate applied knowledge & skills pertinent to his/her vocational ministry.
- Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to use standard research tools and methods in the chosen field of study.
- Students will be able to research, plan, and implement a project relevant to his/her vocational ministry and to communicate the plan and its results effectively.
- Students will be able to contribute to the understanding and practice of ministry through the completion of a written project report suitable for inclusion in the seminary library.
easy monthly payments
| Full Program Tuition Costs | Down Payment | Payment Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBC | $12,748 | $1,000 due before first seminar | $354.11/month for 36 months |
| Non-SBC | $16,657 | $462.69/month for 36 months | *Program Tuition shown is for the 2023-24 Academic Year. Additional fees are subject to the current catalog. Please see the current catalog for a full listing of current fees. **36-month payment plan is interest-free if payments are made on time. |
Textbooks, lodging, food, travel, and graduation costs are not included in the program fee. Any remaining balance of the program fee is due upon graduation. Students who take longer than six semesters to complete the D.Min. will be charged a continuation fee each semester.
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.