Doctor of Missiology

Program Snapshot

60	Credit Hours	12 Classes
4	Years to Complete
Online or Modular Learn more

Experience the combination of academic excellence with on-the-field ministry applications in a cohort-based degree.

The Doctor of Missiology program (D.Miss.) is designed for missionaries, church planters, sending pastors, missions administrators, and teachers. This advanced research degree provides a system of formal education in seminars and guided reading of pertinent missiological literature to supplement a student’s field experience with mentoring and supervision.

Modular or Online format – relocation to Louisville not required.

Students may complete this program via short trips to Louisville, or entirely online via videoconference.

3 Reasons to Study Doctor of Missiology at Southern

Godly Character for the Glory of God

Be mentored from start to finish with an emphasis on abiding in Christ for the sake of his glory as you pursue your studies in missions.

World-Class Missions Scholarship

Grow your missiological understanding. The D.Miss. curriculum is comprised of 18 graduate hours in Christian Missions and an additional 18 elective concentration hours in Evangelism, World Religions, or Islam. It is centered on mastery of the philosophical, historical, biblical, and cultural disciplines necessary for missions.

Deep Missiological Skills.

Develop leadership skills. Our faculty members possess extensive experience in research and
ministry within their fields of expertise, guiding you to refine your abilities in research,
assessment, and the implementation of a Christ-centered missiology.

Foundational Seminars
Course Number	Description	Credit Hours
81020	Graduate Research Seminar	2
81260	Foundations for Theological Studies	2
Total		4

D.Miss. Research Seminars
Course Number	Description	Credit Hours
86105	History of Evangelism and Missions	4
86120	Philosophy and Methodology of Missions	4
86145	Biblical and Theological Foundations of Missions and Evangelism	4
86150	Leadership in Missions and Evangelism	4
98580	Thesis Research and Writing (D.Miss.)	10
	4 Elective Seminars	16
	4 Colloquia	4
	Research Language¹	2
	Prospectus Development 1-4	4
Total		52

Total Doctor of Missiology: 56

98525 Ethnographic Research will be taken as the research language for D.Miss.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate an advanced level understanding of missiology.
Students will be able to plan and conduct research in their area of specialization and to communicate its results effectively.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to use standard research tools and methods in the chosen field of study.

Doctor of Missiology faculty include:

Timothy K. Beougher

Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth

Research Interests

Evangelism
Church Revitalization

Ayman S. Ibrahim

Bill and Connie Jenkins Professor of Islamic Studies

John Klaassen

Professor of Global Studies

George H. Martin

Professor of Christian Missions and World Religions

J. Keith McKinley

Associate Professor of Christian Missions

Frequently Asked Questions

Young man sitting by a river in the Middle East

The Doctor of Missiology is a terminal degree that will equip men and women to serve as leaders in intercultural missions contexts, as missions teachers, or in mission roles within a church.

Applicants should have a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Missiology (or equivalent from a regionally-accredited or ATS-accredited seminary)*

A master’s-level cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher

A minimum of two years of appropriate field experience in cross-cultural ministry

If you lack the required hours of masters-level, you may submit a doctoral equivalency evaluation to the admissions office to find out if you qualify for SBTS EdD programs.*

For a complete listing of doctoral admissions requirements, see the “Admissions & Cost” tab.

*International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES approved organization for both admissions consideration and for equivalency requests.

Admissions for the D.Miss. program consists of:

Initial Application Submission

All required materials must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the appropriate deadline (see “Admissions” tab for more information).

Entrance Essay and Interview

Students who are believed to have a reasonable possibility of acceptance are invited to participate in entrance essays and faculty interviews.
Essays and interviews are held remotely via Zoom (travel to campus not required) on select Fridays throughout the year.
For more information on Entrance Essays, click here.

The D.Miss. program is structured for 4 years. Students who take longer than four years will be assessed an additional $2,000 fee for each semester of extension beyond the four-year limit.

Admissions

Admissions Prerequisites

To be considered for admission in our D.Miss. program we require the following for applications:

A Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Missiology (or equivalent from a regionally-accredited or ATS-accredited seminary).
- If you do not have required prerequisite hours but you do have masters-level divinity credit, you may submit a doctoral equivalency evaluation to the admissions office to find out if you qualify for SBTS DMiss programs.
A minimum of two years of appropriate field experience in cross-cultural ministry
A minimum master’s level cumulative grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale is expected.
International transcripts will require an official evaluation from a NACES approved organziation (World Evaluation Services is preferred).

*For more information about our equivalency standards, leveling options, or to request an equivalency review based on your master’s level work, please email admissions@sbts.edu.

Application Requirements

All applicants must receive a reference from the local church where they are a member. Family members may not complete this reference. If you are the pastor of your church, please select another church leader (associate pastor, elder, deacon, etc) to complete the church recommendation. Recommendation forms are automatically emailed to references via our online application.
Two additional academic recommendations. We suggest that a professor or a business acquaintance who can speak to academic performance complete the 2 additional recommendations required for doctoral students.
Transcription from the educational institution or institutions that conferred any required degrees should be submitted to the Admissions Office. Contact the registrar or academic records office of your previous institution(s). They may e-mail the transcripts (directly or via 3rd party such as Parchment) to admissions@sbts.edu or mail copies to our physical address. Transcripts must come directly from schools either electronically or in sealed/unopened envelopes.
A graduate level research paper in the same field to which the applicant is applying must be submitted along with the application. You may upload this research paper directly onto the application.
$40 application fee – paid after application submission.

Application Deadlines

All application materials must be received by:

August 1 – Summer matriculation

January 15 – Winter matriculation

Entrance Essays and Interviews

Entrance Essays are designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their comprehension of the subject area in which they are applying and sometimes in related fields. Students will be notified soon after submitting all application components as to whether they are invited to participate in the entrance essay and interview.

Essays and interviews are held on various Fridays throughout the year and are administered remotely (travel to campus not required). Click here to learn more.

Program Cost

$1,000 down payment, and remaining balance due equally over 48 months.*

	Total Cost	Monthly Payment
Total cost for SBC students	$20,363	$403.40
Total cost for non-SBC students	$34,005	$687.60

*Program tuition shown is for the 2025-2026 academic year. Additional fees are subject to the current fee schedule.

Financial Aid

Southern Seminary does not offer fully-funded scholarships or grants for the DMiss program.

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Questions?

Contact Admissions

Phone: (502) 897-4200

Text: (502) 305-3554

Email: admissions@sbts.edu

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