What Is a Doctor of Ministry? How the DMin Differs from a PhD

A Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is a professional doctorate for pastors and ministry leaders who are already serving. It deepens the ministry you are doing now and ends with a major project that applies research to practice. At Knox Theological Seminary, the DMin is 30 credit hours, takes 2 to 5 years and can be completed fully online.

What a Doctor of Ministry Is For

The DMin prepares men and women for more effective ministry in the context where God has already called them. It is built for people serving now as pastors, missionaries, teachers or administrators in churches, Christian schools or other ministries.

Students usually come to a DMin wanting to:

• add theological depth to the ministry they already lead;
• sharpen their preaching, teaching, research and writing;
• grow as leaders; and
• mature spiritually, personally and professionally.

The degree ends with a major project. At Knox, that project is meant to make a real contribution to the practice of ministry, and students are coached through the project phase one on one.

DMin vs PhD: What Is the Difference?

Both are doctorates, but they answer different questions.

If your goal is to lead a congregation or ministry with more depth, the DMin fits. If your goal is to teach and write in the academy, a PhD is the usual path. At Knox, the academic master's degree, the MABTS, is the one designed for students who plan further graduate study.

Who Can Apply for a DMin?

At Knox, DMin applicants need a completed master's degree in a ministry-related area, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and significant ministry experience. The most common path is a Master of Divinity, but you don't have to have an MDiv. Applicants without one answer additional short-answer and essay questions, and every applicant provides an endorsement letter from their church or governing body.

The DMin at Knox

Knox Theological Seminary is a Reformed seminary, founded in 1989 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Its DMin is:

• 30 credit hours: three required courses (Doctoral Research and Writing for Ministry, Theological Ethics for Ministry, and Christ-Centered Preaching with Bryan Chapell), 15 elective hours and a 6-credit major project;
• 2 to 5 years to complete;
• fully online, or online with one-week intensive courses offered periodically at the Knox campus; and
• $755 per credit hour ($705 for seniors), plus a $3,500 major project fee.

See the requirements, courses and how to apply on the online DMin page.