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in healthy spiritual formation, and will engage in spiritual formation as the
locus of practical ministry in a post-modern context.
Black Church Studies
Purpose: To develop quality leaders for the Black Church in the 21st century
through quality academic reflection in the primary disciplines of Bible, theology/
ethics, church history, spiritual formation, and practical ministry, as well as the
opportunity to engage the best African American academicians and practitioners of
our time.
Canadian Church Studies
Purpose: The Doctor of Ministry in the Canadian context is an advanced
degree for professionals who seek to improve their practical expertise,
explore the concerns of ministry in the Canadian context, and challenge their
heart and mind.
Note: The three foundational core classes are taken at Ashland Theological
Seminary, and the three electives are taken in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Independent Design
Purpose: The Independent Design Track is designed to give students greater
flexibility in the area of elective courses.
Electives can be chosen from the other Doctor of Ministry tracks.
Students can transfer approved doctoral courses related to their
ministry interests from other accredited seminaries.
Students can work with a professor to create their own electives.
Guidelines have been developed to help students design an elective
that meets their specific interest and need. Such coursework can
include an experiential component (e.g., travel, retreats, seminars,
interviews) and/or a research component (library research, social
science research, biblical research). Each elective will have a reading
and writing component that serves as a foundation for the course
and a record of the learning process.
Electives can also be designed from Master’s level courses offered in
the Ashland Seminary Catalog which include a variety of specific
interests such as Homiletics, Biblical Studies, Theology, Christian
History and Philosophy, Missions and Evangelism, Worship.
Admission Requirements for the Doctor of Ministry Program:
A Master of Divinity degree from an Association of Theological Schools
accredited seminary or university, or its equivalent. (An equivalency
evaluation will be processed upon receipt of the student’s transcripts.)
A grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0 = A) in all graduate work.
Current involvement in a ministry context (pastoring, teaching, missions
work, administration of a Christian organization, therapeutic ministries, etc.)
At least three years of ministry experience, usually (but not always)
experienced after receiving the M.Div.*
*Students not having the M.Div. but who do hold a master’s degree in another
theological degree program, such as Pastoral Counseling, Theology or Christian
Ministries, may satisfy equivalency by taking courses outlined by the Dean of the
Doctor of Ministry Program.
Contextual Learning Experience
Ashland Theological Seminary’s D.Min. program uses a contextual model of learning
that is dependent upon the student’s participation in and reflection upon ministry.
Several ingredients contribute to the integration of theory and practice in the
program:
Integrative projects, such as case studies, case reports, and notes from
ongoing ministry that are used in many of the classes.
A participant group of students will interact with and challenge one another
in the development of the student’s specialized concentration and project.
A core faculty that will include a project advisor appointed by the Director of
the D.Min. program, a field consultant, and a resource person selected by
the student.
A support group from the student’s ministry context that will help relate the
project to that context; a minimum of three individuals selected by the
student.
The ministry project which relates theory and practice, theology and
ministry.
Final Project:
For the final project, students apply what they have learned to a ministry task in
their local context (including both the nature and practice of ministry). This is the
culmination of the Doctor of Ministry experience in which the ideas and applications
of the program are measured and evaluated. The project will reflect careful
planning, theological reflection, purposeful implementation, and appropriate
assessment. The project is a document of approximately 150-250 pages (minimum
25,000 words).
Refer to pages 195-273 for course descriptions. 189
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