Application Requirements for the Doctor of Ministry Program

1. $50 USD Nonrefundable Application Fee (This will be waived for you if you sign up for a virtual or in-person visit!)

2. Meet one of the following three sets of criteria:

• Completed an M.Div. Degree of at least 72 credit hours from an accredited institution AND have at least three years of substantial ministry experience, OR
• Completed a Master’s degree and earned at least 72 credit hours with 30 hours of Bible, theology, church history, doctrine, and ministry practice from an accredited institution AND have at least three years of substantial ministry experience (see below for specifics), OR
• Completed a Master’s degree that is theological in nature, with 30 hours of Bible, theology, church history, doctrine, ministry practice from an accredited institution AND have at least 3 years of substantial ministry experience AND submit an exegetical assignment to be evaluated by a faculty member at a “Developing” level or above (see below for specifics). Watch this video for exegetical assignment highlights.

3. Official transcripts from all postsecondary schools where at least 12 hours of coursework was completed

4. References from:

• A leading lay person in your present ministry
• Your immediate supervisor
• Two colleagues

5. A Doctor of Ministry personal history form (found in your application checklist upon submitting the application itself)

**For International Students: A copy of your passport and an official TOEFL/IELTS English proficiency score sent to us directly from the testing agency.

Exegetical Assignment vs. Research Paper/Writing Sample: Which do I need to submit?

Any student without a Master of Divinity (72 credit hours or more) or without 72 credit hours at the graduate level (but still have at least 30 credit hours in Bible/Theology) must complete an exegetical assignment. 

• The rubric/guidelines can be found here.
• You can also find a helpful video explanation here.
• This 15-20 page exegetical assignment will be graded by a faculty member. To qualify for the Doctor of Ministry program, your paper must be graded at a “developing” level or higher.

If you have your Master of Divinity degree (72 credit hours or more) OR a MA degree of at least 72 credit hours (with at least 30 credit hours in Bible/Theology), you must submit a research paper/writing sample. 

• The guidelines for this assignment can be found here. 
• This assignment will be reviewed by our Doctor of Ministry office.

Regardless of the assignment you complete, be very sure to follow the guidelines carefully, both in terms of length and content. Our reviewers/graders are very strict about these criteria.