Doctor of Ministry FAQs

We accept applications on a continuous basis for all cohorts. At this time, we anticipate starting the following foci:

• Christian Spirituality (June 2024)
• Eastern Christian (August 2024)
• Creative Writing and Public Theology (June 2024; cohort is full)
• Intergenerational Black Church Studies (June 2025)
• Missional Leadership (June 2025)
• Reformed (June 2025)

Application requirements include the following:

• Online Application Form
• Application Fee: $60 non-refundable; waived if you visit campus in person or virtually. Pay online
• Official Transcripts of all college, university, and graduate work attempted. (Note: PTS graduates should request transcripts from the Registrar.)
• An endorsement from the applicant’s Church Board, ecclesiastical official, or a professional supervisor when applicable approving expenditure of the time called for by the program.
• Three References: Provide name and e-mail addresses for three references (one personal, one ministerial, one academic/professional) on online application form. We can not accept references from family members.
• Essay: 1000 words describing how this particular program and cohort can equip you to live more fully into your vocational calling in your ministry context. In this essay, identify at least two authors or theological works that have inspired your continued learning and inform a potential area of research. Please note: proper citation in Chicago Manual Style is expected for this exercise.
• Personal Interview
• Background Check: Complete online; package code pi66. In lieu of the background check, applicants can also submit up-to-date clearances. PTS requires background checks for all faculty, staff, and students out of our desire to ensure the safety and well-being of all community members. The background check does not automatically disqualify someone from admission.
• If the language of instruction from prior undergraduate and graduate degrees was not English, we require TOEFL scores of at least 570 paper or 90 IBT (PTS Institutional Code is 2667). The TOEFL scores cannot be older than two years from the date the exam was taken and at the time of application.

Generally, a 3.0 GPA from an accredited M.Div. degree program is required. If you do not hold an M.Div. degree but do hold a master’s degree in an area related to your ministry setting or vocational calling, you may apply as an alternate credentials student.

The Doctor of Ministry degree is an advanced professional doctorate that builds upon an accredited master’s degree in a ministry-related area and upon significant ministry experience. Students without an accredited M.Div. degree may be admitted with alternate credentials so long as they have

• the ability to thoughtfully interpret Scripture and the theological tradition of one’s ministry context,
• the capacity to understand and adapt one’s ministry to the cultural context,
• a basic self-understanding of one’s ministerial identity and vocational calling,
• a readiness to engage in ongoing personal and spiritual formation for one’s ministry,
• an accredited master’s degree (or its educational equivalent) in an area related to one’s ministry setting or vocational calling, and
• significant ministerial experience that enables the applicant to engage as a ministry peer with other students in this advanced professional doctorate.

To receive merit or need-based aid, a financial aid application is required. See the website for more infomation.

The purpose of the Doctor of Ministry Degree Program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is to engage the challenges, opportunities, and vocation of ministry through a systematic and sustained curriculum involving disciplined study and reflection over a period of three to four years. Students undertaking the degree are to develop a habit of reading and study, conversation and reflection, writing and rewriting that provides a pattern of deep theological engagement and invites renewed imagination for work in the student’s ministry setting. The program is based on a cohort model that facilitates peer relationships and shared learning throughout the D.Min. journey. Classes typically meet in two-week blocks twice per year for 2.5 years.

This emphasis on combining academic study and the practice of ministry is carried out through interactive teaching-learning styles in seminars and courses. The doctoral project at the end of coursework is undertaken under the supervision of carefully selected faculty. The project provides an opportunity for candidates to explore in-depth an aspect of their ministry to which they seek to bring new insight, knowledge, and imagination.

People often wonder what makes a Doctor of Ministry different from a Ph.D. Perhaps they’re looking at doing a D.Min. or Ph.D .and want to make sure they have all the facts straight, or maybe they’re comparing the two credentials.

One of the differences is that a Ph.D. culminates in a dissertation and is primarily focused on theoretical research, which may or may not have obvious practical application. A D.Min., on the other hand, culminates in a project focused on a particular ministry context. For examples of the differences between D.Min. project and Ph.D .dissertations, see “Does the Doctor of Ministry Require a Dissertation” below.

Another difference is the time length. D.Min. programs at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary typically take three to four years. Ph.D. programs range in length and typically take at least five years.

Often, Ph.D. programs prepare students for teaching or research, whereas the D.Min. degree prepares students for deeper or more effective ministry.

Ultimately, if you’re considering a D.Min. vs Ph.D., one of the best things you can do is talk to the director of Pittsburgh Seminary’s D.Min. Program to find out which is right for you! E-mail Click to view e-mail.

The D.Min. degree culminates in a final doctoral project consistent with The Association of Theological School’s standards. This project is different than other doctorate degrees which culminate in dissertations. In the Doctor of Ministry final project, each candidate demonstrates her or his ability to identify a specific theological topic in ministry, organize an effective research model, use appropriate resources, and evaluate the results, reflecting the candidate’s depth of theological insight in relation to ministry.

For example, a Ph.D. dissertation may be titled something like the following:

• “A Question of Authority: Protestants in Virginia and the Carolinas and the Tension Between Religion and Politics, 1835-1861”
• “Jesus and the Galilean Crisis: Interpretation, Reception, and History”
• “Studies in the Archaeology and History of Israelite Samaria”
• “Preaching ‘As if Nothing Had Happened’: Karl Barth’s Emergency Homiletic 1932-1933”
• “‘Newter’-ing the Nicodemite: Reception of John Calvin’s Quatre sermons (1552) in Sixteenth-Century England”

On the other hand, a D.Min. culminates in a project, typically with practical application. Here are examples of D.Min. projects:

• “Grief Recovery Ministry in the Local Church”
• “An Experiment in Reformed Revival in New Castle, Pennsylvania”
• “Missional Covenant Groups”
• “Investigating Technological Futurism's Potential Role in Humanity's Participation in Bringing About God's Renewal of the World”

Final D.Min. projects are bound and placed in Pittsburgh Seminary’s Barbour Library. Feel free to browse the theses in our catalog!

The Doctor of Ministry degree is designed to enrich and deepen the ministries of its graduates. For examples of what DMin graduates go on to do, check out these profiles.

• The Rev. Dr. Linda Morgan-Clement (D.Min. '05) 
• The Rev. Dr. Andrew Kort (D.Min. '17) 

Several things are important in a D.Min. program.

• Make sure that the school where you complete the degree is well established and highly regarded.
• Be sure you are excited to work with the director of the program.
• Consider what past graduates are doing.
• Review past final projects (see examples above). 
• Consider possible concentrations. 
• Evaluate the cost. 

Due to the current structure of the program and F-1 Visa constraints, international students are only able to apply to the Reformed focus. Applicants from Canada are able to apply to all foci. Please reach out to Click to view e-mail for further questions about your eligibility.