Steven W. Smith, Associate Dean for the Professional Doctoral Program
Note: Information regarding the Doctor of Ministry Degree for the School of Theology contained in this catalog is an overview of the basic requirements for completing the degree. Students enrolled in the program are accountable for the policies and procedures contained in the most recent edition of the Doctor of Ministry Degree Handbook. Persons interested in additional information regarding entry to the program should contact the Doctor of Ministry Office by mail at P.O. Box 22720, Fort Worth, TX 76122-0720, by phone at (817) 923-1921, ext. 6633, or by email at dmn@swbts.edu.
The Southwestern Doctor of Ministry degree is designed to enhance the practice of ministry for those who are currently engaged in positions of ministerial leadership.
Complete online admissions application at www.swbts.edu/applynow. All applications must be entirely complete by February 1 in order to begin in July of the same year.
As part of the online application, applicants must write a short essay about their conversion and call to ministry.
As part of the online application, applicants will submit two personal references. A personal reference may not be anyone that is under the applicant's leadership or authority. A space will be provided on the online application to enter an email address for these references. They will be automatically emailed a reference form.
Applicants must also complete the "Confidential Academic Reference" form and submit this form to the Admissions Office. This form must be completed by a professor with whom they have completed a graduate level course. The professor must have an earned doctorate degree from an accredited institution.Click here to obtain the "Confidential Academic Reference" form.
The Admissions office will need official copies of the applicant's graduate level transcripts. Please contact your school and send your official transcripts to the Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 22740, Fort Worth TX, 76122. If you attended multiple graduate schools/seminaries, the office will need original copies from each school. Those applicants who have not completed an M.Div. degree, but have completed another type of master's, must contact the Doctor of Ministry Office to request a transcript evaluation. Some applicants may need to complete leveling work before their master's degree can be considered equivalent to the M.Div. degree. Please note: All leveling work must be completed before applicants can begin seminars.
A transcript from an international institution will require certification to demonstrate its equivalency to graduate-level work in the United States. Students must contact World Education Services in order to obtain transcript evaluations, www.wes.org.
The admissions application fee is $35.00. Applicants may pay by credit card during the online application process, or may mail a check to the Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 22740, Fort Worth TX, 76122. Checks should be made out to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Please note: once the application has been submitted the applicant may not go back and pay the application fee online.
In addition to the research paper, applicants must submit an autobiographical essay to the DMin Office via email at dmn@swbts.edu. The autobiographical essay should include:
Primary life events (and what meaning they have)
Significant persons and relationships (including role models, the impact of the family of origin, and the nuclear family)
The minister's understanding of his or her spiritual pilgrimage (particularly focusing on conversion, times of doubt or struggle, and growth experiences).
The minister's understanding of motivation and call to ministry and significant persons and events in that process.
A brief history of both secular and ministry-related experiences (significant difficulties, successes, and epiphanies about ministry).
Suggestions for an Effective Autobiographical Essay:
Return D.Min. Application Documents to:
Office of Admissions
P. O. Box 22740
Fort Worth, TX 76122
1-800-SWBTS-01
817-923-1921 ext. 2700
Fax: 817-921-8758
For admission, all non-USA citizens will be required to take the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as an admission requirement. The minimum score for unconditional admission is 100 (those who score between 90-99 may enter the program conditionally; those who score less than 90 may not enter the D.Min. program). The computer based TOEFL will be accepted if it is less than two years old. The minimum score for unconditional admission is 250 (those who score between 233-249 may enter the program conditionally; those who score less than 233 may not enter the D.Min. program). Citizens of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada and other non-USA citizens who have successfully completed an accredited English-language based bachelor's degree from a North American institution are exempt from this requirement.
In addition to a passing TOEFL score, the D.Min. Committee will reserve the right to require additional English proficiency courses taken concurrently with the D.Min. work where deficiencies are found to exist in order to assist students in achieving their potential and to contribute effectively to the seminars. These courses may be taken at Southwestern or in other designated institutions.
Applicants from outside the United States must meet U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) regulations to study at Southwestern Seminary in any program. Any approval of the applicant's admission to the D.Min. program is contingent upon the applicant maintaining proper status. The International Student Services Office communicates regularly with the D.Min. program to assure that all INS regulations are followed.
Upon receipt of the complete D.Min. application, the D.Min. Office distributes the essays to members of the D.Min. Committee for evaluation. After the transcript(s), reference information, standardized test scores, personal interview and essays have been evaluated, the application will be submitted to the D.Min. Committee for consideration at the regularly scheduled meeting (first Thursday of each month).The committee will either accept an applicant unconditionally, conditionally, or decline the application.
All applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision in writing by the Associate Dean for the Professional Doctorate Program. This notification is usually sent by mail within two weeks of the committee decision. Applicants who are accepted into the program will then receive information regarding registration for the first year of seminars.
All accepted students are accepted provisionally into the D.Min. Program. The provisional status is lifted after successful completion of the Research and Writing Seminar that is conducted via the internet using BlackBoard technology.
The Research and Writing Seminar is a required eight-week internet seminar that is conducted before a student can begin his first year of seminars. The online seminar will be conducted from mid-March to mid-May before the seminar year begins in July. The purpose of the seminar is to both strengthen a student’s writing skill and to facilitate growth in the area of doctoral research. The seminar is graded upon a Pass/Fail basis and students will not be allowed to begin the first year of seminars unless the Research and Writing Seminar has been completed successfully.
| Research and Writing Seminar (completed before beginning seminars) | Pass/Fail |
| Seminar Requirements (three seminars, one per year, worth 8 hours each) | 24 hours |
| Professional Dissertation Seminar | Pass/Fail |
| Writing of the Professional Dissertation | 6 hours |
| Total Program Requirements | 30 hours |
The D.Min. curriculum is divided into four areas of vocational interest (majors). Each D.Min. student is required to designate one area as his or her major.
The focus of the Expository Preaching major is to train pastors to exegete Scripture accurately, applying biblical truths to culture, training them to communicate skillfully the glory of God.
| Course Title | Course Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Expository Preaching - Exegesis of a New Testament Epistle | DMNEP 6108 | 8 |
| Expository Preaching - Exegesis of Old Testament Literature | DMNEP 6208 | 8 |
| Expository Preaching - Exegesis of Narrative Literature (Old and New Testament) | DMNEP 6308 | 8 |
| Professional Dissertation | COLLM 8006 | 6 |
|
COLLM 8000 | |
|
COLLM 8020 | |
| Total | 30 | |
The focus of the Pastoral Leadership major is to equip pastor-theologians to be more effective leader-servants by enlarging their understanding of biblical servant-leadership, by analyzing classical and current organizational leadership theories, and by developing a spiritual leadership plan for their ministry setting.
| Course Title | Course Number |
Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Pastoral Leadership - Foundation of Leadership Principles | DMNPL 6108 | 8 |
| Pastoral Leadership and Expository Preaching | DMNPL 6208 | 8 |
| Pastoral Leadership and the Art of Effective Communication | DMNPL 6308 | 8 |
| Professional Dissertation | COLLM 8006 | 6 |
|
COLLM 8000 | |
|
COLLM 8020 | |
Total |
30 | |
The focus of the Chaplaincy Ministry major is to equip chaplains to become effective Gospel ministers by developing a biblical, theological and contemporary understanding of key pastoral issues, preparing ministry strategies and designing and implementing effective ministry plans.
| Course Title | Course Number |
Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Chaplain Leadership - Foundation of Leadership Principles | DMNCH 6108 | 8 |
| Chaplain Ministry and Counseling | DMNCH 6208 | 8 |
| Chaplaincy Ministry and Expository Preaching | DMNCH 6308 | 8 |
| Professional Dissertation | COLLM 8006 | 6 |
|
COLLM 8000 | |
|
COLLM 8020 | |
Total |
30 | |
The focus of the Christian Worldview and Cultural Engagement major is to equip Christian ministers to engage culture with the perspective of a biblical worldview. Students will receive foundational instruction in biblical, theological, and philosophical studies that will enable them to develop effective ministry strategies for addressing key cultural issues.
| Course Title | Course Number |
Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Engagement and the Role of Expository Preaching in 21st Century Ministry | DMNCW 6108 | 8 |
| Developing the Biblical and Theological Foundations for a Christian Worldview | DMNCW 6208 | 8 |
| Christian Apologetics and Modern Culture - Engaging and Responding to a Multicultural Society | DMNCW 6308 | 8 |
| Professional Dissertation | COLLM 8006 | 6 |
|
COLLM 8000 | |
|
COLLM 8020 | |
Total |
30 | |
Upon satisfactory completion of all seminar requirements, students are considered in the professional dissertation phase of the D.Min. program. During this time students will be registered concurrently in COLLM 8000 Professional Dissertation Seminar and COLLM 8020 Professional Dissertation in Progress. During the Professional Dissertation Seminar students will be required to be on campus for two weeks during July. After successful completion of the Professional Dissertation Seminar, students will remain registered only in COLLM 8020 as they write their professional dissertation. Upon satisfactory completion of the professional dissertation and the oral examination, students will receive 6 hours credit for COLLM 8006 Professional Dissertation.
Students submit professional dissertations of 100-200 pages in length to the Doctor of Ministry Office. The professional dissertation is to be written in the highest level of professional and academic competence.
This professional dissertation must be submitted at least 90 calendar days before graduation -- February 1 for Spring commencement and September 1 for Fall commencement.
The professional dissertation must be approved by its faculty readers; after which an oral exam will be scheduled. Graduation will be contingent upon successful completion of the oral exam.
Students may be terminated from the D.Min. program for the following reasons:
Due to the Cooperative Program scholarship for Southern Baptist students, the total program cost for Southern Baptists is $8,800.00.The total program cost for non-Southern Baptist students is $11,800.00.
The Program Cost(s) are broken down in the following manner:
A D.Min. student (both Southern Baptist and non-Southern Baptist) will be charged a down payment of $1,000.00 due by July 1.
Year 1 - $2,600.00 per year paid in its entirety by July 1 or divided into twelve monthly payments. Note: monthly payments are processed through the FACTS Payment Plan. Additional information is available through the SWBTS Business Office.
Non-SBC students will be charged a yearly payment of $3,600.00.
Year 2 and 3 - $2,600 per year for Southern Baptist students or $3,600 per year for non-Southern Baptist students (due date to be determined).
If a D.Min. student’s program exceeds four years, an additional extension fee of $1,000 per year will be charged to the student. Please note that a student’s program may not exceed six years in total.
Financial assistance is not available through the D.Min. Office. Applications for financial assistance may be made through the Student Financial Aid office of the seminary.
All fees and dates are provisional and may be subject to change by the administrative offices of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.