Robert Vaughan, Associate Dean for the Doctor of Educational Ministry.
The D.Ed.Min. degree exists to enhance the practice of ministry for those who are presently involved in educational ministry leadership. Goals include an advanced understanding of the nature and purposes of educational ministry, an enhanced capacity to reflect theologically on issues and practices related to educational ministry, the acquisition and refinement of skills and competencies for more effective ministry, an understanding of developing models in educational ministry, and continued growth in spiritual maturity.
The D.Ed.Min. degree is designed to build upon the education base of the Master of Arts in Christian Education degree or its equivalent. This degree combines practical ministry with the classic skills of the Christian educator. The D.Ed.Min. is intended for students who show promise of ministerial excellence. The degree is structured so that students can attend seminars while continuing to work in their ministry setting.
While applicants may apply throughout the year, accepted students enter the program in July and attend orientation prior to their first seminar. D.Ed.Min. applicants must complete and submit all application materials by the first Monday in February for consideration into the D.Ed.Min. program.
Please contact the Doctor of Educational Ministry Program Office at 817-923-1921 ext. 3519 for more details.
Applicants entering the seminary for the first time are required to complete all SWBTS admission application procedures with the Office of Admissions. General admission application forms may be obtained from the Office of Admissions website, http://www.swbts.edu/apply-now or contact the Admissions Office at SWBTS, Box 22740, Fort Worth, TX 76122, and (800) 792-8701. All returning Southwestern students who have missed more than six consecutive semesters must go through the Office of Admissions for readmission. Applicants, who have attended SWBTS in the last two years, may submit a Former Student Enrollment Update Application to the Office of the Registrar.
The Office of Admissions and the D.Ed.Min. Office work closely together to accomplish both the general seminary admission process and the admission process into the D.Ed.Min. program. The Director of Admissions will not clear the applicant for admission until the Associate Dean of the D.Ed.Min. program has notified the Director of Admissions of the applicant’s acceptance into the program.
Application for admission to the Doctor of Educational Ministry program is directed to the D.Ed.Min. Committee. All application materials are due to the D.Ed.Min. office by 5:00 pm on the first Monday in February for consideration to begin in July.
The D.Ed.Min. Committee meets the first Friday of the following month to evaluate the student’s application packet for approval. Within two weeks of the Committee meeting, applicants will be notified by mail of the Committee’s decision regarding entrance into the D.Ed.Min. program. If accepted by both the D.Ed.Min. Committee and the SWBTS Office of Admissions, the applicant will be required to pass a 6-week online research and writing course that will begin in April. If the selected applicant passes the course, he or she will be able to proceed with registration and materials will be sent to the student for doctoral seminars for the upcoming year term.
See Summary of Application Materials for more details.
Applicants must have completed an M.A.R.E. or M.A.C.E. degree or its equivalent from an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) approved school. The doctoral studies office will determine if leveling work needs to be completed to meet this requirement before application can be made to the program. Any unapproved degree from another program must be evaluated to determine equivalency. If leveling is required, the experience requirement begins after the leveling is completed.
In order to apply for the program, the student must have earned an overall 3.0 minimum grade point average (GPA) on the master’s degree with a 3.3 in Education. GPA is based on a four-point scale. Applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA may be admitted on a probationary status if they take the Miller Analogy Test (MAT) and score a minimum of 400, or the GRE with a score of 500 on both sections. If the student earns a 3.3 GPA during the first year of seminars, full acceptance into the program will be granted after review by the committee.
Applicants must have a minimum of three years experience in educational ministry following the awarding of an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) approved master’s degree before applying to the program. If leveling is required for a non-ATS approved degree, the experience requirement begins after the leveling is completed. In addition, applicants must be involved in vocational Christian educational ministry during the time they are enrolled in the degree. Part-time experience will be calculated at one-half the value of full-time experience.
It is required that each participant will remain involved in full-time Christian vocational ministry throughout the duration of the program. Any participant who leaves the ministry for any reason while pursuing the D.Ed.Min. degree must petition the Doctor of Educational Ministry Committee for continuation in the program.
Using the forms provided by the D.Ed.Min. Office, applicants must submit three reference forms from persons familiar with the applicant’s ministry work. At least one of the references should be from a person who has had a supervisory role in the applicant’s ministry. References should include persons who have known the candidate more than a year.
Applicants must submit a personal essay of approximately 6 - 8 pages in length (double spaced), which describes the applicant’s major life events including conversion, call to ministry, and call to doctoral work. The applicant shall include his or her understanding of their spiritual pilgrimage including times of struggle and growth. The second part of the essay will focus on growth areas achieved during the three years after the obtainment of the master’s degree and the candidate’s goals for entering the program.
This paper shall be written using the informal (first person) perspective.
Applicants must electronically submit a graduate level research paper of approximately 12 - 15 pages in length (double-spaced). The student is to submit a research paper in which an argument is made and a research question is pursued. Applicants should not send papers that are in outline or bullet form. The research paper must show evidence of the applicant’s ability to do research. The research paper should be written in the approved style of the student’s graduate school (Turabian, APA, Chicago, MLA, or The Southwestern Seminary Manual of Style). All research papers will be closely examined and submitted to an anti-plagiarism program for analysis. If a paper shows noticeable instances of plagiarism, the research paper will be rejected.
The Research Paper will demonstrate the following competencies:
For admission, all international applicants whose first language is not English will be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum score for the internet- based test is 100. A candidate with a score of 91 or above will be considered for entrance under a probation status. The TOEFL must have been taken within three years of the date application is made. If other English deficiencies are discovered, proficiency courses or an interview may be required. An applicant whose master’s degree is from an institution of higher learning in the United States is not required to take the TOEFL.
Applicants from outside the United States must meet US Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) regulations to study at Southwestern Seminary in any program. Any approval of the applicant’s admission to the D.Ed.Min. program is contingent upon the applicant maintaining proper visa status. The International Student Services office communicates regularly with the D.Ed.Min. program to assure that all INS regulations are followed.
Please note that all international students who are studying at Southwestern Seminary under an F-1 Visa status will be required to complete Ministry Practicum Seminars for each year. These Ministry Practicum Seminars are designed to facilitate one’s growth as a minister and enable one to develop greater ministry skills which can be utilized both now and upon one’s return to their country of origin.
The Ministry Practicum is designed to further equip international students in their personal and spiritual growth as a minister of the Gospel through practical experience and ministry outreach. All international D.Ed.Min. students under an F-1 Visa status will be required to register for a Ministry Practicum Seminar each academic year. 0 Hours.
Applicants must submit the D.Ed.Min. application and recommendation forms to the D.Ed.Min. Office. The applicant has the responsibility to verify with the D.Ed.Min. Office that materials (recommendation forms, transcripts, test scores, etc.) are being received.
All application materials must be submitted to the Doctor of Educational Ministry Office, SWBTS, P.O. Box 22248, Fort Worth, TX 76122. Applicants may use the application checklist as a personal guide for their application progress. The application materials are as follows:
The degree is focused on educational ministry leadership. Students will select a concentration of study in Educational Leadership Ministry or Relational Ministry.
Goals
The D.Ed.Min. program shall provide an advanced and critical study in:
The four-year program consists of 44 credit hours: 36 hours of seminars and 8 hours for the professional dissertation. Students take seminars over the course of three years. Each year a student takes 12 hours worth of credit during three one-week periods. The years are divided into three categories: Core, Concentration, and Context. In the fourth year, students will complete a project by applying the information learned from the seminars to their current ministry setting and writing a professional dissertation.
Each year of doctoral study, a student will take three weeks of conference format seminars. The first is held in July. The following seminars are usually held in October, January, and/or May (subject to change). Throughout the year, students will complete assignments related to seminars taken. Assignments will include reading, research, writing papers and on-line learning such as discussion board postings on Blackboard (a web-based learning center).
Upon satisfactory completion of all seminar requirements, students are considered in the project phase of the D.Ed.Min. program. Eight hours of credit will be given for satisfactory completion of the professional dissertation, and the oral presentation and assessment.
With prior approval of the D.Ed.Min. Committee, up to twenty hours may be taken in other accredited doctoral degree programs.
Concentrations
The concentrations offered in the program include:
All D.Ed.Min. students must be involved in full-time vocational Christian ministry during the time they are enrolled in the degree. International students attending seminars on a visa status will be required to maintain an adequate vocational employment in a church/ministry setting, as determined by the D.Ed.Min. Committee, during the tenure of the degree. A written job description from the organization must be provided to the committee at the time of application and in the event a change of vocational ministry occurs.
Most seminars will be offered on the main Southwestern campus in Fort Worth in two one-week formats. In addition, one week seminars will meet in locations where there is a cluster of students, with effort made to provide learning experiences in leadership centers and professional meeting contexts in various locations.
A flat program cost will be set each year. If a student completes the degree within four years, there will be no increase in the seminar and project cost. Other fees include a program entry fee, graduation fee, and program extension fee (if needed). Other appropriate fees may be charged. Contact the Business Office for the current rate.
Due to the Cooperative Program scholarship for Southern Baptist students, the total program cost for Southern Baptists is $8,800. The total program cost for non-Southern Baptist students is $11,800.
The Program Cost(s) are broken down in the following manner:
Financial assistance is not available through the D.Ed.Min. office. Applications for financial assistance may be made through the SWBTS Student Financial Aid Office.
All fees and dates are provisional and may be subject to change by the administrative offices of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
An inquirer refers to a person who has contacted the D.Ed.Min. office about the possibility of entering the D.Ed.Min. program, and who has begun to complete the necessary provisions to make application (transcripts, references, etc.).
An applicant refers to a person who has submitted an application for consideration with all necessary attachments (references, paper, etc.).
A seminar phase student refers to a student who has completed all requirements for entering the D.Ed.Min. program and has registered for seminars.
Continuous enrollment refers to all students who have completed seminars and are currently active in the program.
A project phase student refers to a student who has completed all seminars, has submitted an approved project prospectus, and is currently working toward the professional dissertation.
Interrupted status refers to the status of a student who has been granted permission by the DEdMin Committee to suspend all studies or professional dissertation for up to a one-year period of time. The student requesting interrupted status must submit a written petition outlining their medical or otherwise unavoidable conflict. If the DEdMin committee approves the student’s request, a recommendation for a waiver of tuition or extension fees will be sent, by the DEdMin office, to the Business Administration office for final determination. If the petition is denied or does not meet the criteria for an interrupted status, the student must continue in the program or withdraw (See SWBTS Withdrawal Policy.) Interrupted status can be granted only once.
Inactive missionary status (IMS) refers to a student who is a missionary and is automatically granted leave of absence when the student fulfills an appointment by the International Mission Board or the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, or other missionary agencies. IMS students are exempt from paying continuous enrollment fees for any year term they are not actively pursuing the degree. If, however, they are on the mission field and are actively working on the degree (taking seminars, creating a prospectus or working on project research and writing with their Guidance Chairman and/or Field Consultant), they will be expected to pay the standard enrollment fees.
The Doctor of Educational Ministry Committee and the faculty of the School of Educational Ministries reserve the right to decline, to admit, or to continue as a student, a person who fails to meet any established qualification or for any other reason is deemed to be inconsistent with the qualifications or conduct becoming a minister.
Moral concerns, as determined solely by the committee, will be referred to the Ethical Conduct committee of the Seminary for disposition in its customary way. Academic concerns, as determined by the committee, will be addressed and a final decision will be made by the committee according to established, published protocol. Matters that are, in the judgment of the committee, neither solely moral nor solely academic, will be addressed by the committee in consultation with any appropriate Seminary office and the final decision will be made by the committee.
See D.Ed.Min. Handbook for the current academic year.
Information regarding the D.Ed.Min. degree contained in this catalog provides 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 Educational Ministry Handbook. Persons interested in additional information regarding entry to the program should contact the Doctor of Educational Ministry Office by phone at 817-923-1921, ext. 3519, by email at dedmin@swbts.edu, or by mail at P.O. Box 22248, Fort Worth, TX 76122-0248.