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NTSW joins with New York Theological Seminary to offer the Doctor of Ministry (DMin), an advanced professional degree appropriate for clergy and lay leaders with significant ministry experience who desire to deepen and improve their ministries through a disciplined and integrative process of action, reflection, and research.
The primary objective is to develop professional competencies, critical skills for reflection on ministry, the capacity for focused advanced theological research and interpretation, and appropriate interpersonal skills for service in specific, constituency-based contexts. The program places considerable emphasis upon developing effective ministries of personal and social transformation in the context of a multicultural, globalizing, and urbanizing world.
The approach to learning in the DMin is participatory, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and dialogical. Through the study of Scripture, religion and theology, ethics, the social sciences (sociology, history, politics, political economy, psychology, and counseling), and the arts of ministry, students and faculty from diverse contexts are mutually engaged in creating opportunities for critical and imaginative forms of ministry and mission.
An important feature of the program is its emphasis upon collegiality. Peer relationships with other students and close working relationships with faculty are expected to be developed. A commitment to mutual respect, trust, and cooperation is nurtured throughout the program. This commitment to collegiality is extended beyond the immediate participants of the classroom to those with whom the candidate is involved in ministry through the formation of a Site Team, which is a committee of persons selected from the context of the student’s ministry that works with the student for the duration of his/her program. Equally important is a commitment to the creation of pastoral leadership and identity, particularly as a practice of spiritual formation, through critical analysis, evaluation, and assessment.
The design of the program is based on the recognition that students are fully engaged in ministry. Toward this end, the Seminary has made provisions to accommodate the particular constraints under which the students may operate, even as it encourages students to improve their knowledge and skills and continue with their existing professional responsibilities. The DMin requires a minimum of three years to complete, and in all cases candidates are expected to complete their programs within six years of their matriculation.
Basic Admissions Requirements
- Master of Divinity, or an equivalent degree(s)
- 3.0 Cumulative GPA from a Master of Divinity degree
- Strong congregational connection, preferably ordained
- Minimum of 3 years since graduating from an M. Div. degree program
- 3 Letters of Recommendation – Somebody to whom you minister, Colleague or Associate, and an Ecclesiastical Superior or Pastor
- $50 Application Fee
- A Personal Essay
- Additional requirements may be requested
Timeline (Dates/Times To Be Announced)
Year 1 – Three 1-week intensive seminars with 3 courses: Leadership, Biblical Hermeneutics and Research Methods.
- Intensive Seminar Week One:
- Intensive Seminar Week Two:
- Intensive Seminar Week Three:
- Summer: Transfer into NYTS program. Online work between seminars.
Year 2: One intensive week
Week Four:
Throughout Year – Implementation of doctoral project
Year 3: Throughout Year
Write up dissertation project
Tuition*
- Year 1: $7,350.00
- May include additional fees.
Financial assistance for the 2nd and 3rd years can be applied through New York Theological Seminary. Our unique partnership is one that students begin their studies in Year 1 with New Theological Seminary of the West (NTSW), and then we transfer the student to New York Theological Seminary (NYTS) for Years 2 and 3. Most, if not all, coursework will be completed in Southern California through NTSW, however your diploma will have both seminary names printed on the front. This design allows the student to benefit from both institutions while conveniently remaining on either coast and mitigating increased financial dependence.
For more information contact:
Office of Admissions
New Theological Seminary of the West
Email: admissions@ntswest.org