The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree in biblical preaching arises from the central convictions that the living word of God changes lives, creates faith and motivates mission. Also, the proclamation of the gospel in Christian worship is a primary manifestation of the word of God in our midst and is central to the life and mission of the church. The program is intentionally biblical, practical, collegial and spiritual. The objective is to equip and train leaders who can bear compelling witness to Christ through sermons whose conception, design and delivery all stem from their engagement with the biblical witness.

Note: Luther Seminary is not currently accepting any new students into the D.Min. program.

The D.Min. degree is administered by the Advanced Theological Education Office (ATE).  Current students should refer to the catalog published in the year of the student’s enrollment in the degree program for graduation requirements.

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Program Learning Outcomes

The Luther Seminary D.Min. teaching faculty has established the following learning outcomes for the D.Min. program in biblical preaching: 

  1. Graduates will creatively apply critical theological reflection and pastoral analysis to the practice of ministry.

  2. Graduates will interpret the interplay of theology, Scripture, and cultural context in a manner that is meaningful to Christian communities.

  3. Graduates will apply theological scholarship to a specific area or issue in Christian ministry.

  4. Graduates will develop interpretive lenses and practices for reading and studying the Bible that will inform preaching in the light of their particular contexts.

  5. Graduates will implement course material to preach effectively in their congregational settings.

  6. Graduates will engage their congregations to create communities of proclamation.

General Degree Requirements

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of three core seminars, three elective courses, three colloquies, two projects and a thesis. The students are required to attend three, three- week summer residencies to take place in June. Each residency is followed by significant work carried out in the student’s contextual site and with the support of the student’s sponsoring community. Throughout the year the students will be expected to interact with colleagues from their cohort via web-based forums relating to their coursework, contextual projects and thesis, vocational and professional development and spiritual well-being.

Academic Standing

In order to remain in good academic standing, a student must receive a grade of B or better for work for which credit is given and satisfactorily complete all other requirements of the program as determined by the ATE Office. Unless otherwise noted, the academic policies and procedures also apply to the D.Min. degree.

Candidacy

Admission to studies occurs when a person applies and is admitted to study in the D.Min. program. Admission to candidacy occurs by action of the ATE Office upon approval of the thesis proposal, and qualifies the student to continue study beyond the core seminars, elective courses and projects. This action entitles the student to begin work on a thesis, and the candidacy fee is assessed at this time.

Thesis

A thesis will be required. The thesis must be prepared in accord with the requirements of Luther Seminary’s Writing and Style Guide.  Normally, it should not exceed 200 pages, excluding front matter, bibliography and appendices. In the third year of the program, candidates complete a doctoral thesis that draws together the insights of the previous projects, residencies and sermons and that both relates to a particular area of the candidate’s interest and reflects his or her concrete ministry context.

With consultation from the advisor and readers, and no later than March 1, the student must submit the full defense draft of the thesis to the ATE Office (email copy) and to the advisor and readers (print copies). 

The thesis advisor and the readers set a time with the entire D.Min. cohort for an oral examination, to be held in March or April of the year in which the degree is to be granted.

Within two weeks of successfully completing the thesis oral examination, the student submits a final, typographically perfect copy via email to the ATE Office for final review that the thesis is in conformity of the required style and format.

The ATE Office certifies D.Min. students for graduation by May 1 of each year. The D.Min. graduation fee covers the cost of printing and binding one copy of the thesis that will be placed in the seminary library. An electronic version will also be kept in the seminary repository.

Students who do not meet the deadlines in this section cannot be guaranteed graduation during the year in question.

Commencement

An application for graduation must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of the academic year in which the student intends to graduate. Attendance at commencement is expected. Graduating students not attending need to notify the ATE Office in writing by May 1. 

In some situations, students who have successfully completed the thesis oral examination but not the final thesis review may petition to the ATE Office to participate in graduation ceremonies. All final thesis changes must be completed by the end of the summer term following graduation ceremonies. In the commencement bulletin, an asterisk is placed beside those names with the notation: “Requirements to be completed by the end of the summer term (of the year of graduation).” Requirements not completed by this date will postpone graduation to a later date, and new graduation fees will be assessed. The thesis oral examination must be completed by May 1 in order to participate in commencement.

Time Limit

The D.Min. degree in biblical preaching is designed to be completed in three years. Requests for extensions for additional periods of time not to exceed two years total may be made by petition to the ATE Office. Students desiring a leave of absence must also petition the ATE Office. See the Leave of Absence and Withdrawal policies for full details.

Status

D.Min. students, while completing course work and writing the thesis, will be considered half-time students for the three years of the biblical preaching program.