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Doctor of Ministry

As distinguishable from the Th.D.program, the D.Min. program at ITS has its primary emphasis on an integration of academic resource and practical ministry. A combination of in-ministry and on-campus studies is designed to foster growth in skills and personal qualities essential to ministerial excellence. This program is designed with the specific objective to meet the need of ethnic churches in America and Third World churches. The program is open to ministers of all denominations who qualify for admission.

Admission

Pastors who hold a Master of Arts, Master of Christian Education, and Master of Divinity degree from a regionally accredited, governmentally licensed or registered institution, including at least one of the biblical languages, and who have been successfully engaged in recognized ecclesiastical ministry for more than three years, are eligible to apply for admission. Candidates are expected to continue in the practice of ministry for the duration of the program.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Doctor of Ministry degree will have met the following requirements for graduation:

1. Completed all course requirements with minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B), and with no grade below a "B-" counting toward the degree.

2. Successfully written and defended his/her project dissertation and finalized the format of his/her dissertation to the satisfaction of the librarian.

3. Settled all financial obligations with ITS Administrative office.

4. Completed all requirements for the degree within five years from the time of matriculation. A fee of $100.00 per quarter will be charged for extension granted for the completion of the project dissertation beyond the fifth year.

5. A student who has successfully completed the course work but does not complete the dissertation project within allotted time and fails to obtain necessary extension shall be considered withdrawn from the program. A certificate of completion will be issued to the student in lieu of the diploma.

Course Requirements

The Doctor of Ministry program requires successful completion of a minimum of 84 quarter units offered in two segments, 48 unit M.Div. Equivalent courses and 45 unit graduated courses, plus a project dissertation worth 9 units.

The first segment consists of 48 unit M.Div. equivalent course tailored to individual students' need with the purpose to intensify students' ministerial skills. All or part of the first segment of the program may be waived by the dean/director for students who already have an M.Div. degree, provided their program is compatible with ITS M.Div. program.

The second segment of the curriculum includes:

1. Four core courses 20 hours

2. Five elective courses 25 hours

3. Major Project/dissertation 9 hours

All courses with GS 960 to 980 number headings, which are described under the department of Practical Theology, Church and Ministry, Missiology, and Pastoral Studies, are designated as core courses. All other courses with GS 900 headings are considered as elective courses in the D.Min. program. Courses which are offered in the form of seminar in the Summer session shall consist of three components below:

1. An assigned reading of not less than 1,500 pages to be completed before and/or after attending the class room session.

2. A one-week session of classroom instruction held five days, with a total of 30 clock hours, for lecture, evaluation and discussion.

3. A project growing out of the reading and class work, leading to a final written report for evaluation.

Each Summer seminar session carries five credit units.

Candidacy and Dissertation Procedures

1. Upon completion of a minimum of four(4) courses after a student completed the M.Div. equivalent work, or a student who enters this program with an M.Div.degree or its equivalent who qualified for waiver of the first segment of the program by the dean/director, he/she may submit a dissertation project proposal to the dean/director of graduate studies for approval.

2. Upon approval of the proposal, the dean shall declare the student a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Ministry. upon approval of the project proposal.

3. Concurrent with candidacy notification, the dean shall appoint a dissertation committee of no less than three members, one of whom shall serve as committee chair to the candidate to provide the necessary guidance to the completion of the project dissertation.

4. The candidate may then register for the Dissertation Guidance Credit, pay the credit fee, and begin his/her research and writing of the dissertation. (For regulations for dissertation, consult ITS Manual of Standards for Theses Dissertation; copies are available at the academic office)

5. The candidate shall submit two final drafts of the dissertation no latter than April 15 of the year of the graduation. Upon completion of the dissertation and approval by the dissertation committee, a date shall be set for an oral defense of the dissertation, no later than May 22 of the year of graduation.

6. After a successful oral defense of the dissertation, the candidate must deposit in the library two completed/signed off copies to Director of Library Services no latter than May 30 of the year of graduation to be bound by the library's specification.