Doctor of Ministry

Doctor of Ministry at Union Presbyterian Seminary

• How to Apply

  • To get started with your application process, reach out to our Director of Admission, Ashlee Anderson (call/text 980-475-1066) for further conversation about your area of research interest and to connect with a potential faculty advisor. Applications are hosted in SONIS. Need assistance? Check out our SONIS application guide, or reach out to us with questions.

    Transcripts

    To complete your admissions packet, request all transcripts from each accredited institution you have attended. A final transcript showing a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in a ministry-related area, with the date conferred, must be on file before a student may enroll. For applicants without a master’s degree, please review the details and deadlines section of this page. Official (signed and sealed) transcripts, showing courses and grades, from ALL previously attended academic institutions are required. Institutions can email eScripts to admissions@upsem.edu or mail paper transcripts to:

    Union Presbyterian Seminary
    Office of Admissions
    3401 Brook Road
    Richmond VA 23227

    Do not send transcripts to the Charlotte campus.

    Background check

    A background check is required of all applicants who are US Citizens, Resident Aliens, and International Applicants who have lived in the US for more than two years. To order your background check, go to the CastleBranch website (link), enter “ua37” into the Package Code field and click go. Review and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Use, then click continue to proceed to payment and confirmation.

    Personal Disclosure Form

    Complete your Personal Disclosure Form.

    Complete your interview

    D.Min applicants complete two faculty interviews. Interviews take place after all D.Min applications have been reviewed in March. If you have questions, please contact Admissions Assistant Bonnie Hoffman or call 804-278-4221.

    International applicants

    International applicants should follow the instructions on the International Applicants page.

• Course Requirements

  • The degree requires 30 credit hours comprised of 6 hybrid classes, 1 online course, and 3 project based courses.

    Year 1, Fall term: two foundational courses

    • Ecclesiology in World Christian Perspective (3 credit hours)
    • The World in and around the Church (3 credit hours)

    Year 1, Spring term: two required courses

    • Research Methods Seminar (3 credit hours; online format)
    • Mini-project Seminar (3 credit hours; students work with faculty mentors through the semester; at the conclusion of the course students come to campus to share their research with student peers in their cohort)

    Year 2: four elective courses (3 credit hours each; hybrid format; illustrative examples below)

    • Educational Theory for Justice and Advocacy
    • Liberation Theology and Ethics
    • Pastoral Care in Conflicted Relationships
    • Thinking Theologically about Money
    • Enslavement, Race, and Caste
    • Preaching for Transformation
    • The Passions of the Christ
    • Advanced Topics in Pastoral Care
    • Intercultural Church: A Biblical Vision in an Age of Migration
    • Parables and Contemporary Culture

    Year 3: Integrative project in consultation with advisor (6 credits)

    Year 4: Integrative project in consultation with advisor (if needed; at the conclusion of their program, in either Year 3 or Year 4, students will come to campus to share their research with other final-stage candidates for the degree)

• Details and Deadlines

  • Requirements

    Applicants for admission to the Doctor of Ministry program must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a four-year college or university accredited by one of the nationally recognized regional accrediting agencies or the international equivalent. Applicants must have completed an accredited master’s degree in a ministry-related area from a seminary or university accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada or its international equivalent.  Applicants without an accredited Master of Divinity degree may be admitted, provided applicants meet each of these criteria: (a) the ability to thoughtfully interpret scripture and the theological tradition of one’s ministry context, (b) the capacity to understand and adapt one’s ministry to the cultural context, (c) a basic self-understanding of one’s ministerial identity and vocational calling, (d) a readiness to engage in ongoing personal and spiritual formation for one’s ministry, (e) an accredited master’s degree (or its educational equivalent) in an area related to one’s ministry setting or vocational calling, and (f) significant ministerial experience that enables the applicant to engage as a ministry peer with other students in this advanced professional doctorate. Ordination is not a requirement.

    Program Contacts

    Rev. Ashlee Anderson

    Application Deadlines

    March 15 deadline

    References

    3 references (one academic, one professional, one pastoral)

    Official Transcripts

    March 15 deadline

    Background Check & Disclosure Form

    Required.

    Faculty Interview

    Required.

    Essay

    Required.