PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Pentecostal Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry program is a 30 unit program of “in ministry” advanced seminary training. It is a professional degree for persons who desire to maximize their calling to the practices of Pentecostal ministry. The program is intended to be completed in three to five years with students being expected to be active in ministry throughout the program of study.

Internet Based Program

While students may choose to relocate to Cleveland, Tennessee in order to take advantage of direct access to faculty, tangible learning resources and unmediated classroom experiences, the entire degree program may be completed without having to travel to Cleveland, Tennessee. Courses do require “real time” (synchronous) participation in class sessions through the use of internet based audio and video conferencing with the class.

Because the degree program is dependent on use of the internet, applicants for the program must affirm they have and will maintain access to reliable, high-speed internet connections and that they have and will maintain a computer system capable of video conferencing. Failure to maintain acceptable internet capabilities and a video conferencing capable computer system will result in suspension and/or dismissal from the program.

Theological Foundations

The Seminary is committed to function out of a Wesleyan heritage and to function with Pentecost as the principle paradigm for the life and ministry of the church. All that the church is and does should be dependent upon the active presence of the Holy Spirit. The program is open to non-Wesleyans and non-Pentecostals. But potential students should appreciate the fact that PTS expects graduates of the program to be able to reflect and act through the lens of Wesleyan-Pentecostalism.

The D.Min. program of study at PTS has been designed to model theological education from a Wesleyan-Pentecostal perspective. As such, it is characterized by (1) expectation of the presence and work of the Spirit in all aspects of the program, (2) an emphasis on community, (3) the expectation of holistic integration, (4) Pentecostal Praxis, i.e., an understanding that Christian ministry should be a union of the Word of God, sound theology, responsiveness to the Holy Spirit and disciplined service for Christ (5) a focused curriculum, and (6) the pursuit of academic excellence.

Presence of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit actualizes the ancient mantra “Jesus is Lord.” The Spirit cannot be programmed or controlled. The Spirit can be expected, experienced and known. The ethos of the DMIN program is one in which there is an expectation of covert and overt workings of the Spirit. Discernment of the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit is both a gift and a discipline, one that the seminary seeks to nurture within every component of the program.

Emphasis on Community

The DMIN program is built on the premise that personal development in ministry is a communal process. All Christian ministry is to be done in the context of Christian community characterized by mutually enriching relationships. Personal development requires both spiritual discipline and healthy participation in the Body of Christ. To this end, the program expects students to share their formation within the program with others who are personally committed to them as servants of Christ. The community and personal dimensions of the program require students to participate in two interrelated groups.

Cohort of Peers.

First, students are expected to go through the core curriculum with a cohort of peers who provide mutual support for course learning experiences. Life-long friendships are typically formed in these experiences. Each year a new cohort is formed by entering students.

Upon request and under certain circumstances, special cohorts of students may be formed around a ministry focus area or a shared ministry context. These cohorts are subject to a minimal enrollment as negotiated with the Vice President for Academics. All cohorts are subject to the same criteria and standards as are outlined here. Special cohorts may be provided qualified instructors who share their ministry context or have specialization in their shared focus area. All part-time instructors at PTS are subject to the same standards and processes of approval and orientation.

Special cohorts are sometimes created for groups of persons who are not fluent in the English language and who share the same first language. All students are required to have the ability to read the English language. Within the standards and guidelines of institutional policies, the seminary seeks to provide those cohorts with instructors who are fluent in their primary language. However, courses may be taught through the use of qualified translators. Cohorts for which Spanish is their first language may submit their written work, including the dissertation, in Spanish. Due to limited faculty resources, all others must submit their work in English unless specifically approved by a course instructor. Dissertations that are translated into English will require a minimal fee to pay for a qualified audit of the translation.

Persons who are interested in the creation of a special cohort should contact the Director of the D.Min. program or the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Context Based Covenant Group.

Second, the program also requires students to create and participate in a covenant group within his or her ministry context. These Context Based Covenant Groups (CBCG) will meet monthly throughout the program primarily to support and assist the student in the development, implementation, and assessment of the student’s project/dissertation. Maintaining a CBCG is an essential requirement of the program. Group participation is monitored through student reports and by feedback responses from covenant group members. Potential members of a CBCG may include ministerial colleagues, laity, Christian professionals, etc. It is expected that the group will include persons from within and without the student’s immediate ministry context.

Holistic Integration

Throughout the D.Min. program students are expected to critically reflect on how educational content and experiences best integrate with the student’s self awareness as a relational person, as a follower of Christ, and as a Christian minister. Ministerial preparation is far more than the accumulation of knowledge and the cultivation of skills. Who one is, what one knows, and what one does should ever be working together in the formation of the Christian minister. This integration is especially facilitated through the CBCG and peer cohort experiences. It is to be evidenced in the development of the D. Min. project and dissertation.

Pentecostal Praxis

Christian ministry should be a union of the minister, the Word of God, sound theology, responsiveness to the Holy Spirit, and disciplined service for Christ. When this happens, knowledge and behavior exist in harmony. For the Pentecostal minister this union of theory and practice occurs only when the minister is prepared through disciplined practice and is fully surrendered to the presence of the Spirit. The D.Min. degree program is designed in its whole and in its several parts to facilitate this kind of Pentecostal praxis.

Curriculum

While the D.Min. degree at PTS is a degree in the general practice of ministry, students are expected to identify specific ministry practices to which they are called and gifted. Each student must then identify one ministry practice (such as preaching, teaching, counseling, evangelism, etc.) or other specialized area of ministry (youth, children, etc.) upon which to focus his or her studies.

Focus Area

Students should develop an individualized study plan for their chosen focus area. The plan is subject to the approval of the Doctor of Ministry program director. It will include the identification of three courses (9 hours of credit) that fit together to address the student’s focus area. With the approval of the DMIN director and the Academic Dean, these courses, or a portion of them, may be taken at other accredited graduate schools and transferred into PTS. All transfer credits must be for doctoral level courses.

Project/Dissertation

The course of study for the program revolves around a theologically and contextually guided ministry project that is related to the student’s focus area of study. The project will address an area of concern or a ministry opportunity within the student’s ministry context. It will formulate a ministry model to address the concern/opportunity, implement the model, and assess the effectiveness of the project. The project will culminate in the production of a dissertation describing the project, the outcomes of the project and implications of the project. Every course in the core curriculum and every elective in the student’s focus area will include a signature assignment intended to make a direct contribution to the project/dissertation.

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum of the program is comprised of four three-hour courses to be taken during the student’s first two years within the program. This core includes an orientation course (DM 901) plus three courses that respectively address current scholarship in biblical studies, current scholarship in theological studies, and current scholarship in practical theology. These three courses are designed to inform the project by helping the student develop a biblical theology relevant to his or her chosen ministry practice. That theology must be integrated into the project design and implementation.

Focus Area Electives

As noted above, the focus area plan includes three elective courses chosen in part to provide scholarly resources needed for the project.

Project Design & Implementation

Six one-hour courses dispersed throughout the program guide the student step-by-step through the development, implementation and assessment of the project. There are five stages in the project dissertation process. The first stage is the preparation and successful defense of a research proposal for a project concept. The second stage is the development and successful defense of a prospectus identifying appropriate scholarly background concepts, and defining the purpose, structure, and elements of the project. The third stage is the implementation of the project. The fourth stage is the assessment of the project. The final stage is the successful completion and defense of the dissertation.

Defense of the proposal, prospectus, and dissertation will be done before a colloquial team comprised of two faculty persons and one student peer (See below). Defences of the prospectus and the dissertation will be open to the public. While it is called a defence, the tone of each event is that of a colloquial consultation. However, approval by the colloquial team is necessary at each juncture before a student proceeds to the next stage of the project/dissertation.

Dissertation

The capstone for the degree is the successful defense of the student’s project and dissertation. Through the successful completion of the project, students will demonstrate having achieved the learning outcomes of the D.Min. By reporting on the project, the dissertation is designed to document achievement of the degree program outcome statements. Successful defense of the dissertation requires that the final document conform to designated style and form requirements which will result in the dissertation being suitable for publication.

Supervision

Each student is supervised through the project and dissertation by a colloquial team. The team meets to consult with the student at three critical junctures: defense of the research proposal, defense of the project prospectus, and defense of the dissertation. In each case the members of the team must approve of the document before the student is allowed to proceed to the next phase of the project/dissertation.

The colloquial team is comprised of three persons: a peer from the student’s cohort, a focus area faculty consultant, and a project supervisor from among the faculty. The peer member is selected by the student. The focus area consultant is a faculty member with expertise in the student’s focus area who consults with the student about relevant scholarly concepts and resources for the project. Students are expected to schedule a meeting with the consultant a minimum of once per semester throughout the duration of the project/dissertation. The project supervisor is a faculty member with expertise in project design and methods. Under normal circumstances the project supervisor is the faculty member who teaches the six one-hour courses related to the project development and implementation (DM 931, 932, 933, 911, 912, and 913). Project design, development, implementation, and assessment are integrated into those six courses.

At the completion of the project, students must request a faculty supervisor for the finalization and defense of the dissertation (DM 934). Because of impact on faculty workload, the focus area consultant and the dissertation supervisor are requested by the student but those requests are subject to final approval by the Vice President for Academics.

Academic Excellence

Excellence in ministry requires competent scholarship. The D.Min. is a theological degree requiring advanced knowledge of the Scriptures, advanced knowledge of theology, and advanced knowledge of practical theology. It is a professional degree requiring that biblical and theological knowledge be integrated into the superior practice of ministry. Graduates of the program will therefore be expected to have a superior knowledge of scholarly material on at least one ministry practice and to be able to make scholarly contributions to the practice of ministry. All work within the program is expected to be completed on a doctoral level.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students are expected to be continuously enrolled in the program from the time of matriculation until the student’s graduation from the program. Under extenuating circumstances students may apply for and be granted an interruption of status designation for a period up to one year. An interruption of status designation does not extend the time limits of the program beyond five years from the date of matriculation nor does the status extend the time limits for completion of courses already in progress. All incompletes should be completed before the interruption of status goes into effect. A student who fails to register for any coursework for a period of one academic year without applying for and receiving interruption of status designation will be considered to have withdrawn from the program and must apply for readmission.

Full-time Academic Load

Because the DMIN is an “in ministry” degree program, academic loads are less than those of traditional degree programs. For purposes of financial aid, a “full-time” academic load for the DMIN is considered to be 3 hours per semester. However, students do not have to be full-time in order to be considered to be making academic progress. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 3 hours of academic credit per year in order to be considered to be making academic progress.

Continuance of Status

Under extenuating circumstances, students who do not complete all coursework for the program within 5 years may apply to the Director of the DMIN program for a continuance of status designation. The application must include an explanation of the causes for the delay in graduation and a plan for the timely completion of the program. If the continuance is granted, the student will be charged a Continuance of Status fee. If the student does not graduate within the year of continuance, he or she may apply for a second continuance of status. If granted, the continuance of status fee will be charged again. Students who do not complete the degree within seven years from the time of matriculation will be withdrawn from the program.

Continuance of the Project/Dissertation

Students who do not complete the Project/Dissertation within established time limits for courses and/or incompletes may apply for a continuance of the project/dissertation. Continuance of project/dissertation is granted for a period of one semester. The continuance may be renewed two times for a total of three semesters. If a student does not complete the dissertation by the end of the third continuance he or she will be dropped from the program. A fee equivalent to the current DMin tuition for one hour of credit will be charged for each continuance of the project/dissertation. For students who are granted a continuance of program extension, the continuance of project/dissertation fee is in addition to the continuance of program fee. See Tuition and Fees section below for more details.

Academic Warning

Students in the program must maintain a 3.2 GPA or above on a 4.00 point scale. Should a student’s cumulative GPA within the program drop below 3.2, the student will be placed on academic warning for a period of up to one academic year. Students on academic warning will be restricted from registering for more than four hours of coursework per semester. Provided the student makes adequate progress as demonstrated by an improved GPA during the semester following being placed on warning, the student will be granted a second semester in which to bring his or her overall GPA up to 3.2 or above.

Academic Suspension and Academic Probation

Should a student not raise her or his GPA to 3.2 within one year of dropping below 3.2, that student will be placed on Academic Suspension. Once placed on Academic Suspension, a student may not register for courses. During the time in which a student is on Academic Suspension that student may petition the director of the DMIN program in writing for resumption of enrollment under the conditions of Academic Probation. The petition must include an explanation for and plan to address the problems associated with poor academic performance. The DMIN director will forward the petition with his or her recommendations to the Vice President for Academics who will make the final determination on the petition. If approved for reinstatement, the student will then have one semester to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress and a second semester in which to qualify to have the probationary status lifted. Should the student fail to achieve a GPA of 3.2 by the end of the second semester, the student will be placed on permanent suspension and dropped from the program.

Grade Limits

For any course for which a student receives a grade below “B-,” (2.7) that course will not count toward graduation requirements. If the course is a program required course, the student must retake it and achieve a grade of “B-” or higher in order to remain in the program.

Incompletes

With the permission of the course instructor a student may apply for a grade of “Incomplete” in order to finalize course requirements after the official closing of the course at the end of a semester. Applications must be submitted before the last day of regular class sessions. No more than one incomplete will be permitted at any given time. If the incomplete is granted, the student has one year from the starting date of the course in which to complete the work. If the coursework is not completed by that date, the incomplete will automatically be converted to an “F” on the student’s transcript. While an incomplete is in effect the course will not be included in the student’s GPA. However, in the event the student requests an official transcript, the “I” grade will be changed to an “F”. Electives taken as online courses are not eligible for Incomplete grades.

Grade Points for Letter Grades

A = 4.0

A- = 3.7

B+ = 3.3

B = 3.0

B- = 2.7

C+ = 2.3

C = 2.0

C- = 1.7

D+ = 1.3

D = 1.0

F = 0

I = Incomplete which is not included in the GPA

W = Withdrawn which does not affect the GPA.

Typical Course Design

The majority of courses of the D.Min. program, including all of the core curriculum, are offered during regular fall and spring semesters. Some electives are offered in more intensive J-terms (January) and Summer Terms (June and July). All courses in the program are offered in a hybrid format, i.e.: during some weeks students will meet for "live" real-time class sessions (synchronous sessions), and during some weeks students will participate in asynchronous online interaction. Synchronous sessions will meet via internet video conferencing in which class members and professors interact as if in the same room. For courses offered during regular semesters, the synchronous sessions will be on the 1st, 5th,8, and 10th weeks of the semester with the 13th week being an optional synchronous session should the instructor choose to do so.

All synchronous class sessions will meet on the same day of the week throughout the semester. Unless otherwise scheduled for a special cohort, D.Min. classes are scheduled to meet on Fridays. Some elective courses are offered in more traditional modes of delivery, i.e., synchronous classes that meet every week of the semester. Electives may also be scheduled on alternative days of the week.

Curriculum

As noted above, the D.Min. is a three-year, 30 semester hour degree program. The curriculum may be thought of as having four components: core courses (12 hours), context-based covenant group and project supervision (3 hours), focus area electives (9 hours), and the project/dissertation (6 hours). The normal program sequence is as follows:

Required Core Courses (12 hrs):

DM 901 Doctor of Ministry Orientation and Assessment............................................... 3

DM 908 Reading Theology for Ministry……………………………………………................. 3

DM 914 Reading Scripture for Ministry …………….................................................... 3

DM 915 Readings in Practical Theology for Pentecostal Ministry ……………............. 3

Total Core Courses …………………………………………………………………………. 12 hrs

Focus Area Courses (9 hrs):

Focus Area Elective ………………………..……………………………………......... 3 hrs

Focus Area Elective ………………………..……………………………………......... 3

Focus Area Elective ………………………..……………………………………......... 3

Total Focus Area Courses ………………………………………………………………… 9hrs

Project/Dissertation Required Courses (9 hrs -- Must be taken in sequence)

DM 931 DMin Project: Proposal………………………..…………………….…………......... 1

DM 911 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Proposal……………………..………... 1

DM 932 DMin Project: Prospectus………………………..………………………………...... 1

DM 912 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Prospectus……………………………..... 1

DM 933 DMin Project: Implementation and Assessment………………………..……………. 1

DM 913 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Implementation and Assessment …………... 1

DM 934 DMin Dissertation and Defense…………………………………………….………........ 3

Total Project Dissertation Required Courses ………………………………..………………… 9 hrs

TOTAL D.MIN. COURSE REQUIREMENTS ..……………………………………........... 30 hrs

Doctor of Ministry Program Sequence for Full Time Students

Full-time students in the D.Min. program typically take ten hours in each of the three years. A minimum of four hours of the core curriculum must be taken each semester in all but the student’s last semester. The recommended sequence is given below.

During the program, nine hours are to be taken as part of a focus area study plan comprised of three approved elective courses. Elective courses are offered during J-terms and during regular semesters. There is no set pattern for taking focus area elective courses. The varied schedule for elective course offerings may require that a student take 7 hours during any given semester. Seven hours is the maximum course load for a regular semester. Three hours is the maximum course load for a J-term or Summer Term.

First Year, Fall Semester

DM 901 Doctor of Ministry Orientation and Assessment.................................................. 3

DM 931 DMin Project: Proposal……………………….………………….……………......... 1

First Year, Spring Semester

DM 915 Readings in Practical Theology for Pentecostal Ministry ………………............. 3

DM 911 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Proposal…………….……………... 1

First Year, J-Term or Summer Term

Focus Area Elective …………………………………………………….………...….. 3

Second Year, Fall Semester

DM 914 Reading Scripture for Ministry.................................................................... 3

DM 932 Doctor of Ministry Project/Dissertation: Prospectus................................... 1

Second Year Spring Semester

DM 912 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Prospectus………………………..... 1

DM 933 DMin Project: Implementation and Assessment………………………..…… 1

Focus Area Elective ………………………………………………………………………...3

Second Year J-term or Summer Term

Focus Area Elective ……………………………………………………………………………..………...….. 3

Third Year, Fall Semester

DM 908 Reading Theology for Ministry …………………………………...…...…….…..…. 3

DM 913 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Implementation and Assessment ….. 1

Third Year, Spring Semester

DM 934 DMin Dissertation and Defense…………………………….…………………........ 3

TOTAL DMIN Degree Program Requirements: ……………..……………………….30 Credit Hours

Doctor of Ministry Program Sequence for Part-Time Students

Students who choose to complete the program at a slower pace will have more flexibility in scheduling their courses. There is no typical sequence for part time students. However, it is very important that the student remember that the core curriculum is only offered in the fall and spring semesters. Further, it is critical that the student remember that the nine hours directly connected to the project/dissertation must be taken in the specified sequence. That sequence is as follows:

DM 931 Doctor of Ministry Project: Proposal…..……..……...…………….…………......... 1

DM 911 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Proposal……………………..………... 1

DM 932 Doctor of Ministry Project: Prospectus………………………..…..……………...... 1

DM 912 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Prospectus…………………………..... 1

DM 933 Doctor of Ministry Project: Implementation and Assessment……………………. 1

DM 913 Context-Based Covenant Group: Project Implementation and Assessment ...... 1

DM 934 DMin Dissertation and Defense…………………….………………….………........ 3

NOTE: All students are required to take DM 901, 931, & 911 during their first year in the program.