Doctor of Ministry (Honors Track)

Overview of the Honors Doctor of Ministry (DMin) at BTS

The Honors Doctor of Ministry program at BTS resembles a research PhD program, focusing on current and contemporary problems rather than exclusively on historical issues. This advanced program requires a dissertation of 75,000–100,000 words.

Admission Requirements for Honors DMin

Candidates must have:

• A cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 at the master’s degree level.
• Successfully pass a personal interview.
• For non-BTS graduates, submission of significant scholarly research from the master’s degree program is required.

Program Structure and Expectations

Upon acceptance, students will:

• Attend the Orientation Seminar.
• Complete the introductory Research and Design (DM9120) class.
• Develop a personalized syllabus during DM9120.
• Maintain an annotated bibliography and journal of readings, totaling at least 40,000 pages (approximately 100 books).
• Complete the program within five years.

Alternate Admission Pathways

Prospective students with a GPA below 3.5 may be considered if they demonstrate:

• At least seven years of above-average ministry experience.
• Necessary skills through an interview with the vice president or director of the Doctor of Ministry program.
• Current scholarly capabilities, preferably evidenced by prior peer-reviewed publications.

Honors DMin Committee and Mentorship

• The student will be assigned a committee of three readers for their dissertation.
• The committee will include a BTS faculty chairperson, the Honors DMin program director, and an approved non-BTS faculty member.
• A mentor will be appointed to advise the student’s program, approved by the DMin director.
• A proposal developed with the mentor must be approved by the committee, culminating the first semester of independent study and research.

Program Fees and Mentor Contractual Arrangements

• The Mentor will receive a semester-based stipend ($600) from BTS.
• A contract template will be provided by BTS for the Mentor.
• The contract must be filed with and approved by the vice president and DMin director.
• Standard DMin semester fees apply.

Graduation from the program is contingent upon satisfactory dissertation completion and oral defense, aligning with the program's high standards and rigorous academic requirements.

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