Biola University 2014–15 Catalog
Program Description The Doctor of Ministry degree is the highest professional degree for pastoral and ministry leaders. Talbot’s Doctor of Ministry program is designed to help ministry practitioners make their maximum impact in ministry. Our goal is to help leaders develop the skills necessary to accomplish God’s unique agenda for their lives and ministry. The Doctor of Ministry program is designed to equip leaders of various Christian ministries for a high level of excellence in the practice of ministry. We offer an expanding number of specialty tracks that utilize a cohort-based faculty-mentor led model of education. Students meet for intensive two-week residencies every year for three years, and complete major projects between residencies. A doctoral project is required at the end of the program and must be completed within six calendar years of the first residency. Talbot’s program is designed for people currently engaged in full time ministries. It builds upon the Master of Divinity degree program by adding the equivalent of one additional year of coursework (over a three-year period) and requiring the completion of a doctoral project (during a second three-year period). International students may be subject to alternate timelines because of United States government regulations. The distinctives of Talbot’s Doctor of Ministry program are as follows: • Specialty focused . In order to help students maximize their particular ministries, Talbot offers a growing number of specialty tracks. • Cohort based . Students participate in an academic pilgrimage with classmates who share their particular ministry passion (cohort). • Faculty-Mentor led . Each cohort is led by a Talbot or Biola faculty member who is recognized as an expert in his or her field of ministry and who wants to share his or her life and insights. They walk with the cohort through every residency and guide the students’ doctoral projects. Learning occurs within the context of relationship. • Practitioner sensitive . Assignments are integrated into the students’ life and ministry. • Spiritual Formation oriented . With the assistance of Talbot’s Institute for Spiritual Formation, we help students in the areas of spiritual growth and soul care. We help students develop the mind and spiritual character necessary for effective ministry. D.Min. Program Timeline Year One Residency • Course Preparation (complete reading and assignments prior to residency) • Two-Week Residency Coursework • Spiritual Formation Retreat • Post Residency Project Year Two Residency • Course Preparation (complete reading and assignments prior to residency) • Two-Week Residency Coursework • Post Residency Project Year Three Residency • Course Preparation (complete reading and assignments prior to residency) • Two-Week Residency Coursework • Post Residency Project Years Four, Five and Six • Submit an acceptable doctoral project proposal • Write a doctoral project • Present the doctoral project and be evaluated • Submit final acceptable copy of approved doctoral project
D.Min. Program Components Residency Preparation (3 Times)
The semester before each residency, extensive reading and preparation are assigned by the faculty-mentor. Participants should plan to devote twelve hours per week in preparation for the residency. Residency (3 Times) Each year’s two-week residency consists of two one-week courses. The courses are designed sequentially for the participant to acquire increasing competency in the selected area of concentration, both in terms of conceptual understanding and praxis, from one year to the next. A principal focus of each residency is the participant’s own preparation, as well as the track mentor’s approval of a proposal for a major post-residency ministry project to be carried out following each residency. Students must successfully complete their post-residency During the first weekend of the first residency every student will participate in a spiritual formation retreat along with his or her cohort and mentor. This retreat will be led by Talbot’s Institute for Spiritual Formation and encourage students to experience continued growth in spiritual maturity. Post-Residency Projects (3 Times) Following each of the residencies, each student will complete a project in his or her place of ministry that relates to the coursework covered in the residency. This is known as a “post-residency project” and each yearly course has a stand-alone Post-residency course in the D.Min. curriculum. During the residency, the faculty-mentor will inform the student about expectations for content, necessary components, matters of form and deadlines. Post-residency projects are completed during the four to six months following each residency. Completion of the post-residency project is a prerequisite to advancement in the program. Failure to pass the course will require that it be taken again or that the student be removed from the program. The course may be taken twice. If unsuccessful after two attempts, the student will be dropped from the program. Doctoral Project and Presentation (1 Time) projects in order to advance in the program. Spiritual Formation Retreat (1 Time) The participant’s own doctoral project is the capstone project of the program. It is the culmination of previous learning in the program and a demonstration of the student’s ability to engage in a lifetime of ministry as a scholar-practitioner in the given area of the participant’s specialization. In addition to the faculty-mentor, the participant will be assigned a reader. With the faculty-mentor playing a lead role, these two faculty members form the doctoral project committee and guide the participant through the process, approving each aspect of the doctoral project from the initial proposal through to the final draft. Doctoral project proposals will only be accepted from those students who have maintained a cumulative 3.0 GPA. The final requirements for degree completion are the participant’s successful presentation of the completed doctoral project in an oral examination with the mentor and the reader, and the presentation of acceptable final manuscripts. Extension of Program Students who have completed the doctoral project classes (TTMN 880–885) but have not completed an acceptable doctoral project, may apply for an extension. The student must complete the Doctor of Ministry Application for Extension. On the application, the student must demonstrate that steady progress has already been made and furnish a compelling reason why additional time is needed. Furthermore, the student must describe an action plan with a proposed timeline detailing how he/she will complete the project within the extra time requested. On the application, the D.Min. office must affirm that there is a reasonable expectation that the student will finish on time if an extension is granted. Applications are reviewed and extensions are granted at the discretion of the Dean of Academic Records. Extensions are granted one semester at a time but the student may request and apply for an extension of two semesters at once. Fee: $750 per semester. Credit(s): 0.
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