Curriculum

The 44-credit hour Doctor of Ministry program is designed to help ordained and non-ordained women and men develop theological reflection on ministerial practice. It places emphasis on practical theology, applying cutting-edge academic study and research to contemporary ministry.

The D.Min. degree requires a curriculum distribution (9 credit-hours), core courses (6 credit-hours), electives appropriate to the student's area of interest (15 credit-hours), a supervised in-service project (6 credit-hours) and a thesis-project (8 credit-hours). A maximum of six years is allowed for degree completion.

9 credit-hours to be taken as follows:

• Biblical Theology (3 credit-hours)
• Systematic/Liturgical Theology (3 credit-hours)
• Moral Theology (3 credit-hours)

6 credit hours comprised of:

• Fundamentals of Practical Theology Seminar (3 credit-hours) (THE 800A)
• Integrative Seminar (3 credit-hours) (THE 800)

At the start of your study, you will participate in the first core course - Fundamentals in Practical Theology (THE 800A). This seminar, which is offered during the winter term, will prepare you in the praxis-theory-praxis methodologies of practical theology. You will continue to use these methodologies in your coursework and in your thesis-project. After you have completed at least 12 credit-hours of coursework, you will participate in the second core course – the Integrative Seminar (THE 800), which is offered during the summer term. The Integrative Seminar is designed to assist you in developing your research skills, scholarly writing, and thesis-project proposal.

15 credit-hours (6 of these hours may be completed as directed independent study)

6 credit-hours

This six Two three-credit coursesand individual directed ministerial formation provides theologically discerning accompaniment throughout your Doctor of Ministry program. It isThese courses aredesigned to help you integrate academic knowledge and ministerial practice with your personal and professional identity.through a series of personal reflections, workshop attendance, completion of a formation log, and development of a personal thick description.The two ministerialformation courses (THE 802A: Doctoral Ministerial Formation and Pastoral Skillsand THE 802B: Doctoral Ministerial Formation and Professional Ethics) are offered during Summer Residency Terms with ongoing individual directed formation sessions throughout your program. Your registration for this course will be concurrent with your registration in Fundamentals in Practical Theology (THE 800A). You will continue in Ministerial Formation with an "In Process" (IP) status until you complete your integrative paper.

8 credit-hours

Your Thesis in Ministry Project (THE 801A – 4 credits and THE 801B – 4 credits) enables you to demonstrate satisfactory integration of theological reflection with ministerial praxis and to develop a new vision of your ministry that can be applied broadly to other ministerial contexts.

To graduate from the Doctor of Ministry program, you will need to:

• An Entrance Interview and Self-assessment
• Discerning the call to service (written narrative)
• Ongoing spiritual formation
• Theological reflection and pastoral skills formation

At Barry, your ministerial formation within the Doctor of Ministry program will be supported throughout your studies. THE 802, Supervised Ministerial Formation, a six-credit course, has been designed to provide you with theologically discerning accompaniment.

You will register for this course at the beginning of your studies, concurrent with your registration in Fundamentals in Practical Theology (THE 800A). You will continue in the course with an "In Process" (IP) status until you complete your integrative paper.

The course is designed to help you integrate academic knowledge and spiritual practice with your personal and professional ministerial experiences. You will develop a personal thick description, complete a formation log, and conduct an assessment of your ministerial skills, defining for yourself areas in which you wish to grow. A number of approaches will be used to help you reach your goals including, theological reflection groups, interviews/conversations, workshops, retreats, spiritual direction, communal prayer, suggested reading, films and other activities.

Throughout this process, you will be encouraged to embrace the critical skills of listening, reading, thinking, questioning, and writing, thereby developing and honing your communication skills. The process will help you further define your ministerial identity and vocation by identifying the transformative effect of your studies and experiences on your understanding of self and ministry.