Welcome ............................................................................ 1
Program Overview.............................................................. 2
Professional Doctoral Programs
D.Min. in Evangelism and Church Growth .................. 4
D.Min. in Expository Preaching ................................... 5
D.Min. in Missions Leadership .................................... 6
D.Min. in Black Church Leadership............................. 7
D.Min. in Biblical Counseling....................................... 8
D.Min. in Korean Church Leadership .......................... 9
Doctor of Music Ministry............................................ 10
Doctor of Educational Ministry .................................. 11
Doctor of Missiology.................................................. 12
Welcome to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
If God is leading you to a higher level of ministry training,
you want to make sure that the school you choose
believes the same things you do. Led by President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. and a world-renowned faculty of
evangelical scholars, Southern Seminary is committed
to the tenets of historic Christianity—the faith once for all
delivered to the saints.
Located in Louisville, Kentucky, The Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary is the Southern Baptist Convention’s
flagship seminary. Founded nearly 150 years ago, the
Seminary has a long history of innovative leadership in
theological education.
That legacy continues today. The Doctor of Ministry
(D.Min.) degree at Southern Seminary is one of the oldest
professional doctoral degrees offered anywhere in the
country. Now it is also one of the newest. After evaluating
the needs of present-day ministers and calling upon years
of teaching experience, each of our nine Professional
Doctoral programs has been redesigned with your current
ministry needs in mind.
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Program Overview
Has your preaching become a little stale? Has your church
membership plateaued? Is there a need in your congregation
that you cannot meet? Are you being asked questions that
you cannot answer? Are you ready to move up, not on?
Whatever your calling, passion or specific situation may
be, Southern Seminary has a doctoral program that will
immediately enhance your ministry.
We offer nine Professional Doctoral programs that lead
to the degree of Doctor of Ministry or its equivalent. These
Professional Doctoral Programs seek to provide a rare blend
of practical application and serious academic investigation.
While providing a world-class education at an affordable
price, our programs offer tremendous flexibility, allowing
students to receive their degree without having to leave their
current place of ministry.
Professional Doctoral studies students spend
approximately four and a half weeks on campus during the
course of their three-year program. Classes typically meet for
one week each during the summer and winter terms. Courses
may require up to 2500 pages of reading prior to class,
several writing assignments, and a reflection paper following
their completion.
To help you integrate your classroom learning to your
local church, doctoral programs require eight hours of
Applied Ministry Experience. These include practical projects
related to the foundational seminar that precedes it. Your
program’s curriculum culminates with the “Ministry Research
Project.” Similar to a thesis, this project is designed to help
you integrate serious theological study and practical ministry
in your church or ministry.
If you are ready to challenge yourself and more
effectively serve the Kingdom of God, read on.
2
Time to Complete: It is expected that students enrolled in this program will maintain full-time vocational involvement
in ministry. Student should expect to complete their degree
in three years. After four years of study, students will be
charged an additional extension fee each semester. Under
no circumstances may a student take over six years to
complete his or her degree.
Program Costs:
Sequential scheduling: If for some reason a student must interrupt his or her status as a student for a
semester, that student may need to wait until the particular
seminar missed is offered again before he or she may re-enroll.
Classes are designed to follow a certain sequence. Hence,
progress towards graduation may be delayed. In addition,
supervision and the cohort experience may be disrupted.
Program
D.Min.
Program Fee
D.Ed.Min.
Program Fee
D.M.M.
Semester Tuition
D.Miss.
Semester Tuition
J-Term
Tuition
SBC
$9,500
$10,200
$2,900
$2,900
$158 per credit hour
Non-SBC
$12,000
$12,750
$5,800
$5,800
$316 per credit hour
A grant in the amount of $650 dollars is
available for each semester for D.M.M. and
D.Miss. students. Non-Southern Baptist
students may apply for an additional $650
grant.Contact the respective schools for
payment plan information.
Admissions Deadlines: January term — October 15; Summer term — March 15. 3
Internet-Enhanced Evangelism and
Church Growth (D.Min.)
Has your church membership plateaued? Are you struggling
with trying to figure out how to reach the next generation? Do
you want to lead your church into a new period of growth?
If you have a burning passion to see people saved and your
church grow both spiritually and numerically, the D.Min. in Evan-
gelism and Church Growth can help you. Designed to equip
ministers with the necessary skills to reach a lost world, this pro-
gram is the perfect blend of academic preparation and practical
exploration. While keeping your current ministry position, you can
pursue the specific ministry track that fits your particular needs.
This program utilizes the Internet to enhance your education ex-
perience. Dr. Thom Rainer, one of the nation’s leading experts
on church growth, is a visiting professor in this program.
32 Hours Foundational Seminars (16 hours)
• Theoretical and Practical Issues in Evangelism and
Church Growth
• Biblical and Theological Issues in Evangelism and
Church Growth
• Historical Issues in Evangelism and Church Growth
• Leadership and Contemporary Issues in Evangelism
1) Pastor and Staff Leadership
2) Church Consultation 3) Applied Apologetics
“The D.Min. program at Southern Seminary exceeded my expectations.
4 The flexible schedule, academic excellence, and personal touch of the professors produce
a Doctor of Ministry program that is second to none.”
— Kevin Hamm, D.Min. Graduate, Pastor, Gardendale First Baptist Church, Gardendale, Ala.
Expository Preaching (D.Min.)
Do you find some types of texts easier to preach than
others? Are all your sermons starting to sound the same? Are
you afraid that your congregation is not really benefiting from
your preaching?
If preaching is your calling, yet you still have unanswered
questions or you just want to improve your skills, this degree is for you. Designed to equip pastors and other
church leaders in the skills of sermon preparation and
public exposition of the Scriptures, the D.Min. in Expository
Preaching is founded upon the belief that the health of the
local church is grounded in the preaching of the Word of God.
Southern Seminary president Dr. R. Albert Mohler is one of the
professors in this program.
32 Hours Foundational Seminars (16 hours)
• Theological, Historical, and Practical Issues
in Expository Preaching
• Expository Preaching and the Old Testament
• Expository Preaching and the New Testament
• Methods and Models of Expository Preaching
Applied Ministry Experience (8 hours)
Research Project and Methodology (8 hours)
“I wanted a degree that is academically credible, pastorally practical, and personally challenging. I found all this and more at Southern.” 5
— Rick Holland, D.Min. Graduate, Associate Pastor, Grace Community Church, Los Angeles, Calif.
Missions Leadership (D.Min.)
Do you want to supplement your mission field experience
with leading-edge research? Are you looking for ways to
improve your leadership skills? Do you feel God calling you
to greater levels of responsibility?
If you have a heart for missions and the desire to lead,
Southern Seminary’s Missions Leadership program is here
to help. This program was created with the needs of North
American and international missionaries, associational direc-
tors of missions, and state convention missions workers in
mind. The program is particularly helpful to those already
engaged in these ministries and those who anticipate future
service in these areas.
32 Hours Foundational Seminars (16 hours)
• Biblical and Theological Issues in Missions
• Christian Leadership and Missions • Missions Strategy: Theory and Practice • Administration for Missions Leaders
Applied Ministry Experience (8 hours)
Research Project and Methodology (8 hours)
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“Our goal is to help missions leaders become better leaders.
Our prayer is that our students will more passionately and effectively reach out to the lost.”
— Dr. Chuck Lawless, Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth
Black Church Leadership (D.Min.)
Are you concerned that your M.Div. did not fully prepare
you for ministry in the African-American community? Are the
challenges of ministry overwhelming you? Do you just want
to be better prepared?
If you are ministering in an African-American context and
looking for a way to balance theological integrity with real world
grit, this program is the answer to your prayers. Placing a spe-
cial emphasis on meeting the needs of the African-American
community, the D.Min. in Black Church Leadership is designed
to equip ministers for a high level of excellence in churches
serving primarily African-American or other minorities.
32 Hours Foundational Seminars (16 hours)
• Black Church Historical/Theological Emphasis
• Black Church Leadership and Administration
• Black Church Ministry with the Community • Elective Seminar or Transitioning the Church
for the 21st Century
Applied Ministry Experience (8 hours)
Research Project and Methodology (8 hours)
“It’s more of an experience than a curriculum, more of a journey than a destination. The impact of the journey continues as I influence new church leaders for carrying 7
out the Great Commission.” — Roy J. Cotton, 2001 Graduate, Church Starting Center Consultant, Baptist General Convention of Texas
Biblical Counseling (D.Min.)
Are you finding out that real world problems are not always
easy to solve? Tired of sending hurting people only to secular
counselors? Interested in providing biblical answers to the
problems your church members face?
If you have a passion for helping hurting people
through biblical teachings, Southern’s D.Min. in Biblical
Counseling will equip you with increased knowledge and
skills in counseling from a biblical perspective and foun-
dation. One seminar deals specifically with marriage and
family counseling.
32 Hours Foundational Seminars (16 hours)
• Introduction to Biblical Counseling • Methodology of Biblical Counseling • Problems and Procedures of Biblical Counseling
• Marriage and Family Counseling
Applied Ministry Experience (8 hours)
Research Project and Methodology (8 hours)
“This is an institution that serves the church and, as such, our responsibility is to make sure
8 that pastors and other Christian ministers know how to be effective biblical counselors.”
— Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology
Korean Church Leadership (D.Min.)
Have you been looking for a seminary that understands your
unique situation? Struggling to apply your classical seminary
education to the realities of serving in the Korean community?
Whether you are serving in a large Korean church or min-
istering in a small community, Southern Seminary’s Korean
Church Leadership program can improve your effectiveness.
Taught primarily in the Korean language, this degree pro-
gram is designed to support the work of Korean language
churches in the United States and around the world. To help
students learn to apply their education in the church setting,
students participate in eight credit hours of applied ministry.
32 Hours Foundational Seminars (16 hours)
• Christian Scripture and the Practice of Ministry
• Christian Heritage and the Practice of Ministry
• Practical Theology and the Practice of Ministry
• Christian Leadership and Missions
Applied Ministry Experience (8 hours)
Research Project and Methodology (8 hours)
“The Korean Church Leadership program is based on a strong biblical and theological emphasis as a foundation for effective ministry.” 9
— Dr. Jacob Lee, Korean Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Leadership and Church Ministry
Music Ministry (D.M.M.)
Tired of singing the same old songs in the same old way?
Ready to challenge yourself academically and musically? Do
you want to do something more with your musical gifts?
If you are committed to vocational music ministry and ready to take your ministry to the next level, this pro-
gram is for you. This doctoral degree provides advanced
professional education for persons who wish to pursue an
advanced degree in music ministry. Combining academic
excellence and flexibility, the student will study church music
and performance, as well as participate in a supervised min-
istry component. This is a partially resident program requiring
a minimum of one-year residency.
40 Hours Core Courses Include
• Research and Writing in Church Music • Practical Theology and the Practice of Ministry
• Church Music Colloquium • Supervised Ministry Experience • 12-18 hours of Performance Studies
Residency Requirements
• One academic year in residence on the Southern
Seminary campus
“The Doctor of Music Ministry at Southern is a wonderful program of study for men
10 and women in music ministry who want to polish their skills on a highly professional level.”
— Greg Brewton, Associate Professor of Church Music
Educational Ministry (D.Ed.Min.)
Are you a practicing education professional? Do you feel left
behind by the current trends in education? Are you willing to
study to make your students better students?
The Doctor of Educational Ministry has been created
to meet the ever-changing needs of Christian education
ministry professionals. In addition to completing a core of Foundational Seminars, students will select a field of
concentration from one of four tracks. Each track consists
of three or four additional seminars. On the practical side,
students will take 12 hours of Applied Ministry Experience.
Internet access is a must.
48 Hours Foundational Seminars (8 or 12 hours)
• Theological and Philosophical Issues
in Christian Education
• Foundations for Teaching/Learning
in Christian Education Contexts
• Biblical and Contemporary Models
of Christian Leadership
Applied Ministry Experience (12 hours)
Research Project and Methodology (12 hours)
Ministry Concentrations (12 or 16 hours)
• Discipleship and Educational Ministries
• Church Leadership • Evangelism and Church Growth • Missions Administration
“Working on a doctorate that allows me to focus more clearly on my ministry, and which will not take me away from my passion – ministering to children – has been a delight! 11
— Debbie Freeman, Doctoral Student, Children’s Ministry Director, Colorado Community Church – Aurora, Colo.
Missiology (D.Miss.)
Do you have field experience? Do you want to be more
effective in your Kingdom service? Are you ready to change
the world?
If you have practical field experience as a missionary but
are interested in being better equipped to take the Gospel to
the ends of the earth, this is the program for you. The Doctor
of Missiology is an advanced professional degree designed
for missionary practitioners. Within the 48 hours of resident
study, your program will culminate with a field research
project that addresses a missiological issue in your particular
missionary context.
48 Hours of Resident Study
Foundational Seminars (42 hours)
• The History of Christian Missions • Philosophy and Methodology of Missions • Theology of the Christian Mission • World Evangelization Strategies • Elective seminars in: anthropology, world religions,
evangelism and church growth • Four doctoral colloquia (one per semester)
Ministry Research Dissertation (6 hours)
“This degree offers the perfect balance of the theological basis
12 of missions and advanced studies in missions strategy.
Students in this program will serve as the missions executives of tomorrow.”
— Dr. Mark Terry, Missionary and Adjunct Professor of Christian Missions
Admissions Requirements
• Completion of an application form and submission of both
the form and the application fee.
• Completion of a church affirmation form. • Three personal recommendations. • 3 page spiritual autobiography documenting your conver-
sion, spiritual pilgrimage, call to ministry, life experiences,
current ministry position, reasons for desiring to pursue the
degree, and expectations related to program of study.
• Official transcripts of all academic work beyond high
school mailed directly from institutions.
• Applicants for whom English is not their native language
must submit an acceptable score on the Test of English as
a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• A personal interview with the Director of Professional
Doctoral Studies or a designated representative.
• A field essay or an essay in response to a case calling
for the application of biblical or theological insights into a
ministry situation.
Admission Prerequisites for all Professional Doctoral Degrees: • M.Div. or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution
(MACE accepted for D.Ed.Min.). MCM or M.Div. in Church
Music accepted for the Doctor of Music Ministry degree.
• A minimum master’s level cumulative GPA of B.
If applicant’s GPA is below a B, applicant will be required to
submit an acceptable score on the Miller Analogies Test. If
the MAT score is acceptable, applicants may be accepted
under academic probation until they have completed their
first six hours of degree work. The GPA requirement for the
D.Miss. is B+.
• In most cases, a minimum of three years of full-time
ministry experience after graduating with an accredited
theological master’s degree.
• Some Professional Doctoral programs may have additional
prerequisites. See current catalog for specific details.
• Any exception to these requirements must be approved by
the Director of Professional Doctoral Studies.
Application Deadlines:
January Term – October 15 / Summer Term – March 15
Call Admissions at 1-800-626-5525 or visit us
online at www.sbts.edu. or
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I would like someone from the Professional Doctoral Studies
office to contact me regarding beginning a doctoral course.