George Fox Evangelical Seminary

What distinguishes the DMin from academic doctorates such as the PhD, ThD, and STD is that its primary focus is on the practice of ministry.

The DMin is also distinctive from other professional degrees such as the Ed.D. and the Psy.D. in that it builds on the three-year master of divinity (MDiv) and at least three years of post-MDiv ministry experience.

Admissions criteria: Admission to George Fox Evangelical Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program is based on the following criteria...

1. Possession of appropriate educational prerequisites. Priority is given to applicants in the following (descending) order:
   • Possession of the MDiv degree from an ATS-accredited institution.
   • Possession of the educational equivalent of the MDiv degree with no additional leveling work required.
   • Proximate possession of the educational equivalent of the MDiv degree, which is defined as 18 semester hours of leveling work or less to achieve MDiv equivalency. Applicants with 18 hours of leveling work or less may be admitted to the DMin program on a provisional basis if they meet the other admissions criteria and if there is sufficient room in the cohort.
   • Potential possession of the educational equivalent of the MDiv degree, which is defined as between 19 and 30 semester hours of leveling work needed to achieve MDiv equivalency. An applicant will not be permitted to enter the DMin program until he or she has reduced the remaining amount of required leveling work to 18 semester hours or less.  Provisional admission to the DMin program may be granted at that point if the applicant meets the other admissions criteria and if there is sufficient room in the cohort.
   • Applicants that need more than 30 hours of leveling work to achieve the educational equivalent of the MDiv degree are usually considered ineligible for admission to the DMin program and are encouraged to complete the MDiv degree before reapplying to the DMin program.
2. Possession of a competitive grade point average as reflected in one’s seminary transcripts.
3. Documentation of full-time participation in ministry for at least three years after the completion of the MDiv degree, including a written endorsement of the applicant’s admission to the DMin program from his or her church or parachurch organization.
4. Possession of writing skills sufficient to excel in an ATS-accredited DMin program.

   Applicants will submit a writing sample (e.g., an academic paper or a recently published article) to be evaluated by the DMin program director or member of the program’s faculty. Writing samples are evaluated on the basis of form (demonstrating a basic grasp of the mechanics of good writing) and content (demonstrating the ability to engage in critical thinking).

5. Possession of appropriate computer equipment and skills.

   Applicants must own or have access to an up-to-date laptop, three years old or newer, which has Microsoft Office Professional, Adobe Reader, and wireless Internet connectivity. Applicants must be proficient in their use of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Additionally, they must be “Internet savvy” — capable of performing basic tasks (such as sending and receiving e-mails with attachments) and intermediate tasks (such as downloading plug-ins and performing Internet queries with search engines like Google™). They must also be able to type at least 30 words per minute with minimal errors.

6. English as a second language.

   If English is a second language for the applicant, he or she must also demonstrate proficiency in the English language through a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

International Applicants

1. ATS admissions standards:

   As a degree program approved by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), George Fox Evangelical Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program supports ATS admission standards. ATS standard F.4.1.1 states: “Admission to the DMin program requires the possession of a Board-approved MDiv degree or its educational equivalent. Ministerial experience is not considered the equivalent of or a substitute for the MDiv degree.”

2. The “MDiv Equivalency Evaluation”:

   When one applies to the seminary’s DMin program with a master’s degree other than the MDiv degree, the program director or member of the DMin program’s administrative staff performs an “MDiv Equivalency Evaluation” to assess the degree to which the applicant’s educational background meets the “educational equivalent” of the MDiv degree. If it is determined that the applicant’s educational background does not meet MDiv equivalency, and falls short by no more than 30 semester hours, a list of suggested “leveling courses” is provided, which, when completed, would satisfy ATS Standard F.4.1.1. The meeting of MDiv equivalency does not result in the conferral of the MDiv degree. Its sole purpose is to qualify the applicant for admission to the DMin program.

   • Students with more than 30 semester hours of leveling work: If the applicant needs more than 30 semester hours of leveling work to achieve MDiv equivalency, he or she is ordinarily considered ineligible for the DMin program. Accordingly, no such list is provided.
   • Students with 19-30 semester hours of leveling work: Applicants with 19 to 30 hours of leveling work may proceed with the application process, but they will not be permitted to enter the program until they have reduced the balance of required leveling work to 18 semester hours or less.
   • Students with less than 18 semester hours of leveling work: Non-MDiv holding applicants may begin their studies in the DMin program if they have 18 semester hours of required leveling work or less. Students with leveling work to be completed are admitted to the DMin program with “provisional status,” which remains in place until all leveling work is completed. If the student has not completed all required leveling work by the end of the two-year coursework period, he or she will not be advanced to candidacy and may not be permitted to register for DMIN 550 Dissertation.
3. Standards for completing leveling work:

   Students may complete required leveling either by taking the specific courses stipulated in the MDiv Equivalency Evaluation, which are offered by George Fox Evangelical Seminary, or by taking comparable courses offered other by ATS-accredited institutions. Students living at a distance may seek to satisfy required leveling work in the form of independent studies under the guidance of resident faculty members of George Fox Evangelical Seminary. Typically students will register for independent studies in the summer. Students who wish to complete required leveling work through another institution must obtain approval from the DMin program director prior to registering for the courses in question.

   Records of all leveling work are maintained by the DMin office. All non-George-Fox leveling work will be credited toward MDiv equivalency when the DMin office receives the institution’s official transcript (unofficial copies will not be accepted). All transcripts must be mailed to:

   DMin Office, George Fox Evangelical Seminary
   12753 SW 68th Avenue
   Portland, OR 97223

4. Audits of leveling work:

   Regular audits of non-MDiv holding students are conducted at the end of each academic year.  If a student has not completed all required leveling work by the end of the first year, another audit is conducted at the end of the second year.  In each instance, the DMin office will notify the student in writing concerning the disposition of required leveling work.  If a student has not completed all leveling work by the second audit, he or she will receive a letter informing him or her that advancement to candidacy is pending completion of all remaining leveling work.  Students who have not completed all leveling work by the beginning of fall semester of the third year may not be permitted to register for the final dissertation course and their progress in the DMin program may be halted until all leveling work is completed.

Due to the nature of the program, there is no transfer of credit for the DMin degree from other graduate programs or any other seminary, college, or university.