George Fox Evangelical Seminary

Interested students must complete an application by June 1, and remit the tuition deposit by July 15 in order to begin the following fall.

Learn more about the application process »

To be ready for the first module, students must also complete some "ramp-up" work for the orientation advance, register for the module 01 courses, and access FoxTALE.

Learn more about Preparing for LEC Module 01 »

During the first two years of the program students participate in three sets of courses over six modules:

• Research courses: DMIN 513, 523, 533, 543
• Customized courses: DMIN 516, 526, 536, 546
• Len Sweet's courses: DMIN 517, 527, 528, 537, 547, 548

Explore the course catalog for descriptions of specific courses »

The table below outlines the course sequence for the LEC DMin program:

The research courses prepare students for the project phase of the program by helping them gain greater competence in information literacy - the art of knowing when one needs information, where to get it, how to access and evaluate it, and how to incorporate that information into one’s work. Students meet face to face for the first two days of each advance for DMIN 513, 523, and 543.

The customized courses are designed to give students greater flexibility to pursue subjects of interest to them. Students are assigned a faculty advisor during the orientation advance who oversees and evaluates their work in these courses. The customized courses include three major elements:

• Learning Plans: Written up at the beginning of the module and approved by their faculty advisor, students propose a course of study for each module that includes a reading pool, conference, and essay thesis.
• Conferences: Students attend a conference for modules 01, 02, 03, and 04 appropriate to their topic of study. Faculty advisor approval is required.
• Essays: All learning experiences for each module are synthesized in a 4,000-word essay at the end of semester.

Len Sweet's courses are characterized by directed reading and self-organizing interaction. Following Len's lead, students explore various aspects of leadership in the emerging culture. Len's courses normally include the following elements:

• Reading: Len provides a reading list and schedule of books, articles, and websites for students to explore and discuss.
• Asynchronous discussion: Students meet weekly in an asynchornous chat forum to discuss the assigned course materials.
• Chat: Students meet once a week for synchronous chat. Len faciliates the discussion.
• Advances: As a part of DMIN 517, DMIN 528, and DMIN 548, Wednesday through Friday of the advances, students meet face to face with Len.

The LEC DMin program includes the design and completion of a doctoral-level project that addresses both the nature and the practice of ministry. Students begin working on their project at the orientation advance in DMIN 513 and continue to do so throughout the program. Although the third year of the program is devoted to completing the project, students will have made significant progress by the end of the second year. Ideally, much of the research associated with the customized courses can be applied toward the production of the project.

The project can take two forms - track 01 and track 02:

• Track 01: This approach allows students to write a traditional-style "dissertation" that addresses a ministry problem in depth and the theoretical framework that underpins a proposed solution.
• Track 02: This approach allows students (individually or in teams) to implement a project utilizing print, image, audio, or the internet to incarnate a practical, real-world solution to a stated ministry problem.

The research courses are designed to enable students to advance their projects, equipping them with the necessary skills to complete their work during the third year:

• DMIN 513: Students are introduced to the tools used for study and research.
• DMIN 523: Students develop a topic proposal for their projects.
• DMIN 533: Students develop a design proposal for their projects.
• DMIN 543: Students explore the process of research, writing, and mapping out how to complete their projects.

At the end the first year of coursework, during the Summer 01 Module, students declare which track they wish to pursue and state their choice of topic and project. At this juncture, students are matched up with a project advisor and, later, an expert advisor (track 02 only) who will oversee their projects and provide appropriate guidance.

• Project Advisor: The primary advisor for the students' projects, he or she is responsible to oversee student progress in the conception, development and implementation of their projects.
• Expert Advisor (Track 02 only): A person selected on the basis of his or her technical experience and expertise relative to the student’s chosen media venue. He or she is responsible to ensure that students adequately address the appropriate technical and design considerations when developing their projects.

During the third year, students turn in successive portions of their project to their project advisor for review and comment. Students who plan to graduate in the spring alert the DMin office by completing a "Declaration of Intent to Graduate" survey by early December. By January of the third year, a penultimate version of the project is due. Copies are sent to the project and secondary advisors, Len Sweet and the expert advisor (track 02). The project is returned to the students with comments and students then make the necessary adjustments and turn in a revision in preparation for their oral defense in March. The oral defense is attended by the project advisor, a secondary advisor, and Len Sweet, as well as the director of the doctor of ministry program. A final copy of the the project is due by April 1. Students graduate in April/May.

Students who are unable to complete their project by January or who have to make substantial revisions to the penultimate version of their project must consult with their project advisor to determine the best course of action to expedite the completion of the project.