Biola University

Programme overview

Talbot School of Theology's Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) is a hybrid, cohort-based professional doctorate intended to strengthen ministry practice. The program requires 36 total credits, is accredited by WSCUC and ATS, and follows a format that combines three two-week annual residencies with guided preparatory work and post-residency ministry projects. Standard completion time is listed as 4–5 years, with a maximum of six years to finish the full program.

What you'll study

Study is organized into specialty tracks that concentrate on practical ministry domains (examples include Advanced Biblical Preaching; African American Ministry; Christian Leadership; Spiritual Formation and Soul Care; Growing and Multiplying Churches; Ministry Skills; Small Town Churches; and others). Each year you complete two one-week, sequential courses during the residency that build conceptual understanding and practical competence in your chosen track. Program elements include:

• Residency coursework: three annual residencies (two continuous weeks each) with assigned pre-residency reading and one-day-per-week preparation during the semester before each residency.
• Post-residency ministry projects: a major applied project after each residency; successful completion of these projects is required to advance.
• Spiritual formation seminar: a weekend seminar during the first residency led by Talbot’s Institute for Spiritual Formation.
• Doctoral project: a capstone project proposed after the third residency and supervised by a faculty-mentor and a reader; proposals require a cumulative 3.0 GPA to be accepted.

Entry requirements

The public program text specifies that doctoral project proposals will only be accepted from students who have maintained a cumulative 3.0 GPA. The program is cohort-based and assumes candidates are active ministry leaders or professionals who can commit to the residency and project structure; other formal admissions criteria (e.g., prior degrees or transcripts) are referenced on the program site but are not detailed in the provided source text.

Career prospects

Graduates typically continue in ministry roles with enhanced skills for preaching, leadership, discipleship, spiritual formation, church growth or teaching. The program explicitly targets ministry leaders, ministry professionals and church leaders who wish to integrate scholarship and practice; outcomes emphasized include improved ministry competencies, capacity for practitioner-sensitive research and potential for educational leadership or higher-education teaching within ministry-related settings.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

The published figures include a total credit requirement of 36 credits and a stated cost per credit of $539. The program description characterizes the overall cost as modest relative to its stated value. Prospective applicants should consult the Biola/Talbot admissions and financial office for current tuition billing details, scholarships, and funding opportunities not specified in the source material.