Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling

21st century church leadership, rooted in the history of the faith.

The Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling degree is designed for the minister who seeks professional preparation in the area of pastoral care and counseling and for the minister who wishes to enhance her/his pastoral care in parish ministry.

Curriculum

What You’ll Learn

The Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling (D.Min.) degree is designed for the student who seeks professional preparation in the area of pastoral care and counseling or who serves in specialized clinical settings and/or who ministers to the needs of missionaries and their families. The student whose goal is to enhance pastoral care in parish ministry may pursue the Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling degree.

The program of study requires a Master of Divinity degree from an accredited theological institution and sufficient experiences in ministry to ensure a level of maturity appropriate to engage the intensity of the program design.

Accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), seminars are offered as intensive, turbo-courses, and the degree may be completed in three years.

The School of Divinity is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools, 10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275. Phone: (412) 788-6505.

Available Programs

Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling

The Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling is a thirty (30) hour degree program comprised of three components: seminars, supervision, and a ministry project. Five seminars are required for which eighteen (18) credit hours will be earned. Our doctoral students enrolled in the Pastoral Care and Counseling program follow a unique schedule that is comprised of one (1) week to ten (10) day intensive seminars that meet all day.

Seminars

  • Ministry as Life-Long Learning – Pastoral Care and Counseling (2 hours)
  • Interpersonal Relationships and Family Systems Theory (4 hours)
  • Issues in Advanced Pastoral Care and Counseling (4 hours)
  • Crisis Intervention Theories (4 hours)
  • Clinical Aspects of Care (4 hours)

The Supervision Experience

Our Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling students will register for six (6) hours of Supervised Ministry. The Supervised Ministry seminar includes 400 hours of supervised ministry, with a minimum of 100 hours in group/peer experiences or individual supervision. The supervision experience may be held in an institutional setting (i.e., hospital, hospice, prison, etc.), including Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), Pastoral (or Marriage and Family) Counseling, or Parish Ministry. The supervision experience will be approved by the School of Divinity’s Department of Pastoral Care and Counseling.

The Final Project

Our Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling students will design, implement, and reflect upon a self-directed, original project of ministry conducted in her/his ministry setting. Upon completion of the Final Project, six (6) credit hours are earned.

Additional information, including descriptions of specific concentrations and their corresponding credit hours, is available in the Academic Catalog.

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