Professional doctoral degrees are meant for candidates who desire to sharpen their skills in identifying and addressing practical ministry challenges, including skills in leadership needed to bring others into this process. Research doctoral degrees are for students who want to delve into the theoretical underpinnings of matters such as the nature of God, the meaning of biblical texts, defenses of the faith, and the significance of past events.
Am I In the Wrong Program?
In the earliest weeks of study, some students may discover that they are in the ‘wrong’ program, based on their own ministry goals and academic interests. They might have applied for the DMin program—or another professional doctoral degree like the DEdMin or EdD—only to find that they are more interested in research doctoral study. Others get accepted to the PhD program and find themselves drawn more toward professional doctoral study. These kinds of changes are unusual but not unheard of, and they tend to follow interactions with other students who talk about their own courses of study and what they hope to gain from education at this level.
Evaluate Your Goals
Many doctoral students are working on seminary doctorates to develop professionally and to prepare for additional kinds of ministry. A doctoral degree creates opportunities to serve in added—if not completely different—ways. Nevertheless, candidates will need to choose between professional and research doctoral study.
What are Professional Degrees?
Degrees like the DMin, DEdMin, and EdD are called ‘professional,’ because they specialize in ministry-related problem solving. Something is wrong or sub-optimal; and the DMin, DEdMin, and EdD graduate has been trained to detect and address these kinds of problems. The professional doctorate also sets a premium on evidence given to prove that what seems to have worked really did work. In that sense, professional doctoral study is results-oriented in ways that research doctoral study tends not to be. In terms of qualification, the professional degree prepares the graduate to teach in areas concerned with hands-on ministry, such as leadership, evangelism, church planting, preaching, and missions.
What are Research Degrees?
The Doctor of Philosophy is meant for students who wish to explore foundational questions that inform ministry practice without specializing in ministry practice itself. Therefore, under this heading one finds the classical disciplines of theology, biblical studies, ethics, apologetics, church history, and ethics, along with options like missiology, ecclesiology, and counseling. In all these cases, the emphasis falls on the ends served by ministry practice rather than the means used to reach those ends. In terms of academic qualification, the PhD prepares the graduate to teach in the same area of specialization.
How to Match Your Goals to a Degree Program
Both professional and research doctoral degrees are ‘terminal’ in the sense that they represent the highest formal level that one can reach. The only question is which degree best suits the applicant’s personal and professional goals, and a good way to answer this question is to consider what kinds of seminars are in each degree program and which areas of intensive study seem to be the most captivating. MBTS offers a wide range of options for doctoral study, and there is something here for almost any student who is academically capable and motivated to serve the church with greater understanding and skill. Whether you are exploring an online pastoral ministry degree, a PhD in theology, or a professional doctorate that keeps you rooted in local church work, MBTS is an accredited online seminary where that journey can begin.
