The DMiss is designed to come alongside leaders and scholar/practitioners, enabling them to remain engaged in their ministry or organization, and providing them with doctoral level education that is relevant and transformational to their missional context.

• What is a Cohort?

  A cohort model provides students with a cooperative learning community of in-service leaders and practitioners who participate in one another's learning through sustained reflection, diligent research and critique within a group of peers. Cohorts are comprised of students who come with a variety of research interests, ministry backgrounds and leadership experiences, contributing to a uniquely informed learning environment.

  Adult learning philosophy serves as the basis of this relationally empowered learning model. Members in your cohort serve as consultative colleagues. The role of the professor is one of facilitator of learning, a guide who helps students construct a road map out of which he/she is able to better interpret the elements in their context in order to have a direct impact on ministry.    

  Click here to see upcoming cohorts 

• Contextually Applied Research Dissertation (CARD)

  While the main priority of traditional research is to expand knowledge, applied research seeks to utilize research in order to solve a practical problem.   

  Students enter the DMiss aiming at a particular area in their contexts where they want to see change. Thus, the work done in the DMiss will ultimately apply directly to the work and ministry in which the student is currently engaged.

• Module Outline
  • Year 1: Missiological Foundations (8 Units) and Program Design (4 units)

    The focus of the first year is to understand missiological principles as they relate to the cohort objectives and design a research plan that will seek out theories and models appropriate for the student's particular organization, topic, or region. An SIS faculty member will convene the cohort and serve as the mentor throughout the life of the cohort.

    Objective: Give opportunity for missiological reflection that provides impetus for an overall emphasis to be collectively determined by cohort members. The program design process will suggest a focus to which each member of the cohort can contribute.

    Outcomes: At the completion of Year 1, students will: 1) Demonstrate their ability to think missiologically as they reflect on assigned reading as it pertains to their project interests; 2) Understand the elements of a research design and be able to present it to the faculty mentor and peers within the cohort.

  • Year 2: Issues in Context (8 units) and Research Methods (4 units)

    The focus of the second year is placed on relevant theory within the sub-discipline and models of praxis in focus for the cohort. This seminar will cover precedent literature appropriate to relevant theory and contemporary context in order to establish areas that lack sufficient attention. Research methods necessary to facilitate the next phase of the study will enable data collection and analysis. The seminar will be led by a specialist in the relevant theory and methods required to accomplish the cohort objectives.

    Objective: Understand the theoretical reading and be able to apply it to the development of a methodological approach that will enable effective collection and analysis of data.

    Outcomes: At the completion of Year 2, students will 1) Be able to identify key theoretical materials that relate to their chosen focus and be able to evaluate these materials in light of their project; 2) Understand the relationship between theory and context; 3) Be able to formulate a methodological approach commensurate with the sub-discipline and the desired findings of the research project and 4) Be able to apply the methodology to the collection of data that will enable them to discover new findings. This will impact interaction with the data of other cohort members.

  • Year 3: Leadership (8 units) and Change Dynamics (4 units)

    The focus of the third year is understanding the nature of leadership as it impacts the missiological response to the organizational, topical, or regional focus of the cohort. The seminar will focus on the nature of leadership within the context, including the current practices and structures of leadership within the ministries represented in the cohort. Building on the leadership issues, the methods course will emphasize the dynamics of change as they impact the necessary restructuring or development of leaders in response to the findings of the research at this point in the study. This seminar will be led by a leadership specialist.

    Objective: In collaboration with the members of the cohort, the leadership and structures of their organization/ministry will be analyzed in order to determine the most appropriate changes that will effectively address the critical issues emerging from the missiological and contextual findings of the overall research project. As in prior years, students will continue with research and its application.

    Outcomes: At the completion of Year 3, students will be able to 1) Present a profile of the current leadership structure of their organization/ministry (Note: Individual leadership profiles will be collated. Together, the sum of these profiles will enable the cohort to produce a corporate ministry profile or other tool agreed upon by the cohort to meet the organizational, topical or regional requirements of assessing leadership dynamics within the context of cohort needs and objectives); 2) Identify the organizational and ministry dynamics that must be addressed to implement the missiological changes to more effectively impact the contextual issues identified in the research.

  • Year 4: Integration (4 units) and Dissertation Writing (8 units)

    The focus of the 4th year serves to integrate the previous three seminars across the cohort and enable the effective write-up of the final project/dissertation. The faculty mentor for the cohort will lead this seminar in order to focus on demonstrating the integration of theory, research, leadership and change dynamics to the relevance of the cohort goals and their significance. The structure and format of each student’s dissertation will be designed to maximize their individual missional interests as well as the collective focus of the cohort.

    Objective: Integrate all program materials individually and collectively to maximize the findings in order to apply them to effective ministry that meets the purpose and goals of individual students as well as the cohort. The significance of the projects can then be presented in the form of applications to the ministry context and concomitant recommendations can be made.

    Outcomes: At the completion of Year 4, students will 1) Write-up a Project outline commensurate with the reading, research, and writing accomplished during the previous three modules; 2) Be able to integrate the three previous modules to enable the writing of a 37,500 wd. (150 pgs.) writing Project/Dissertation; 3) Relate their findings to the findings of other cohort members to ensure value to ministry and the mutual success of the cohort purpose and goals.

• Nomenclature
  
  Students in the DMiss degree program may elect to have their doctorate degree designated as a Doctor of Missiology degree (DMiss) or as a a Doctor of Intercultural Studies degree (DIS). The election must be made at the time of submission of the Application for Graduation. Once the degree has been awarded the election is non-revocable, non-changeable, and permanent.