This online course is designed to help students learn how to craft a DMin doctoral project proposal for a contextually applied ministry project (formally "ministry focus paper" or "final project"). It is NOT intended for students seeking approval to do a dissertation or training manual. 

DM710 will offer guidelines to identify a suitable topic and will familiarize the student with the DMin theological model and the related three primary components of the doctoral project (ministry context, theological reflection, and ministry strategy). The course content will include project examples and specific research tools for each of these three components. The student will become knowledgeable of the elements of the proposal itself, from thesis statement to bibliography, and learn how to identify both the characteristics of a strong proposal and the common problems in developing one. 

Full participation in this course will enable students to:  

1.      Understand the design of the doctoral project, including:
                   a) its relationship to course work;
                   b) the three major components of the final project and their research
                        requirements;
                   c) the process of proposal review; and,
                   d) the specific steps in the completion of the final project.
2.      Identify a suitable topic that will creatively engage both one’s interest and ministry experience.
3.      Create a doctoral project proposal that satisfies basic program requirements and that can be submitted to the Doctoral Project Committee for review.
4.      Support and encourage one another in the class.     

Course Format:  

This course uses an online format, which is presented as a ten-week learning experience. It consists of required texts and learning modules; interaction with an online learning community; and, written assignments, culminating in the creation of a doctoral project proposal.    

Relevance for Ministry:   

This course equips students to prepare the doctoral project proposal, a required step in the completion of the doctoral project and the student's DMin program.   

Sample Reading:   

Ammerman, Nancy T., Jackson W. Carroll, Carl S. Dudley, and William McKinney. Studying Congregations: A New Handbook. Abingdon Press, 1998. 

DMin Final Project Travel Handbook.   

Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical & Global Perspectives. InterVarsity Press, 2002.   

Vyhmeister, Nancy Jean.Quality Research Papers: For Students of Religion and Theology. Zondervan, 2008.  

Assignments: 

• Read required books and selected assignments, including three pre-seminar writing assignments. 
• Identify a topic and provide a rationale for its selection. 
• Complete online learning activities, including reading the learning modules and the online assignments designed to demonstrate understanding of the specific components of the proposal. 
• Complete proposal peer reviews and actively participate in the online community. 
• Write a contextually applied ministry project proposal that cohesively integrates the three required components, identifies appropriate research methods, and contains a relevant literature review. (10-12 pages). 

If you would like more information about this course please email the DMIN office at dmin@fuller.edu