Frequently Asked Questions
What are the distinctive characteristics of the Doctor of Ministry program at McCormick?
Culturally attentive: McCormick strives to provide cross-cultural education that equips religious leaders to serve an increasingly diverse U.S. landscape, and to attend to the cultural needs of students from a variety of racial or ethnic groups by providing theological education that meets their unique needs and the needs of their ministry.
Contextual: One’s place of ministry is the focus of reflection and analysis, bringing academic inquiry to one’s professional setting. The thesis project is rooted in the student’s place of ministry, in partnership with the congregation or agency, and ordered toward the transformation of ministry in that setting. The program integrates theory and practice, values experiential knowledge, and provides theological education that addresses both the internal needs of congregations and the external needs of their broader communities.
Peer-centered: Students enter the program in cohorts that continue to learn together throughout their time at McCormick, in a group-based educational environment that enables to students to learn from one another’s experience and backgrounds.
Transformative: Students will naturally enter the program with different concerns for the development of their ministries. To answer those concerns, we offer electives with a range of focuses, including parish revitalization, pastoral care, building beloved community, and public witness. Through these focuses, we encourage adaptability to changing cultural contexts.
What are the admissions requirements?
A Master of Divinity degree from an ATS accredited school or the academic equivalent.
B average in that Master of Divinity Program.
The completion of a minimum of 3 years full-time professional experience in ministry subsequent to the awarding of the Master of Divinity (exceptions may be made).
Evidence of capacity to use the student’s particular context for ministry as a learning environment.
Evidence of a match between the applicant’s learning goals and the outcomes the Seminary hopes for in its graduates.
A history of effective ministry, a willingness to think and act in new ways, and an ability to work and learn in collaboration with others.
Demonstrated capacity for self-reflection, self-analysis and self-directed learning.
What are the Thesis in the Practice of Ministry Requirements
Participation in a two-week intensive thesis residency normally scheduled for January
A 40-page article of publishable quality that:
Identifies and analyzes a particular challenge in the context of the student’s ministry.
Works effectively with appropriate resources from the student’s tradition, the wider culture, and personal experience to understand and address the challenge.
Formulates theological principles to guide thought and action in relation to the
challenge.Designs and implements an appropriate means of responding to the challenge in partnership with others.
Critically evaluates the outcome, learning, and significance of the work undertaken.
How Much Does the Program Cost?
The total cost of study for McCormick’s DMin program is $9,207
Tuition, $900/course: $8,100
Thesis advising fee: $900
Graduation fee: $160
Thesis digitization fee: $36
Governance fee: $11
The Ecumenical DMin program tuition is $10,000 total ($5,000 at the beginning of year one and $5,000 at the beginning of year two)
If the student is able to pay the full tuition amount at the start of their program, the total tuition is reduced to $8,000
The ACTS DMin program tuition is $11,898, paid over three years ($3,966 per year).
How do I Finance my D.Min. Education?
The responsibility for meeting the costs of the program belongs to the student, the congregation or agency served, and the denomination of which the student is a member. Continuing education funds, congregational or agency grants, and local, regional, and national denominational scholarship programs are all sources of funds. The Student Financial Planning Office will help students determine their annual expenses.
McCormick has a limited amount of financial aid available for Doctor of Ministry students. Priority is given to racial/ethnic students, women, ministers from small churches, and ministers with income below the average of the student’s denomination.
Students are considered for the Thomas F. Triebel Doctoral Studies Scholarship upon application for financial aid.
When and Where do Courses Take Place?
New cohorts begin core classes in January and typically take classes in January, May/June, and October thereafter (may vary by cohort).
Classes are five-day intensives, which generally run from early Monday afternoon to Friday midday, and may include evening sessions (please see class syllabus for exact days and times).
Cohorts enroll in three courses during a 12-month period, plus work on the thesis, in order to complete the degree in three years.
Doctor of Ministry classes take place in the McCormick Theological Seminary building (unless otherwise specified), which shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (LSTC).
What are housing options while in Chicago?
McCormick partners with nearby institutions to help provide low cost housing to students in town for course intensives. Please see the list of Area Guest Housing for location and price information, and contact the institutions listed for availability and reservations.
What transportation options are available while in Chicago?
Downtown and other points of interest are easily accessible via public transportation, and Google maps can provide up to date directions all over the city by car, bus/train, or on foot. Please see the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) website for fare and route information: http://www.transitchicago.com/. Within Hyde Park, public transportation is available via the CTA or the University of Chicago’s free neighborhood shuttle service, UGo: https://safety-security.uchicago.edu/services/transportation_services/. For more information about Chicago go to Choose Chicago.
What are the next steps?
Contact our admissions office via email at dminadmissions@mccormick.edu for information about the programs.
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