Date: December 18, 2024
Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) has announced a new application deadline for its doctoral programs of February 1, 2025, for a spring 2025 start. The change impacts both the Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) and Doctor of Educational Ministry (DEdMin) degrees.
The decision to adjust the deadline from early January aligns the doctoral programs with the second application deadline for VTS’ master’s programs. It also recognizes that Christmas is a particularly busy season for those working in ministry and educational ministry, making it challenging for them to finalize an application during this period.
The Rev. Ross Kane, Ph.D., director of doctoral programs, said: “VTS doctoral programs give students tools to renew ministries in congregations, schools, hospitals, and many other contexts. The programs draw together cutting-edge academic scholarship with the practicalities of everyday ministry to empower faithful leaders. This later application date better fits the schedules of applicants by avoiding the rush of the holiday season and New Year.”
VTS’ doctoral programs have four tracks, namely Ministry Development, Educational Leadership, Christian Spirituality and Christian Formation. They all use hybrid pedagogies that combine online courses and seminars with summer residencies. The programs are divided into two parts, a coursework phase, which takes between three and four years to complete, and a writing stage, during which students have between one and six years to complete a thesis.
During the coursework phase, students study a range of core areas including learning theory and educational design, the philosophy of education, sacred texts and education, and moral and ethical leadership. They can also choose from electives covering preaching, pedagogy and curriculum, information technology in the classroom or chapel, and human emotion and ministry.
The DMin is aimed at students with a Master of Divinity degree and three to five years’ experience in ministry, while the DEdMin is aimed at students with a master’s degree in a discipline related to educational ministry, as well as three to five years’ experience in a relevant field.
VTS doctoral programs recognize that the students are already experts in their fields, with significant experience, and that they can help each other by sharing this experience. As such, the case study component of the program uses an action-reflection model of learning, under which students reflect on their own actions in real life situations and learn from them in order to be better or more informed practitioners when encountering similar situations in the future.
For more information about VTS’ Doctoral programs visit: https://vts.edu/admissions-academics/degrees/#doctorate
Notes to editors:
For media enquiries, please contact Nicky Burridge, Vice President for Communications at VTS.
Tel: (703) 461-1782
Mobile: (703) 300-2876
Email: [email protected]
Photo caption: VTS doctoral students during their summer intensive.
About Virginia Theological Seminary:
Virginia Theological Seminary was founded in 1823 and has a long tradition of shaping faithful women and men, lay and ordained, for leadership in The Episcopal Church and beyond. It is the strongest seminary in the Anglican Communion and provides more than 25 percent of the clergy of The Episcopal Church.