DESCRIPTION
VTS has partnered with Ming Hua Theological College, the Anglican seminary in Hong Kong, to offer its Doctor of Educational Ministry (DEdMin) degree. Students from Hong Kong join colleagues from across the United States and around the globe to form an intercultural learning community, exploring theological visions and traditions, developing skills in qualitative research and contextual analysis, and addressing contemporary concerns in ministry, leadership, and teaching.
The DEdMin degree is designed for students who wish to pursue advanced studies in theology but who do not have prior theological education at the graduate level. It is especially well suited for lay persons who serve in Anglican schools and church leaders who want to deepen their formation in theology in service of the Church.
FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM
Coursework for students based at Ming Hua takes a variety of forms over five years of study:
- Students meet weekly for seminar-style courses in Hong Kong with the faculty of Ming Hua Theological College.
- Students across our doctoral programs, including those from Ming Hua, meet with VTS faculty in a virtual classroom and in online, asynchronous discussion forums for introductory courses in biblical and theological studies and guided reading courses.
- Chinese students may elect to come to VTS for a summer residency on the Alexandria campus. The residency offers weeklong, intensive courses (preceded by a period of asynchronous, online preparatory study), which carry the equivalence of the extended-schedule courses in Hong Kong. Afternoons on campus find students participating in integrative courses, including case studies and contextual studies.
- After completing the required coursework, students engage in action-reflection research and write a Project Thesis to explore a question of significance for their ministry, teaching, or leadership contexts.
Students from Hong Kong have full access to the electronic resources of the Bishop Payne Library to support their study and research.
Continuous enrollment means students can join the program at any time.
Through this global partnership, the seminary aspires to forge friendship and connections across the Anglican communion that will challenge and enrich the perspective of students in all of our doctoral programs and further the work of transforming the communities in which we live.