Admission to a ministerial Ph.D. program often requires a master's degree akin to a Master of Divinity, letters of recommendation from coworkers or other ministers, and a sanction from the applicant's current place of employment along with the typical college transcripts and application fees. Since these are online programs, applicants must have access to somewhere they can fulfill the requirement for a project-related to ministry. Additional requirements depend upon the institution. For example, Liberty University demands several years of full-time ministry experience, and Drew University's Ph.D. applicants need acceptable GRE scores.
Schools offer various doctoral degrees in ministry in online format. The Doctor of Ministry, or D.Min., and the Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D., in ministry or theology represent the two most common options. Ph.D. programs best serve those who enjoy a more research-intensive program and focus more on increasing the philosophical base for graduates. D.Min. programs tend to work better for current clergy with coursework aimed at the practicing religious leader looking for information about working with church members. Ph.D. programs may have more concentration options, such as counseling, conflict management, women's studies, Bible studies or preaching.
Many ministry doctoral programs include coursework to assist in the daily work of religious leaders, such as expository and evangelistic preaching, pastoral leadership and management, worship, mentoring in today's culture, preaching in a postmodern culture: communicating with contemporary audiences, survey and research of group dynamics, and human and organizational development. Other classes cover more theological, philosophical and introspective concepts.
Doctoral programs, both Ph.D. and D.Min., often require a thesis, a project applying principles in the student's current organization or both. Some schools, like Liberty University and Drew University, offer intensive, on-campus courses that may allow participants to demonstrate their understanding of program principles in action, such as through couples counseling under the guidance of experienced supervisors. Others may include pilgrimages to examine historical sites. Although offered online, programs may include obligations to fulfill a residency -- such as the two-weeks out of each of the three years in the program required by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary -- so applicants should examine programs for such demands before enrolling.