Doctor of Missiology

Program Snapshot

64	Credit Hours	12 Classes
3	Years to Complete
Online Learn more

Experience the combination of academic excellence with on-the-field ministry applications in a cohort-based degree.

The Doctor of Missiology program is designed for missionaries, church planters, sending pastors, and administrators/teachers providing advanced formal education, guided reading in pertinent missiological literature, field experience, mentoring, and supervision.

Online format – relocation to Louisville not required.

Students will complete this program fully online. All seminars meet via videoconference, with assignments submitted online before and after the virtual meeting.

3 Reasons to Study Doctor of Missiology at Southern

Become a Missions Scholar

Students will demonstrate a mastery of the philosophical, historical, biblical, and anthropological disciplines rooted in a graduate-level understanding of the missiological disciplines.

Church Planting Practitioner

Students will demonstrate the capacity to serve as field experts through classroom, research, and practical experience teaching pastors in a variety of settings.

Problem Solver

Students will apply ethnographic research and missiological principles to identify effective strategies for reaching and teaching peoples of other worldviews in culturally appropriate ways.

Foundational Seminars
Course Number	Description	Credit Hours
81020	Graduate Research Seminar	2
Total		2

D.Miss. Research Seminars
Course Number	Description	Credit Hours
98500	Theology of Christian Mission	6
98500	History of Christian Missions	6
98550	World Religions	6
98560	Cultural Anthropology and Christian Witness	6
98530	Missions Leadership	6
98540	Missions Strategies	6
98535	Evangelism and Church Planting	6
98545	Marketplace Ministries	6
Total		48

Writing Phase
Course Number	Description	Credit Hours
	Ethnographic Research	2
	Mentorship and Guided Research	6
	Thesis Research and Writing (RDS)	6
Total		14

Total Doctor of Missiology: 64

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to conduct cross-cultural ministry at an advanced level.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to use standard research tools and methods in the chosen field of study.
Students will be able to plan and conduct research in the area of specialization and to communicate its results effectively.

Doctor of Missiology faculty include:

John Klaassen

Professor of Global Studies

Frequently Asked Questions

Young man sitting by a river in the Middle East

The Doctor of Missiology is a terminal degree that will equip men and women to serve as leaders in cross-cultural missions contexts or in missional roles within a church.

Applicants should have a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Missiology (or equivalent from a regionally-accredited or ATS-accredited seminary)*

A master’s-level cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher

A minimum of two years of appropriate field experience in cross-cultural ministry

If you lack the required hours of masters-level, you may submit a doctoral equivalency evaluation to the admissions office to find out if you qualify for SBTS EdD programs.*

For a complete listing of doctoral admissions requirements, see the “Admissions & Cost” tab.

*International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES approved organization for both admissions consdiration and for equivalency requests.

Admissions for the D.Miss. program consists of:

Initial Application Submission

All required materials must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the appropriate deadline (see “Admissions” tab for more information).

Entrance Exam and Interview

Students who are believed to have a reasonable possibility of acceptance are invited to participate in entrance exams and faculty interviews.
Exams and interviews are held remotely via Zoom (travel to campus not required) on the third friday of each month.
For more information on Entrance Exams, click here.

The D.Miss. program is structured for 36 months (3 years). Students who take longer than three years will be assessed an additional $2,000 fee for each semester of extension beyond the four-year limit.

Admissions

Admissions Prerequisites

To be considered for admission in our D.Miss. program we require the following for applications:

A Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Missiology (or equivalent from a regionally-accredited or ATS-accredited seminary).
- If you do not have required prerequisite hours but you do have masters-level divinity credit, you may submit a doctoral equivalency evaluation to the admissions office to find out if you qualify for SBTS DMiss programs.
A minimum of two years of appropriate field experience in cross-cultural ministry
A minimum master’s level cumulative grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale is expected.
International transcripts will require an official evaluation from a NACES approved organziation (World Evaluation Services is preferred).

*For more information about our equivalency standards, leveling options, or to request an equivalency review based on your master’s level work, please email admissions@sbts.edu.

Application Requirements

All applicants must receive a reference from the local church where they are a member. Family members may not complete this reference. If you are the pastor of your church, please select another church leader (associate pastor, elder, deacon, etc) to complete the church recommendation. Recommendation forms are automatically emailed to references via our online application.
Two additional academic recommendations. We suggest that a professor or a business acquaintance who can speak to academic performance complete the 2 additional recommendations required for doctoral students.
Transcription from the educational institution or institutions that conferred any required degrees should be submitted to the Admissions Office. Contact the registrar or academic records office of your previous institution(s). They may e-mail the transcripts (directly or via 3rd party such as Parchment) to admissions@sbts.edu or mail copies to our physical address. Transcripts must come directly from schools either electronically or in sealed/unopened envelopes.
A graduate level research paper in the same field to which the applicant is applying must be submitted along with the application. You may upload this research paper directly onto the application.
$40 application fee – paid after application submission.

Application Deadlines

All application materials must be received by:

August 1 – Summer matriculation

January 15 – Winter matriculation

Entrance Exams and Interviews

Entrance Exams are exams designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their comprehension of the subject area in which they are applying and sometimes in related fields. Students will be notified soon after submitting all application components as to whether they are invited to participate in the entrance exam and interview.

Exams and interviews are held on one Friday each month and are administered remotely (travel to campus not required). Click here to learn more.

Program Cost

$1,000 down payment, and remaining balance due equally over 48 months.*

	Total Cost	Monthly Payment
Total cost for SBC students	$20,363	$537.86
Total cost for non-SBC students	$34,005	$916.81

*Program tuition shown is for the 2024-2025 academic year. Additional fees are subject to the current fee schedule.

Financial Aid

Southern Seminary does not offer fully-funded scholarships or grants for the DMiss program.

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Questions?

Contact Admissions

Phone: (502) 897-4200

Text: (502) 305-3554

Email: admissions@sbts.edu

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