The DMin in Social Transformation program provides pastors and other vocational ministers who have already attained the MDiv (or equivalent) a guided, educational, and flexible cohort experience in justice and community transformation. Grounded in liberation theology and social analysis, the program focuses on the development and application of practical tools for lasting, effective social transformation. You will craft your own project (dissertation) that addresses an area of needed social change, using your vocational ministry context as a base for that work.
This program may be a good fit for you if you are interested in:
- Growing your current ministry with competence in social transformation
- Shifting your ministry emphasis to social change
Concentration Learning Outcomes
In addition to achieving the coreDMin degree learning outcomes, a graduate of the DMin in Social Transformation program will be able to:
- articulate an understanding of the religious and historical context of social change, particularly in the United States in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries, and the student’s relationship to that context;
- construct a working theory of change and a definition of social transformation;
- demonstrate cultural competence and strategic skills necessary for just and effective engagement in diverse social, cultural and political contexts;
- utilize a variety of tools and methodologies to critically analyze sociopolitical issues. (i.e. race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality etc.);
- identify appropriate strategic points of leverage for transformational change for a specific social issue that demonstrate a deep understanding of complex organization and social dynamics; and
- integrate the insights of liberation theologies into their vocational leadership practice in a way that demonstrates constructive engagement with key thinkers, ideas, and sociopolitical and historical contexts out of which liberation theologies emerge.
United’s DMin at a Glance
- 36 credits
- Eight 4-credit courses plus a 4-credit dissertation
- Can be completed in four years if you take a half-time course load (12 credits per year) and complete your dissertation in a little over a year
- All DMin concentrations can be completed entirely via distance learning; with the exception of the DMin Practicum course, all courses can be taken completely asynchronously
Social Transformation in Action
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Doe Hoyer, MDiv Student Doe believes lessons learned in United’s social transformation and chaplaincy courses have strengthened their organizing abilities. As Doe explains it, chaplaincy’s emphasis on remaining present and open with another helps temper the social transformation push for action and systemic change. |
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Rev. Anthony Jermaine Ross-Allam (’12) In October 2022, Jermaine assumed a national role when he was called to lead the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s newly formed Center for the Repair of Historical Harms. He was named United’s inaugural Spirit of United awardee in 2023. |
Program Guide Sheet
| PRIMARY OUTCOME |
NUMBER OF COURSES |
COURSES |
| Formation | 1 | The Formed and Transformed Leader |
| World Religions | 1 | Engaging a Multifaith World |
| Religious Leadership and Practice | 1 | DMin Practicum |
| Concentration | 4 |
The Leader as Change Agent
Theologies of Liberation
Two DMin level courses or independent studies
|
| Research and Communication | 2 |
Research Tools and Proposal
DMin Dissertation |
| DEGREE TOTAL | 9 |