Doctor of Ministry in Social Transformation

This 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 core DMin degree learning outcomes, a graduate of the DMin in Social Transformation program will be able to:

• formulate a moral-ethical praxis of social transformation situated within the justice imperatives of the student’s faith tradition or community and in conversation with broader movements for justice;
• construct a working theory of change and 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 and positively impact sociopolitical issues. (i.e. race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality etc.);
• apply an understanding of historical and contemporary knowledge of social transformation movements to a variety of cultural settings;
• identify strategic points of leverage for transformational change in a way that demonstrates a deep understanding of complex organization and social dynamics; and
• demonstrate transformational leadership through the intentional, real world application of hermeneutical and strategic frameworks for faithful public witness and action in the world.

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 full-time course load (12 credits per year) and complete your dissertation in a little over a year