The purpose of the DMin in Spiritual Direction program is to provide working pastors and other vocational ministers who have already attained the MDiv (or equivalent) knowledge and skills required for effectively practicing spiritual direction in both one-on-one and group settings along with advanced formational and leadership training.
The program includes both a Certificate Track for students who have not completed a 15-credit-hour certificate in spiritual direction from United or another nationally or regionally accredited institution, as well as an Advanced Track for students who have completed the certificate and want to extend their research and practice in spiritual direction.
This program may be a good fit for you if you are interested in:
- Pursuing a vocation in spiritual direction in addition to an existing congregational context
- Pursuing a career in spiritual direction outside of the traditional church setting
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
- Three Spiritual Direction concentration classroom courses are only offered synchronously; all other courses can be taken completely asynchronously
Concentration Learning Outcomes
In addition to achieving the core DMin degree learning outcomes, a graduate of the DMin in Spiritual Direction program will be able to:
Certificate Track
- articulate the role of discernment in spiritual direction/companionship;
- apply deep listening, their way of knowing, and their spiritual life to the use of discernment models used to guide others to go deeper into personal and communal wholeness and healing;
- articulate the historical, theological, and spiritual foundations of spiritual direction/companionship;
- apply deep listening, evocative questions, presence, silence, compassion, and empathy to the soul care and spiritual guidance of others;
- articulate the historical, theological, spiritual, and ethical foundations of spiritual direction/companionship;
- effectively participate in a one-to-one spiritual direction/companionship session;
- effectively lead a group spiritual direction/companionship session;
- effectively teach a contemplative spiritual practice; and
- complete a research investigation that makes a significant contribution to the effective application of spiritual direction to the practice of ministry, chaplaincy, or other vocational leadership.
Advanced Track
- articulate in depth at least three key topics in the practice of spiritual direction at an advanced graduate level;
- apply an understanding of spiritual direction/companionship practices to specific intercultural contexts by articulating how those practices can positively impact directees in those contexts;
- apply an understanding of spiritual direction/companionship practices to specific interreligious contexts by articulating how those practices can positively impact directees in those contexts;
- effectively lead a group spiritual direction/companionship session;
- understand how to effectively supervise spiritual direction students in a supervision setting and practice supervision of spiritual direction students
- effectively teach a contemplative spiritual practice; and
- complete a research investigation that makes a significant contribution to the effective application of spiritual direction to the practice of ministry, chaplaincy, or other vocational leadership.
Program Guide Sheet
Certificate Track
| 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 Spiritual Direction Practicum (2 terms) |
| Concentration | 4 |
DMin The Art of Discernment
DMin Spiritual Direction/Companionship 1
DMin Spiritual Direction/Companionship 2
One DMin level course or independent study
|
| Research and Communication | 2 |
Research Tools and Proposal
DMin Dissertation |
| DEGREE TOTAL | 9 |
Advanced Track
| 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 Spiritual Direction Supervisory Education |
| Concentration | 4 |
DMin Advanced Topics in Intercultural Spiritual Direction
DMin Advanced Topics in Interreligious Spiritual Direction One DMin Spiritual Direction elective One DMin level course or independent study |
| Research and Communication | 2 |
Research Tools and Proposal
DMin Dissertation |
| DEGREE TOTAL | 9 |