Program Outline

The D.Min. in Biblical Counseling is a professional terminal degree designed to encourage excellence in the practice of counseling and training others to counsel using the Word of God. It is predicated upon both the superiority and sufficiency of Scripture in dealing with serious turmoil of the soul and is in keeping with the Mission Statement of TMU and Seminary. The curriculum is designed to advance the doctoral student to be a qualified trainer of others in the practice of biblical counseling with the context of counseling and counseling training being primarily the local church. It is intended that graduates of this degree from TMU would assume leadership roles in biblical counseling throughout the world.

The D.Min. in Biblical Counseling intends to equip both pastoral men and lay men/women who desire to pursue a terminal degree in biblical counseling. This degree is designed for the highest level of student who is serious about biblical counseling and aspires to implement his/her studies into his/her current or future ministry daily.

The Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling is still pending approval from WSCUC. The following information is subject to change…

Program Requirements

The D.Min. in Biblical Counseling degree is awarded to students who successfully fulfill the requirements of 12 core courses and one capstone thesis project (13 classes and 36 units in total).

Courses

DM600 BC Foundations Seminar (0)*
DM610 Theology of Discipleship and Soul Care (4)
DM620 Applied Ministry Experience I (2)
DM625 Applied Ministry Experience II (2)
DM630 Character Dynamics and Soul Care (4)
DM645 Writing and Research in Counseling I (2)
DM650 Writing and Research in Counseling II (2)
DM710 Marriage and Family Counseling (4)
DM720 Applied Ministry Experience III (2)
DM725 Applied Ministry Experience IV (2)
DM730 Difficult Issues in Counseling (4)
DM745 Writing and Research in Counseling III (2)
DM750 Writing and Research in Counseling IV (2)
DM790 Counseling Thesis Project Culmination (4)

*DM600 BC Foundations Seminar is a first-year course alongside taken in conjunction with the program that helps those not certified with ACBC to get fully certified and those who are deficient in particular theological or counseling-related areas get further training.

ACBC Fellow Status

Every student graduating from the D.Min. in Biblical Counseling program will have completed most or all ACBC requirements to reach fellows status (men) or to become supervising assistants to fellows (women) by undergoing at least 500 hours of supervised counseling through the program.

Program Format

The D.Min. in Biblical Counseling is a full-time, two-year program only. The program is constructed around four modules, one in the fall and one in the spring each year. Each module spans a typical 16-week semester. Coursework for each class will be conducted over 16-weeks and culminate in 10-day on-campus lectures each semester. Attendance will be required during the in-class sessions conducted in the spring and fall. Failure to attend the in-class sessions will result in the student having to re-take the class. D.Min. classes are only offered in an on-campus format. Please examine the Modular Schedule below to see how courses are divided among each module.

Program Length

The D.Min. in Biblical Counseling is a 2-year, 4-semester program, and is only offered in a full-time capacity, where students must take all the classes offered in a given module. There is no part-time option in this regard. That being the case, students will be allowed to take semesters off from the program for extenuating circumstances. In this incidence, the student will be subject to a $500 continuing education fee in order to keep his/her active status in the program and avoid having to reapply and take modules over again. In addition, students must complete their studies in no more than 8 academic semesters (approximately 4 years). A semester is included in the total even if students do not take a class in a semester. For re-admit students, the 8 semesters reset to zero when they become inactive and return to the program. Failure to complete the program in 8 semesters will result in students being charged a $1500 program extension fee for each semester they exceed this limit up to three semesters. In cases where students exceed the limit of 8 semesters, or exceed the three-additional semester limit, the Graduate Studies administration may require them to retake any or all courses to graduate and continue to pay the program extension fee per semester.

Modular Schedule

The courses in the D.Min. in Biblical Counseling are arranged within the modules as follows…

Module 1

DM620 Applied Ministry Experience I (remote supervised counseling; no class time)
DM645 Writing and Research in Counseling I (class time: 2 days)
DM610 Theology of Discipleship and Soul Care (class time: 6 days)

Module 2

DM625 Applied Ministry Experience II (remote supervised counseling; no class time)
DM650 Writing and Research in Counseling I (class time: 2 days)
DM630 Character Dynamics and Soul Care (class time: 6 days)

Module 3

DM720 Applied Ministry Experience III (remote supervised counseling; no class time)
DM745 Writing and Research in Counseling III (class time: 2 days)
DM710 Marriage and Family Counseling (class time: 6 days)

Module 4

DM725 Applied Ministry Experience IV (remote supervised counseling; no class time)
DM750 Writing and Research in Counseling IV (class time: 2 days)
DM730 Difficult Issues in Counseling (class time: 6 days)

The final thesis course (DM790) includes giving an oral defense of the thesis project in the doctoral program. Students will sign up during the fourth module.