is a professional doctorate, often including a research component, that may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry.
[3] Under Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) standards, programs must require matriculants to have earned the degree Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
[1] The degree's purpose is to "enhance the practice of ministry for persons who hold the M.Div.
"[1] As such, Doctor of Ministry concentrations vary by institution and include biblical studies, applied theology, evangelism, pastoral counseling or the psychology of religion, homiletics, spiritual formation, ethics, church growth, church leadership, apologetics[5] and Bible translation.
within the same Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF level 10) research doctoral award[36] which is to "qualify individuals who apply a substantial body of knowledge to research, investigate and develop new knowledge, in one or more fields of investigation, scholarship or professional practice.