D.Min. – Chaplain Ministry & Leadership
Pursue a Doctoral Degree in Chaplain Ministry & Leadership
Has God called you to ministry as a chaplain leader? Regent’s Doctor of Ministry – Chaplain Ministry & Leadership gives you the tools to fulfill that call. Chaplain ministry is growing worldwide as more organizations, corporations, and institutions discover the value that chaplains bring to their people and mission. This terminal degree will equip you to discern and analyze the spiritual dynamics of your environment. You will partner with organizational leadership, lead other chaplains in ministry, and build and evaluate effective chaplain ministry programs. You’ll also be qualified to bring these enhanced skills into all functional areas of chaplaincy such as healthcare, corporations, sports teams, military, education, community, public safety, crisis response, prisons, and more. This degree will prepare you to strategically expand your missional ministry in ways the church is otherwise limited. Moreover, Regent’s D.Min. program is among the first in the nation to receive approval by the ATS to offer the degree completely online with no residency.
ENHANCE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS
Minister effectively in today’s culture, technology, and diversity.
GAIN HANDS-ON TRAINING
Simultaneously minister and learn as you complete an original D.Min research project.
ADVANCE YOUR CAREER
Qualify for strategic chaplain ministry leadership positions.
ALIGN YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENCE
Regent has been ranked among Top National Universities by the U.S. News & World Report for four years (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023). We have also been recognized as a Military Friendly Top 5 School by Military Friendly®, 2023-24, and among the Top 10 Best for Vets Colleges: Online & Nontraditional by Military Times, 2020. Our Military Resource Center is dedicated to serving you. Experience the Regent difference through the Doctor of Ministry – Chaplain Ministry & Leadership program.
Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.
The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) at Regent University is accredited by The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) who fully approves the online D.Min. program.
On completing your doctorate in Chaplain Ministry & Leadership, you can:
- Work flexibly and fruitfully as a skilled ministry leader in any of the 10 functional areas of chaplaincy, including many subareas.
- Lead and supervise chaplains and volunteers to maximize ministry effectiveness in larger settings.
- Assess, analyze and engage prevalent identify and belief systems in secular, multicultural, multireligious settings.
- Enhance and enlarge the scope and spread of chaplain ministries.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
- Senior Chaplain
- Seminary Professor of Chaplain Ministry
- Chaplain Endorser
- Graduate-Level Teaching
2023-24 Semester Check-In Deadlines
All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.
| Session | Semester Check-In | Session Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Session A | Friday, August 11 | Monday, August 21 |
| Session B | Friday, October 13 | Monday, October 23 |
| Session C | Thursday, January 4 | Monday, January 8 |
| Session D | Friday, March 1 | Monday, March 11 |
| Session E | Friday, April 26 | Monday, May 6 |
| Session F | Friday, June 7 | Monday, June 17 |
International Applicants
International student applicants should allow at least 4-6 weeks for an admission decision to be made once all required documents have been submitted to the appropriate offices and the applicant has followed all processes and procedures required for an admission decision.
Admissions Requirements
To be considered for acceptance into the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program at the School of Divinity, an applicant must have completed either of the following:
- Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree (or equivalent theological master’s degree of at least 72 credit hours) from a regionally accredited, post-secondary institution or an institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
- M.Div. equivalency of 72 credit hours of graduate-level coursework, with at least 48 credit hours being graduate-level seminary credits.
- Applicants who possess a master’s degree of at least 36 credit hours in an area of ministerial studies (e.g. Regent’s M.A. in Spiritual Formation or M.A. in Church Leadership) are invited to apply and will be reviewed for admissions consideration on a case-by-case basis. Upon review, you will receive an additional essay prompt asking you to describe the following:
- Your ministry calling and current activities
- Your personal devotional life and desire for growth
- How you believe studies in the D.Min. program will increase your ministry effectiveness
In addition, applicants to the Doctor of Ministry program should have:
- high intellectual achievement and scholarship as evidenced by college transcripts and the applicant’s writing sample
- spiritual maturity, integrity of character and willingness to grow as a leader
- personal goals consistent with the mission of Regent University
- understand and accept the Statement of Faith
Doctor of Ministry Application Process (D.Min.)
1. Submit Your Application
Complete the School of Divinity Application for Admission.
2. Ministerial Resume
Submit a professional resume or curriculum vitae that highlights your significant ministry experience, detailing your current place of ministry where you desire to complete your ministry project. Please submit it to regent.edu/items.
3. Submit your Unofficial College Transcripts
We are able to examine and view your unofficial transcripts from U.S.-based schools, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, in order to review you for an admissions decision. Please submit your unofficial transcript to regent.edu/items.
Non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by an NACES-approved company. For further details, please review the International Admissions Checklist on the International Students Admissions page.
International Applicants: Please visit the International Students Admissions page for a more detailed explanation of the Regent University application information and to determine whether or not you qualify as an international student.
*Upon conditional acceptance to the program by review of unofficial transcripts, Regent University’s Admissions Office will attempt to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institutions, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. We will notify you if your previous institutions will not release transcripts directly to us.
4. Government-Issued ID
To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.
5. Mail official transcripts to the following address:
Regent University
Enrollment Support Services
1000 Regent University Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23464 USA
Phone: 757.352.4127 | Fax: 757.352.4381
After all application materials are received, the comp
leted application will be reviewed by the Divinity admissions committee. When decisions are made, you will receive written notification. Financial aid and housing requests are reviewed after decisions have been announced in writing.
If you have questions about the School of Divinity’s admission process, our programs or to verify that we have received your application materials, please contact us.
Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent and cannot be returned.
Part-Time Students
| Degree | Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour | Average Credit Hours Per Semester | Average Tuition Per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts (MA) | $530 | 6 | $3,180 |
| Master of Divinity (MDiv) | $530 | 6 | $3,180 |
| Master of Theological Studies (MTS) | $530 | 6 | $3,180 |
| Master of Theology (ThM) | $670 | 3 | $2,010 |
| Doctor of Ministry (DMin) | $670 | 3 | $2,010 |
| Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | $670 | 3 | $2,010 |
Full-Time Students
| Degree | Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour | Average Credit Hours Per Semester | Average Tuition Per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts (MA) | $530 | 9 | $4,770 |
| Master of Divinity (MDiv) | $530 | 9 | $4,770 |
| Master of Theological Studies (MTS) | $530 | 9 | $4,770 |
| Master of Theology (ThM) | $670 | 6 | $4,020 |
| Doctor of Ministry (DMin) | $670 | 6 | $4,020 |
| Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | $670 | 6 | $4,020 |
Student Fees Per Semester
| University Services Fee (On-Campus Students) | $850 |
| University Services Fee (Online Students) | $700 |
PART-TIME STUDENTS
| Degree | Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour | Average Credit Hours Per Semester | Average Tuition Per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts (MA) | $515 | 6 | $3,090 |
| Master of Divinity (MDiv) | $515 | 6 | $3,090 |
| Master of Theological Studies (MTS) | $515 | 6 | $3,090 |
| Master of Theology (ThM) | $670 | 3 | $2,010 |
| Doctor of Ministry (DMin) | $670 | 3 | $2,010 |
| Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | $670 | 3 | $2,010 |
Full-Time Students
| Degree | Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour | Average Credit Hours Per Semester | Average Tuition Per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts (MA) | $515 | 9 | $4,635 |
| Master of Divinity (MDiv) | $515 | 9 | $4,635 |
| Master of Theological Studies (MTS) | $515 | 9 | $4,635 |
| Master of Theology (ThM) | $670 | 6 | $4,020 |
| Doctor of Ministry (DMin) | $670 | 6 | $4,020 |
| Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | $670 | 6 | $4,020 |
Student Fees Per Semester
| University Services Fee (On-Campus Students) | $800 (Fall & Spring) $650 (Summer) |
| University Services Fee (Online Students) | $650 |
*Rates are subject to change at any time.
