Online doctorate in ministry (DMin) programs provide those with religious interests the chance to earn the advanced degrees needed to take on leadership positions within their churches. Though most assume that they must attend a seminary or religious institution, some private and public colleges offer these programs too. This gives students the choice between studying at a school that has the same religious beliefs they do or attending a more secular university.
The top schools offer different concentrations and specializations that students can use to customize their degrees. They will also need to do a dissertation, which is one of the final steps required to get one of these degrees. We recommend looking at our methodology to see how we created our list before looking at the information we gathered about the most affordable online programs.
Explore these promoted online degree programs.
These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online graduate degree programs. Figuring out where to apply? Consider one of these online Master's or PhD programs.
Methodology
Before ranking cheap online doctor of ministry programs, we wanted to see how the cost of those programs compared to those offered by other schools. We first checked with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to find the most recent data available. The NCES compiles data relating to colleges and schools all across the United States and provides valuable information through its College Navigator.
Using the College Navigator helped us find all online DMin programs. It was then a matter of weeding through those schools and looking at the tuition charges and fees associated with each one. Once we found the top 10 most affordable of those schools, it was easy to put our list together.
Earning a ministry Ph.D can cost much more than many students can afford. Those working for churches may spend money out of their own pockets to pay for missionary trips and the supplies that the church needs, which leaves them less money for schooling. Our list includes a number of seminary schools and colleges that charge $11,000 or less per year as well as programs that cost less than $7,000 a year. The criteria that we used to create this list included:
Identifying which schools offer Ph.D in Ministry programs
Comparing rates to see which ones offered the lowest prices
Ranking the top schools in terms of tuition rates
Our list puts the highest priced Ph.D programs that are still affordable at the top and those that charge the lowest tuition rates at the bottom.
Ranking Low-cost Online DMin Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
Even those currently working for religious organizations and institutions may have some questions regarding what they can do with their degrees and how much they can make. That is why we compiled a list of frequently asked questions that we think will make it easier to select an affordable online DMin.
What are Some of the Top Ministry Disciplines?
Looking at the top ministry disciplines is a good way for students to find out about some of the concentrations that these programs offer. Those disciplines include:
Biblical studies
Counseling
Missionary work
Chaplaincy
Pastoral leadership
Biblical studies is an area of emphasis that focus more on going deeper into what this book says. It also focuses on how students can take the knowledge they learn from their studies and apply it in their personal and professional lives. Counseling concentrations look at some of the problems that parishioners face and what pastors and other religious leaders can do to help them.
Those enrolled in a chaplaincy program are students who hope to work on military bases and with soldiers. They study some of the issues facing those soldiers and what they can do to boost their morale. Pastoral leadership is a discipline concerned with the ways in which religious leaders act. Students who graduate from these programs can take on leadership roles and work as senior pastors. Many programs also offer a missionary work concentration or discipline that prepares students for working overseas and in other areas for their churches.
What Type of Counseling Can Graduates Do?
One of the career paths open to graduates of ministry doctorate online programs is that of a counselor. Counselors work with couples, individuals and families facing serious issues that they cannot cope with on their own. Substance abuse counselors work directly with those addicted to substances like prescription drugs, illegal drugs and alcohol. They may work with a 12-step program that walks addicts through the steps towards recovery or with patients in a church or hospital associated with a religious group.
Two other prominent fields of counseling include marriage and family and mental health counseling. Mental health counseling focuses on the disorders that affect the way people live their lives, including anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders and depression. Those working in marriage and family counseling might work with a couple trying to recover after one spouse cheated or with a couple struggling to raise a child who acts out.
Substance abuse and mental health counselors generally make the same amount of money each year. The median pay for those professionals is around $42,000 a year, which comes out to more than $20 an hour. Looking at the career outlook makes it clear that this is a profession in demand. The number of jobs open in this field will grow by up to 20 percent by 2026, which represents the addition of more than 51,000 available counseling jobs. Marriage and family counselors make a slightly higher median wage, which comes out to more than $47,000 a year. The need for workers in this counseling field will also grow by 20 percent in the coming years.
Many types of counselors need a license to work in the state where they live. States usually require that counselors complete an internship or residency program and have a master's degree. Those enrolled in an online ministry program to earn a Ph.D can complete a residency after they graduate to get a counseling license. Some churches and religious organizations will hire counselors with a religious studies degree to counsel parishioners on a nonprofessional basis.
What Other Jobs are Available With a Ministry Doctorate?
Doctoral candidates enrolled in ministry programs may not want to work as a counselor, but those students will find a variety of other jobs open to them after they graduate. Many of those students want to work as senior pastors within their churches. Senior pastors are responsible for more of the daily duties of running that church. They are the ones who counsel parishioners and offer support to those going through troubling times, ensure that the church operates within its annual budget, hire new workers when needed to fill spaces in the church and give sermons each week. The top 10 percent of these men and women make more than $67,000 a year, and some senior pastors earn as much as six figures a year. Out of all professionals working in this field, the highest reported earners live in the Washington, DC area.
Students can also find work as traveling and motivational speakers. These are speakers who travel across the country and speak in front of large groups. They often travel between churches and give speeches designed to motivate parishioners to help out more and do more volunteer work for the church and in the community. After completing a ministry online Ph.D, a student may also find work as a professor or dean in a college/seminary, begin working as an author and writer or become the director of a nonprofit organization. Some will also take on teaching roles.
There are actually a large number of teaching positions open to those with a ministry degree. Parochial and private schools have a need for teachers who can work with younger students as well as older students. Future teachers can get more experience working with students as a substitute teacher while in school. Students can also work in church-sponsored daycare facilities and in preschools. The need for teachers is on the rise because of new private and charter schools opening across the country. These schools provide parents with more options as to the education of their children.
Does Missionary Work Pay?
Many students do missionary work while in college. These men and women travel to other cities, states and countries to talk about God and their religious beliefs. They believe that they can convert others and make them realize that their ideas are the truth. Some churches even require that parishioners do missionary work when they reach a certain age. The work they do at a younger age is volunteer work and does not pay, but professional missionaries actually do earn a salary.
The average salary among all missionaries is around $30,600 a year. While this may not seem like a lot, missionaries typically spend most of their time traveling and living in different areas. They do not have the same expenses at home like rent or utility bills that others do. The top 10 percent of those doing missionary work earn more than $50,000 a year.
Another thing to consider is that missionaries may receive subsidies or stipends while working. Churches and other religious organizations provide them with extra money to cover the high cost of living in some regions. Missionaries also receive stipends that pay for their rent and other expenses in addition to their salaries. Some live together to bring down costs and to increase the amount that they can save. Some churches and organizations also provide missionaries with health insurance and cover the expenses associated with traveling to new destinations.
Those interested in enrolling in a ministry doctorate online program should talk with their church leaders and pastors. Many churches offer scholarships and grants that can cover some of their costs, which make these programs even more affordable. Colleges and seminary schools may offer financial aid packages that match the amount churches give students too.
Using our useful guide is the ultimate way to find out more about online DMin programs, the jobs that these graduates get, how much they make, and other information.
