Program Overview
Degree abbreviation
Ed.D. in Faith-Based Arts in Public, Specialization in Ministry Administration
Total program length
120 semester credit hours
Maximum approved transfer credit
Up to 40 semester credit hours
Minimum credits completed through the University after maximum transfer
80 semester credit hours
Normal completion time
Three to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, academic progress, and completion of the doctoral project
Advanced Faith-Based Arts in Public and specialization courses
30 credit hours
Leadership, administration, and professional practice
21 credit hours
Research methods and program evaluation
18 credit hours
Professional application and doctoral residency
15 credit hours
Advanced electives or concentration courses
12 credit hours
Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy
6 credit hours
Applied doctoral project and defense
18 credit hours
Total
120 semester credit hours
The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Arts in Public with a specialization in Ministry Administration is a rigorous doctoral program designed for professionals seeking to lead organizational entities at the intersection of public life and community service. The curriculum integrates advanced management theory with the principles of stewardship, servant leadership, and ethical organizational governance. Students are prepared to analyze complex public systems and implement administrative strategies that reflect a commitment to service and integrity within diverse community landscapes. By engaging with multifaceted administrative challenges, students cultivate the expertise necessary to manage resources effectively while upholding high standards of organizational accountability and ethical influence in the public sphere. The program emphasizes a holistic approach to administration, bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical application within faith-informed, public-facing organizations. It empowers scholars to contribute meaningful solutions to the pressing needs of modern institutions, ensuring that administrative actions are rooted in substantive, research-based decision-making. Through this intellectual pursuit, graduates are equipped to navigate the tensions between professional excellence and the foundational call to serve the common good.
The Doctor of Education in Faith-Based Arts in Public, Specialization in Ministry Administration is an applied professional doctorate emphasizing advanced faith-based arts in public, specialization in ministry administration knowledge, organizational leadership, ethical stewardship, program development, community-care systems, higher-education instruction, and evidence-informed professional practice.
Students may receive up to 40 semester credit hours of approved graduate or doctoral transfer credit. Accepted transfer credits are applied toward the 120-credit graduation requirement and may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. A student receiving the maximum transfer-credit award must complete at least 80 semester credit hours through the University.
The applied doctoral project must address a documented faith-based arts in public, specialization in ministry administration-support, educational, organizational, or community-care need. The project must include scholarly research, an implementation model, measurable outcomes, ethical safeguards, an evaluation plan, and a successful oral defense.
DOCTORAL TRANSFER-CREDIT POLICY: The Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy programs each require 120 semester credit hours. Students may transfer up to 40 semester credit hours of eligible graduate or doctoral coursework toward either degree. Transfer credit is not automatically awarded. Each request is evaluated individually according to: The academic level of the previous coursework; The relevance of the coursework to the doctoral curriculum; Course content and learning outcomes; Credit-hour equivalency; Grades earned; The age of the coursework; Official institutional documentation; The University's residency and transfer-credit policies. Accepted transfer credit may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. Students awarded the maximum 40 transfer credits will have 80 semester credit hours remaining in the 120-credit doctoral program. Comprehensive examinations, doctoral candidacy, doctoral residency, the applied doctoral project, dissertation research, and the final oral defense must ordinarily be completed through the University. These requirements may not be satisfied through transfer credit unless expressly permitted under a published University policy.