Doctor of Sacred Ministry

A student must meet the requirements of the catalog under which he first enrolls. A student who withdraws from school and returns after a period of three or more years must submit to the current catalog at the time of re-enrollment.

The Doctor of Sacred Ministry degrees will be awarded on the following basis:

• The fulfillment of 48 credits in addition to a master’s degree by April 15 of the year of graduation.
• The submission and approval of the final draft of their dissertation by February 15 of the year of graduation.
• Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all NBBC work attempted toward a degree.
• Affirm his agreement with the Northland Baptist Bible College Articles of Faith.
• File a graduation application with the Registrar’s Office by the beginning of the student’s final year. Any application received after March 1 of the student’s final year will not be accepted, and the student will not be allowed to march at the following Commencement. The application is used by Northland personnel for degree clearance, preparation of the annual Commencement program, diploma presentation, and participation in the Commencement ceremony.
• Attend the Awards Chapel, Spring Concert, and graduation rehearsal. Any exceptions must be approved by the Academic Committee.

A student may participate in the May Commencement ceremony only if all degree requirements have been satisfied and if all financial obligations have been met. There will be no graduation concessions. A candidate for graduation who, for any reason, fails to fulfill these requirements will not receive his degree until the first scheduled commencement after all the requirements are met.

Dissertation Requirements

The dissertation is the last phase in earning a degree through the Doctor of Sacred Ministry program. The purpose of the dissertation is to accomplish biblical and theological research that is applicable to one’s ministry and goals. The topic should be worthy of significant research and should be of practical importance and of specific interest to the student. The dissertation earns four hours of credit. Each dissertation will be dealt with on an individual basis. The dissertation is to follow the schedule available from the Graduate Studies Office. It must be a minimum of 150 pages. Each dissertation must contain a 15- to 20-page chapter that develops the theological basis for the dissertation. Because of the nature of the dissertation, the entire process—from the proposal to the final draft—will involve ongoing communication with the Graduate Studies Office. Upon approval of the student’s dissertation proposal, an advisor will be assigned who will keep in regular contact with him throughout the process and will be available to answer any questions the student has regarding his dissertation. The dissertation will culminate with an oral defense to be completed no later than one month prior to graduation. For a manual describing the dissertation process, please contact the Graduate Studies Office.