PhD in Divinity/Ministry (PhD)

Western Seminary offers gospel-centered education for people preparing for ministry, counseling, education, missionary work, and other forms of service to the church. Master's programs support ministry training and counseling careers. Advanced degrees serve pastors, ministry leaders, educators, and missionaries seeking further professional preparation. Certificates and diplomas provide foundational study for lay or bi-vocational ministry without requiring a master's degree.

Learning is organized around community and mentorship as well as formal study. Cohorts create peer-learning communities, including options for online students, and connect participants with subject-matter experts and ministry practitioners. The seminary's academic and outreach work includes the Center for Pastoral Flourishing, Center of Diaspora & Relational Research, Advanced Leadership Development, A New Day Counseling Center, and Food Trucks in Babylon, a podcast hosted by professors Todd Miles and Andrew Pack. The podcast addresses theology, culture, and ministry in a post-Christian context.

Western Seminary's Portland campus is located at 5511 SE Hawthorne Blvd. San Jose students can access the site at 6601 Camden Ave. Online cohorts provide another way to join the seminary's learning communities. International students should note that the listed business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, while the San Jose site lists hours from 1 to 6 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Thursday. Admissions information and request-for-information services support prospective students considering the available programs.

Students study the theology and rules of a particular Christian church. They also study liturgy, ritual, pastoral ministry, homiletics, evangelism, ethics, and church history.

This field prepares students for ordination as ministers or priests in Christian traditions. It supports work in pastoral ministry, preaching, evangelism, and church or parish organization and management.

For international students, tuition is below the median for US programmes.