PhD Sacred Ministry

Categories: Doctoral Core
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About Course

Enroll once in PhD Sacred Ministry to access the program curriculum in one course. The curriculum is organized by the original catalog module codes and includes the existing lessons, activities, assessment guidance and resources.

Follow your approved academic plan: 19 required modules plus one approved three-credit elective. The eight elective options below are choices, not eight additional requirements. Practicum, assessment, candidacy, capstone and dissertation requirements remain subject to faculty evaluation where applicable. Online lesson completion does not by itself confer a degree.

This is religious Sacred Ministry education. It does not qualify graduates for professional licensure or authorize regulated clinical practice. Enrollment requires admissions approval.

Doctoral Assignment Guidelines and How to Submit Your Coursework

Program modules

  • DSM 701 — Advanced Theories of Sacred Ministry
  • DSM 705 — Religion, Consciousness & Human Transformation
  • DSM 710 — Advanced Ethics of Sacred & Natural Medicine
  • DSM 715 — Epistemology, Spiritual Experience & Ways of Knowing
  • DSM 720 — Culture, Power, Colonialism & Sacred Knowledge
  • DSM 725 — Law, Policy & Religious Institutions
  • DSM 730 — Doctoral Research Design
  • DSM 735 — Qualitative Inquiry in Sacred Ministry
  • DSM 740 — Quantitative & Mixed-Methods Research
  • DSM 745 — Research Ethics, Human Participants & Vulnerable Communities
  • DSM 750 — Advanced Evidence Synthesis & Scholarly Writing
  • DSM 755 — Leadership, Governance & Institutional Ethics
  • DSM 760 — Teaching, Supervision & Knowledge Translation
  • DSM 765 — Advanced Psychedelic & Entheogenic Research (elective option)
  • DSM 766 — Ethnobotany, Traditional Knowledge & Research Ethics (elective option)
  • DSM 767 — Spiritual Emergence, Integration & Meaning-Making Research (elective option)
  • DSM 768 — Neurodivergence, Disability & Accessible Sacred Ministry (elective option)
  • DSM 769 — Community-Based Participatory Research in Sacred Ministry (elective option)
  • DSM 770 — Doctoral Comprehensive Examination & Candidacy
  • DSM 771 — Advanced Program Evaluation & Outcomes Research (elective option)
  • DSM 772 — Sacred Ministry Education & Curriculum Research (elective option)
  • DSM 773 — Advanced Qualitative Analysis Lab (elective option)
  • DSM 780 — Dissertation Seminar & Proposal Development
  • DSM 790 — Dissertation Research I
  • DSM 791 — Dissertation Research II
  • DSM 792 — Dissertation Research III
  • DSM 793 — Dissertation Writing, Defense & Dissemination
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Course Content

DSM 701 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

  • DSM 701 — Course overview
  • DSM 701 — Learning objectives

DSM 701 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 701 — Unit 1: From ministry language to analytical constructs
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 701 — Unit 2: Comparing explanatory frameworks
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 701 — Unit 3: Authority, legitimacy, and contestation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 701 — Unit 4: Building a defensible conceptual framework
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 701 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 705 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 705 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 705 — Unit 1: Describing experience without deciding its truth in advance
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 705 — Unit 2: Transformation as a process over time
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 705 — Unit 3: Cross-disciplinary explanation and category errors
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 705 — Unit 4: Researching altered experience responsibly
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 705 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 710 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 710 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 710 — Unit 1: Turning ethical disagreement into an argument
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 710 — Unit 2: Consent within unequal relationships
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 710 — Unit 3: Boundaries, money, and accountability
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 710 — Unit 4: Ethical scholarship and institutional policy
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 710 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 715 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 715 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 715 — Unit 1: Identifying the kind of claim
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 715 — Unit 2: Testimony, trust, and epistemic injustice
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 715 — Unit 3: Handling conflicting evidence
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 715 — Unit 4: Constructing a bounded scholarly claim
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 715 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 720 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 720 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 720 — Unit 1: Situating knowledge in histories of power
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 720 — Unit 2: Appropriation, exchange, and authority
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 720 — Unit 3: Reciprocity and research governance
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 720 — Unit 4: Writing without extracting
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 720 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 725 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 725 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 725 — Unit 1: Mapping overlapping jurisdictions and authorities
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 725 — Unit 2: Religious liberty and bounded argument
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 725 — Unit 3: Public claims, credentials, and institutional risk
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 725 — Unit 4: Preparing a decision-ready counsel brief
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 725 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 730 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 730 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 730 — Unit 1: From topic to researchable problem
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 730 — Unit 2: Aligning questions, evidence, and method
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 730 — Unit 3: Validity, reflexivity, and rival accounts
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 730 — Unit 4: Designing a feasible proposal
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 730 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 735 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 735 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 735 — Unit 1: Selecting a qualitative tradition
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 735 — Unit 2: Designing interviews and observations
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 735 — Unit 3: Coding, memoing, and developing themes
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 735 — Unit 4: Trustworthiness and ethical representation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 735 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 740 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 740 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 740 — Unit 1: Measurement and sampling
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 740 — Unit 2: Estimates, uncertainty, and practical importance
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 740 — Unit 3: Regression, repeated observations, and missingness
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 740 — Unit 4: Integrating mixed-methods evidence
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 740 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 745 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 745 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 745 — Unit 1: Determining review responsibilities
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 745 — Unit 2: Recruitment and consent under spiritual authority
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 745 — Unit 3: Data stewardship and small-community confidentiality
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 745 — Unit 4: Events, amendments, and continuing responsibility
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 745 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 750 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 750 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 750 — Unit 1: Matching a review to its question
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 750 — Unit 2: Reproducible searching and screening
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 750 — Unit 3: Appraisal and synthesis beyond vote counting
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 750 — Unit 4: Writing a contribution and answering peer review
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 750 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 755 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 755 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 755 — Unit 1: Governing roles and decision rights
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 755 — Unit 2: Safeguarding and complaint systems
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 755 — Unit 3: Financial integrity and risk culture
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 755 — Unit 4: Quality improvement and succession
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 755 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 760 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 760 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 760 — Unit 1: Designing learning backward from evidence
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 760 — Unit 2: Assessment, feedback, and accessible participation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 760 — Unit 3: Supervision as accountable scholarly practice
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 760 — Unit 4: Translating knowledge without overstating it
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 760 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 765 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 765 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 765 — Unit 1: Framing entheogenic research questions
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 765 — Unit 2: Expectancy, masking, and interpretation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 765 — Unit 3: Benefits, harms, and selective reporting
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 765 — Unit 4: Writing a balanced research agenda
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 765 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 766 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 766 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 766 — Unit 1: Provenance and botanical knowledge
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 766 — Unit 2: Collective knowledge and permission
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 766 — Unit 3: Extraction, ownership, and benefit
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 766 — Unit 4: Designing a nonextractive study
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 766 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 767 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 767 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 767 — Unit 1: Distinguishing interpretive and clinical claims
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 767 — Unit 2: Following narratives over time
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 767 — Unit 3: Researcher influence and participant boundaries
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 767 — Unit 4: Developing a meaning-making study
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 767 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 768 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 768 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 768 — Unit 1: Disability models and research assumptions
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 768 — Unit 2: Accessible recruitment and consent
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 768 — Unit 3: Measurement fairness and participation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 768 — Unit 4: Designing accountable inclusion
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 768 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 769 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 769 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 769 — Unit 1: Partnership before protocol
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 769 — Unit 2: Co-design and shared authority
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 769 — Unit 3: Data governance and conflict
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 769 — Unit 4: Returning findings and sustaining benefit
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 769 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 770 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 770 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 770 — Unit 1: Building an integrative examination portfolio
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 770 — Unit 2: Writing under competing interpretations
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 770 — Unit 3: Preparing for the oral examination
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 770 — Unit 4: Recording candidacy and remediation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 770 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 771 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 771 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 771 — Unit 1: Logic models and evaluative questions
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 771 — Unit 2: Designs that fit decisions
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 771 — Unit 3: Indicators, equity, and unintended outcomes
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 771 — Unit 4: Using findings and establishing originality
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 771 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 772 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 772 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 772 — Unit 1: Defining educational constructs
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 772 — Unit 2: Studying teaching ethically
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 772 — Unit 3: Evaluating curriculum change
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 772 — Unit 4: Translating educational findings
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 772 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 773 — Elective option – course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 773 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 773 — Unit 1: Establishing an analytic orientation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 773 — Unit 2: From codes to analytic claims
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 773 — Unit 3: Negative cases and analytic revision
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 773 — Unit 4: Writing an analytic account
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 773 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 780 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 780 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 780 — Unit 1: Defining the original contribution
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 780 — Unit 2: Constructing the complete proposal
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 780 — Unit 3: Planning supervision, review, and feasibility
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 780 — Unit 4: Proposal review and authorization to begin
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 780 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 790 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 790 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 790 — Unit 1: Establishing the approved research record
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 790 — Unit 2: Implementing authorized collection or inquiry
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 790 — Unit 3: Monitoring quality and protocol deviations
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 790 — Unit 4: Demonstrating progress to the committee
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 790 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 791 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 791 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 791 — Unit 1: Completing the evidence base responsibly
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 791 — Unit 2: Preparing an auditable analytic corpus
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 791 — Unit 3: Beginning systematic analysis
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 791 — Unit 4: Reviewing change and readiness
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 791 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 792 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 792 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 792 — Unit 1: Stress-testing findings
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 792 — Unit 2: Separating findings from interpretation
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 792 — Unit 3: Making a contribution with limits
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 792 — Unit 4: Preparing an integrated dissertation draft
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 792 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.

DSM 793 — Course orientation
Catalog requirements and learning outcomes.

DSM 793 — Doctoral study guide
Catalog requirements, study route, reading guide, and progression.

DSM 793 — Unit 1: Establishing defense readiness
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 793 — Unit 2: Presenting and defending the research
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 793 — Unit 3: Recording outcomes and completing revisions
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 793 — Unit 4: Disseminating with responsibility
Teaching note, application, and self-check.

DSM 793 — Assessment and scholarly evidence
Three course-specific briefs, review rubric, and record templates.