STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—Franciscan University of Steubenville will launch its Doctor of Ministry in Evangelization and Catechetics (DMin) Program in fall 2025. With recent approval from the Higher Learning Commission and Ohio Department of Higher Education, the program will be the University’s second doctoral program, following the launch of its PhD in Theology Program in fall 2024.

“We’re delighted to place ourselves at the service of the Church with this doctor of ministry degree,” said Dr. Stephen Hildebrand, vice president for Academic Affairs at Franciscan University. “One of the most exciting aspects of this program is that it will be a laboratory of sorts for catechesis and evangelization. In their doctoral projects, students will apply the ageless wisdom of the Church to today’s challenges. They will offer pastorally effective and theologically sound solutions, making a real difference in the lives of the faithful.”

The DMin program will offer students in-depth theological, catechetical, and pastoral formation to equip them to serve in prominent roles in Catholic higher education, Church leadership, and many Catholic apostolate.

“We see our Doctor of Ministry in Evangelization and Catechetics as an exciting way to take our formation to the next level,” said Dr. Bob Rice, director of the program. “This degree is for those who are professionally active in Catholic ministry and are looking to enhance their skills, knowledge, and academic credentials so they can have an even greater impact in their ministry of evangelization and catechesis.”

The doctor of ministry is a terminal degree that completes a master of divinity, master of catechetics, or master of theology with a pastoral focus. It is a three- to five-year program built for working professionals in Catholic ministry. The graduate-level classes are offered primarily online and are complemented by three nine-day summer residential sessions. The course of study culminates in a doctoral thesis project.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity the Lord has provided with this initiative,” said Dr. Petroc Willey, professor of theology and catechetics at Franciscan University. “This program will bring together leaders in catechetics and evangelization to explore the riches of tradition and our contemporary situation. Their research into key areas of need in the proclamation of the Gospel and in discipleship formation will inform new field strategies and programs that will make a real difference in the Church’s mission.”

Theology was first introduced as an undergraduate major at the then-College of Steubenville in 1976. It went on to become the largest undergraduate Catholic theology program in the United States. In 1989, Franciscan University was the first Catholic college in the nation whose theology faculty and priests publicly professed the Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church as called for by Canon Law. In 1996, Franciscan offered its first specialization in catechetics at the master’s degree level, followed by an undergraduate major in 2005, and the master’s in catechetics and evangelization in 2014. Franciscan’s degrees in evangelization and catechetics are offered through the Department of Theology, which also provides on-campus and online associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs.

For more information on Franciscan University’s Doctor of Ministry in Evangelization and Catechetics Program, please visit https://franciscan.edu/doctor-ministry.html.