I am PhinisheD

Well……no it is not a PhD rather a DMin but it is the closest that I could come to describe the feeling. Plus, I always thought the “PhinisheD” was a cute play on words.

After a few years of full time study semester after semester, the completion of 60 credit hours, an Applied Research Project (dissertation) of some 200 pages, and an oral defense, I am now in a state of anomie (sociological term for normlessness). I feel a burden lifted after having completed the degree but rather odd after living the dream of earning an accredited doctorate for years, then the pressure of completing the work while balancing all of the normal pitfalls of life. Add on top of that the requirement to finish up by May of 05 to graduate under the “teach out” agreement between the state, the Dept of Ed and the accreditor that allowed graduates to graduate with an accredit degree.

I am thankful that ACCS made a commitment to the students to ensure that those who qualified for the “teach out” were able to have the opportunity and also that ACCS did not short cut academics even as the end draws near. We were still required to produce quality work that was scrutinized and go through all of the normal hurdles such as the Oral Defense.

I also appreciate this board for the education it gave me, the support at times, and just the mental relaxation of posting.

North

 

Well done! Congrats!

 

Congratulations. Welcome to the club.

 

I'm jealous. Congradulations!

 

Congratulations! I hope to be saying the same thing some time next year.


By the way, from the title of your post, I thought you were talking about www.phinished.org, which is a support group website for PhD students, and is useful for those completing their masters degrees.

Now that you are a doctor, maybe you should go there and spread the wealth of knowledge and you're experience.

 

Congratulations. Well done!

marilynd

 

Indeed, congratulations! Even when (if) I finish my LL.M., it will pale in comparason with your achievement!

 

Yes Congrats and God bless

 

Way to persevere!

 

North,

Congratulations for pushing through what we know to be a difficult and challenging process. Completing a doctoral degree is a huge tasks in itself. When the school has the kinds of challenges that ACCS has had to deal with, it must have made for a very rocky process.

You have reason to be proud of your accomplishment. Congrats, Dr. North.

Tony Pina
Northeastern Illinois University

 

Congratulations!

 

"PhinisheD" is "GooD"!

Congratulations!

 

Congratulations, Dr. North!

Will you continue with TTS or take a break for awhile?

 

Could someone explain to the uninitiated (me) exactly what a D. Min. is and where it falls in the scheme of religion degrees?

 

A D.Min. is a professional doctorate. Most people who earn this degree are active in ministry. It is in contrast to the Ph.D. and the Th.D. which are academic degrees. It is shorter in duration, but still requires a dissertation (in most cases).

While you may be hired to teach at a seminary with one, it's likely that it would be in the ministry-related areas like preaching or possibly pastoral counseling.



Tom Nixon

 

WAY TO GO!! Congratulations my friend.

 

Tom is correct.

The DMin is a practioner oriented doctorate in the Professional doctorate category (not to be confused with a first professional degree). They generally range from around 39-60 credit hours depending on where they are taken and the nature of them. Range in subject from a expository emphasis to Marital Therapy (60 credit hour program at Southern Christian University). In general the lower number of credit hours is for one that is completed after completing the 90 graduate hour MDiv program. The higher number as at Southern Christian University is for those who only have a 36 credit hour (plus) Masters degree.

For further clarification see:

List of research doctorates that are equivalent to the PhD (DMin is listed with these). We all know that a PhD is considered the creme de la creme of degrees and is the usual route to academia.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-research-doctorate.html

Next is a list of first professional degrees with doctorate in the title (eg MD, JD, DC).

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-professional-studies.html

As an aside, thanks for all of the very kind good wishes. I am still trying to absorb being finished. After so long it feels rather odd. With some seat of the pants flying with ACCS the last while and the normal stress involved with completing the degree, I feel a little more aged and what hair I have left if grayer.

North

 

Nice job! Take a short break and then let's start looking for that PhD program!

Jack

 

So it's something like the J.S.D. then, I guess. Well! A BIG deal!

 

Thanks but no thanks. At the moment my interest lies in studying what I want....when I want......and not producing research for anyone else but me on my own time table.

On top of that, I made a vow that my new focus will be on my son and wife. He is in middle school and I need to be focussed on spending more time involved in his life. It passes so quickly and the time is precious.

North