Northwind Theological Seminary
Semiotics
This Doctoral degree is an accredited degree of advanced study delivered in an accelerated format.
TUITION & FEES APPLY TODAY REQUEST INFORMATION
New for 2025
Decoding the Divine Fellows Cohort
Study with Len Sweet
Len helps students see the sacred in unexpected places.
His new book "Decoding the Divine" continues this mission, exploring how divine symbols are woven into our daily lives, from our morning coffee to our Sunday sermons. Through yoking church, culture, and semiotics-the study of signs and symbols - he reveals patterns that deepen our understanding of faith and culture, or as one reviewer put it, "Len's unparalleled ability to interweave the Scriptures, theology, and church history produces a tapestry of insights that is nothing short of revelatory."
Join Len Sweet's Decoding the Divine Fellows Cohort at Northwind Seminary.
This cohort offers intimate learning with one of today's most insightful theological voices with three options:
Doctor in Theology and Ministry
Doctor of Theology
Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Develop a richer love of The Story and a deeper understanding of faith's intersection with culture. Learn to read the "signs of the times" with greater clarity. Study with a mentor who bridges traditional and contemporary Christianity. Join a community of forward-thinking ministry colleagues.
Doctor in Theology & Ministry
36 Credits
An accredited degree delivered
in an accelerated format.
Course of Study
YEAR ONE:
Starting Well Experience
Foundations of Semiotics
Contextualization of Semiotics
Readings in Semiotics I
YEAR TWO:
Readings in Semiotics II
Readings in Semiotics III
Dissertation & Defense
Continuing Well Experience
Prerequisite: Master's Degree
Semiotics|PATH program provides a path for those engaged in ministry to complete a Master's Degree concurrently in the first year of the DThM Degree. REQUEST a proposal.
ADVANCE: @ Orcas Island, WA
Students will participate in an intensive learning experience during either Year One or Year Two. There is an Advance Fee, and travel expenses are the student's responsibility.
Students who graduate will receive a
CPCA Commission certified degree from NTS.
— Name, Title
Doctor of Theology
42 Credits
An accredited degree delivered
in an accelerated format.
Course of Study
YEAR ONE:
Starting Well Experience
Foundations of Semiotics
Contextualization of Semiotics
Readings in Semiotics I
YEAR TWO:
Readings in Semiotics II
Readings in Semiotics III
Comprehensive Exam
Dissertation
Defense
Continuing Well Experience
Prerequisite: Master's Degree from an accredited institution.
ADVANCE: @ Orcas Island, WA
Students will participate in an intensive learning experience during either Year One or Year Two. There is an Advance Fee, and travel expenses are the student's responsibility.
NTS Courses have been mapped onto Kairos University degree requirements.
Students who graduate will receive an ATS-accredited degree from Kairos University.
Students in this degree apply to NTS and are officially enrolled and admitted to both institutions.
Defense Advance with Len Sweet on Orcas Island
Publish Your Doctoral Project
During the Project Experience, students will complete a Manuscript as their Doctoral Treatise Paper.
During the Defense Advance, students defend their Manuscript to their fellow students and visiting faculty.
Following a successful Defense, students will have the opportunity to publish their peer-reviewed Manuscripts.
Program Outcomes
With a focus on rich theological reflection on ministry practice, the Doctor of Theology will help you develop and deepen your knowledge of theological content, be more fully formed in Christian character, and generate new understandings of the craft of ministry. Through the program, you will develop and demonstrate proficiency in its eight outcomes: Starting Well, Specialized Inquiry: Literature and History, Specialized Inquiry: Concepts and Models, Specialized Inquiry: Practices and Methods, Integration: Macro Context, Integration: Micro Context, Generative Learning, and Continuing Well.
Dissertation
As part of the Doctor of Theology program, you will be invited to generate for dissemination high-level scholarly research within a specialized theological field of inquiry toward the improvement of ministry praxis. You will work alongside a mentor team crafted around your specialized field of inquiry, and your entire learning experience may be individualized and contextualized as much as possible toward exploring your degree concentration and research focus.
Customized Learning Experiences
Learning experiences in Kairos are built around an invitation for students to explore some aspect of their vocation, Christian thought and practice, or the human experience. As a Doctor of Theology student, you will be able to engage in individualized and guided learning experiences that encourage deep theological reflection on ministry practice within your context and tradition.