Religious Studies Doctorate (Ph.D.)

Specializations: Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity, Historical Theology, Systematic Theology, Theological Ethics, Theology and Society (includes Health Care Mission and Ethics)

Students must complete 60 credit hours of post-baccalaureate course work, up to 30 of which may be completed prior to their enrollment in the program, demonstrate proficiency in a classical language or languages relevant to their specializations, demonstrate proficiency in two modern languages other than English, pass a doctoral qualifying examination, complete 12 credit hours of dissertation research and produce and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation. The following program description summarizes those requirements. Additional information may be found in the Department of Theology's Policies and Procedures.

COURSE WORK REQUIREMENTS

Upon enrollment in the program, students chooses a specialization. The students' choice of specialization dictates the terms of the  course of study. The department's principal areas of specialization are as follows:

• Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity (JUCA)
• Historical Theology (HITH)
• Systematic Theology (SYTH)
• Theological Ethics (THET)

Students choosing one of these specializations must complete 36 credit hours of course work in an area of specialization and typically completes 12 credit hours of course work in each of the two areas not chosen as the specialization. Note that the systematic theology and theological ethics areas are counted as a one for the purpose of course work distribution​.

Students may choose from the following courses: 

The department also offers an interdisciplinary specialization with two program options:

• Theology and Society (THSO)

Students choosing the theology and society specialization must complete at least 30 credit hours of course work in one of the Department of Theology's principal areas of specialization, at least 9 credit hours of course work in each of the department's other two principal areas of specialization, and 12 credit hours of graduate course work in one or more disciplines pertaining to their specific research agenda (e.g., economics, education, history, philosophy, political science or psychology).

• Health Care Mission and Ethics

Students choosing the health care mission and ethics option must complete at least 30 credit hours of course work in one of the Department of Theology's principal areas of specialization, at least 9 credit hours in each of the department's other two principal areas of specialization, and 12 credit hours of graduate course work pertaining to healthcare. (e.g., NURS 6007 Ethics, Policy and Health Care Advocacy, NURS 6009 Organizational and Systems Leadership, HEAL 6848 Health Care Policy, LAW 7156 Current Issues in Health Law, LAW 7221 Health Law).

Students choosing the interdisciplinary specialization may be required to take additional course work beyond the program's 60-credit-hour minimum to certify their qualifications in both theology and the allied disciplines of their choosing.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Students choosing the Judaism and Christianity in antiquity specialization must demonstrate proficiency in classical Hebrew and Greek. Students choosing the historical theology specialization must demonstrate proficiency in Latin, Greek or another classical language essential to their research agenda. Students choosing the systematic theology or theological ethics specialization are not required to demonstrate a proficiency in a classical language but may choose to substitute demonstrated proficiency in Latin for one of their modern foreign languages. Students choosing an interdisciplinary program option are not required to demonstrate proficiency in a classical language.

All students must demonstrate proficiency in German, French or another modern language or languages other than English essential to the students' research agenda. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in one modern foreign language by the end of the first year of enrollment in the program and in two modern foreign languages by the end of the second year. Students typically fulfill these requirements by earning a grade of B or above in course work or on a language examination administered by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

DOCTORAL QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Once students has fulfill all of the language requirements and no earlier than their final term completing course work, they are eligible to take the doctoral qualifying examination. The examination has two stages, namely the written examination and the oral examination. The written examination is in four parts, each three hours in duration, and is administered in two sessions, typically on consecutive days. Students complete two of the examination's parts during each session. The oral examination is administered following the administration of the written examination in a single session lasting approximately 90 minutes.

The doctoral qualifying examination is administered by a committee consisting of five of the department's full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members selected by the student and approved by the department's Graduate Committee. Students choosing the interdisciplinary specialization typically substitute one of the department's faculty committee members with a comparably credentialed faculty member in another department and/or institution. Each committee member examines the students on a topic or topics corresponding with their area of academic expertise. Students must earn the satisfactory evaluation of each of the five committee members to pass the examination. Students advances to doctoral candidacy once they pass the doctoral qualifying examination, completes their course work requirements, and fulfills all of their language requirements.

Doctoral Dissertation Credits

Upon advancing to doctoral candidacy, students must complete 12 credit hours of dissertation research. All dissertation credit hours must be completed before students schedule their dissertation defense.

Doctoral Dissertation

Students are encouraged to identify a dissertation topic and prospective director toward the end of the completion of the course work and/or while preparing for the doctoral qualifying examination. Students must choose a topic that falls within the scope of the department's common understanding of the discipline of Religious Studies and for which students can locate a member of the department's faculty possessing the competence and interest needed to serve as the dissertation's director. 

Once students have determined a topic of research and secured the agreement of a director, they submit a doctoral dissertation outline to the department's Graduate Committee. The outline identifies the dissertation's director and no fewer than three more of the department's full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members to serve on the dissertation's review board. Students choosing the interdisciplinary specialization typically substitute one of the department's faculty board members with a comparably credentialed faculty member in another department and/or institution.

Once the Graduate Committee approves the students' doctoral dissertation outline, inclusive of the director and review board, students produce the dissertation to the satisfaction of their director. Upon its completion and the concurrent recommendation of the director, the dissertation is subjected to the board's review during a public defense lasting approximately two hours. Students must earn the satisfactory evaluation of each board member to secure the dissertation's approval.

Following the successful defense of the dissertation, students may be given a fixed amount of time to revise their work in light of the board's feedback. Students submit the final edition of the dissertation to the Graduate School in advance of their graduation.