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2017-2018 Theological School Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Doctor of Philosophy
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 Return to: Program Requirements
Offered in the Theological School’s Graduate Division of Religion, the Doctor of Philosophy degree supports graduate research in Bible and Cultures, Theological and Philosophical Studies in Religion, and Religion and Society.
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General Requirements
Twelve courses (36 credits) are required for the Ph.D. degree, with a GPA of at least 3.4 (3.1 for students who entered prior to Fall 2009). Up to one year of course credit may be given for previous work at graduate level in a student’s field, on recommendation by the relevant area faculty and approval by the Committee on Academic Standing. The normal course load for full-time study is three courses per semester. Further requirements for the Ph.D. include proficiency in either one or two modern languages of scholarship, determined by examination, comprehensive examinations, and a dissertation and oral defense. All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within a period of seven years. The Fundamental Goals of a Degree in the Graduate Division of Religion The GDR aims to equip persons for vocations of teaching and research in theological schools, colleges, and universities, or for the scholarly enhancement of ministerial practice and religious leadership. In general, a student who has successfully completed the degree requirements should be: 1. Able to demonstrate a mastery of the theory, methodology, and history specific to the field of study 2. Able to conduct research at a high level of competence in the field of study. 3. Able to communicate both orally and in writing at a high level of proficiency in the field of study. 4. Attuned to the key interdisciplinary connections between the various religious studies disciplines, and between religious studies and other disciplines in the humanities and/or social sciences. 5. Attuned to the intersections of the academy with church and/or the broader society and of theory with praxis more generally. 6. Personally enriched by the academic process and scholarly discourse in the GDR. 7. Capable of functioning as a professional scholar and teacher in his or her discipline. Student Learning Objectives The assessment procedures outlined below are designed to evaluate the success of the degree programs offered in the GDR. The faculty and administration use multiple measures to evaluate the program and students’ individual progress through it and after it (i.e., as related to placement). These measures are directly determined by the following set of specific learning objectives: 1. Students should be able to read at least two languages of modern religious studies scholarship other than English (e.g., German and French). In addition, students in Bible and Cultures should be able to read the relevant ancient languages (e.g., Hebrew and Greek). 2. Students should have an appropriate level of familiarity with scholarship in their field of study. 3. Students should be capable of conducting original research in their field of study. 4. Students should display, both orally and in writing, a breadth and depth of expert knowledge in specific subject areas. 5. Students should be conversant with major interdisciplinary work in their field. 6. Students should receive preparation to function effectively as teachers after they graduate. 7. Students should be capable of participating in professional activities in their field (e.g., holding membership in and attending regional and national meetings of the American Academy of Religion and/or the Society of Biblical Literature, and presenting papers at such conferences). Bible and Cultures
In the Bible and Cultures program, explorations of the Bible’s rhetoric, its material and political contexts, its interpretation in diverse cultures, its representations of gender, sexuality, social status, the natural environment, group identity and cultural Others are conducted interactively with such contemporary resources as literary and cultural studies, postcolonial theory, gender studies and queer theory, ecological studies, racial/ethnic studies, and theological and pastoral studies. Students in the program develop disciplinary depth and intellectual breadth as well as practical skills in teaching, research, writing, public presentation, building and maintaining a public professional presence, and translating their transdisciplinary knowledge and insights into socially, politically, and ethically relevant resources for ongoing, critically-reflective discourse. Language Requirements Demonstrated competence at the appropriate level in the relevant ancient languages is a prerequisite for admission into the Bible and Cultures Ph.D. program. Proficiency in these languages is usually demonstrated by evidence of at least two semesters of course work per language at a minimum of 3.0 grade level. Modern language requirements for these programs are as follows: German and one other modern language of biblical scholarship (other than English), such as French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, or modern Hebrew, all of which are recognized without petition. If another language is deemed relevant to the student’s program, the student may petition for a substitution, which requires the recommendation of the student’s area and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. This approval is contingent upon the availability of appropriate testing and grading resources. Theological & Philosophical Studies in Religion
The area of Theological and Philosophical Studies in Religion fosters a transdisciplinary community of inquiry among students, with emphases on philosophical, constructive, pluralist, comparative, and systematic approaches to theological themes. These emphases, supported by the philosophical traditions of pragmatism, phenomenology, process, and poststructuralism, entail strong interests in ecology as well as sex/gender, social-political, and decolonial theory. Our faculty bring their distinct methods in the study of religion and its multiple sites of interconnection and contestation to the common table of open, dialogical discourse. Students are invited participants in this collegial and rigorous table talk, learning the textual content and practicing the theories specific to particular fields of interest. They come to appreciate and negotiate the complexities of those fields as they take shape within concrete contexts marked by ethical struggle as well as by interdisciplinary and interreligious conversation. Language Requirements Two languages from among German, French and Spanish If another language is deemed relevant to the student’s program, the student may petition for a substitution, which requires the recommendation of the student’s area and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. This approval is contingent upon the availability of appropriate testing and grading resources. Religion & Society
The Religion and Society area focuses on the role of religion and Christianities in relation to structures of oppression, struggles for liberation, and the restoration of wholeness for individuals and communities. This approach to the study of religion and society attends to intertwine public and private dimensions as well as implications for the natural environment. The diverse academic training and research interests of the faculty encompass cultural studies, psychoanalytic theory, sociology, Christian social ethics, religion and ecology, pastoral theology, liberative and feminist/womanist theologies, Latino/a religions, and Africana diasporic studies. They share the understanding that theory should respond to human experience and that academic scholarship must incorporate a concern with praxis. Students in the program work at the intersections of at least two of the following emphases: Psychology of Religion, Christian Social Ethics, Social Theory and Justice Studies, Ecology, Race/Ethnicity, Gender/Sexuality. Language Requirements Two of the following: French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish. International students whose native language is other than English may use English as their second research language. They must, however, pass French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish before they take their second year of classes. If another language is deemed relevant to the student’s program, the student may petition for a substitution, which requires the recommendation of the student’s area and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. This approval is contingent upon the availability of appropriate testing and grading resources. Women’s & Gender Studies Concentration
The Graduate Division of Religion offers a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies, which may be pursued in conjunction with study in any of the Division’s Areas of Study. Requirements for the Concentration include: - The Women’s Studies Interdisciplinary Seminar (WMST 712), offered every other year.
- At least three additional courses in which the student’s work focused centrally on women, gender, sexuality, or feminist analysis.
- One comprehensive examination that focuses on women, gender, or feminist analysis (this exam would ordinarily correspond with the interdisciplinary comprehensive examination).
Once these requirements have been met, complete the Women’s & Gender Studies Form and Women’s & Gender Studies Coursework Verification Card, submitting them to the Academic Dean’s office. |
Return to: Program Requirements
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