Doctor of Philosophy in Practical Theology (PhD)

The PhD degree program is offered to students wishing to enhance their knowledge and teaching competence in practical theology, understood as the theologically positioned, interdisciplinary study of the practices of religious communities and of the traditions and social contexts that shape and challenge those practices.

In studying the practices of religious communities, the doctoral program in practical theology is designed to prepare students to understand and assess the contemporary situation, to reflect historically and systematically on the church’s embodied witness of faith in that situation, and to develop faithful and effective strategies for Christian practice in that situation. This preparation, while it has a common structure and an ecclesiological center, emphasizes the particularity of context and requires a diversity in focus that requires strong interdisciplinary skills and a highly integrative acumen. The full text of the PhD handbook may be found on the Advanced Studies website.

Admission

Applicants must hold an MDiv or an equivalent degree. Applicants holding the MRE, MTS, or an equivalent two-year degree may be admitted contingent upon the completion of specified prerequisites. Graduate academic work with a GPA of at least 3.3 is required.

Applications to the PhD degree program beginning in Fall Semester must be completed by December 15 of the previous year. No exceptions can be made for late applications to the program. There are no admissions to the PhD program in the Spring Semester.

Please note that all applicants to the PhD program must include a valid GRE score as part of their application. No exceptions will be made for international students or for students who have successfully completed a doctorate in another field. International students for whom English is not a native language must submit both a valid GRE score and a valid TOEFL score to complete their applications.

Concentrations

Admission to the PhD program, when granted, is to a single concentration within the degree program. A subsequent request to change a concentration will be treated as a new application. Current approved concentrations within the Practical Theology PhD program include:

• Homiletics
• Liturgical Studies
• Mission
• Evangelism
• Mission and Evangelism
• Pastoral Theology
• Spirituality
• Church and Society
• Congregational Studies
• Religious Education
• Church Leadership and Administration

In the admissions process, the PhD program director will assign each student a faculty core advisor who will assist the student in preparing for the core exam and orienting the student to the discipline of Practical Theology throughout his or her coursework. The PhD program director will also assign each student a faculty concentration advisor within the concentration the student has chosen. These advisors will assist the student in selecting courses and satisfying degree requirements within the time frames established by the Advanced Studies Committee (ASC) of the School of Theology.

Students may request a change of advisor within their concentration with the consent of the new advisor and PhD program director attested on a signed form submitted to the ASC office.

PhD Curriculum Requirements

A minimum of 12 courses, including:

• Three core seminars: Proseminar in Practical Theology; Ecclesiology; and Church and Theology in the Contemporary World
• Six courses in the concentration
• Three courses from cognate disciplines or electives with advisor’s approval and guidance

Additional notes:

• A maximum of four courses may be taken at institutions other than Boston University.
• One must be registered as a full-time student (12 or more credits) to be charged STH tuition rates; part-time students pay the tuition rate of the school in which the course originates.
• The time limit for the degree program is seven years (14 semesters). For more information regarding degree deadlines for PhD students, please consult the PhD handbook.
• Students in the Doctor of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy programs are eligible to be considered for a fellowship; selection is made on the basis of previous academic excellence, character, commitment to service, and potential contribution to the academic community and life of the church. Fellowships provide full tuition scholarship for the first three years of study and an additional stipend of varying amounts. The Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan program is also open to students in the Doctor of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy programs.
• Doctor of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy students are required to register for at least 8 credit hours per semester to be eligible to receive financial aid. Students receiving tuition assistance will receive aid that covers the 12 courses required for the degree (each course is equal to 4 credit hours). All fellowship recipients must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.3 and comply with all requirements detailed in their fellowship award letter.

Doctoral Teaching and Research Internships Program (DTRIP)

The School of Theology provides a teaching and research internship program for all incoming ThD and PhD students that orients these degree programs toward a teacher training, research training, and mentoring model.

The DTRIP program requires all doctoral students to accept one research internship, one junior teaching internship, and one senior teaching internship during their degree program. While these internships are not paid positions but rather requirements of the degree program, students are supported by yearly fellowships during the first three years of their doctoral work. Research internships may be fulfilled during the first year of studies, but teaching internships may generally only be fulfilled in the second and subsequent years of a student’s doctoral program.

Faculty Mentoring and Evaluation of Students

Faculty members who mentor doctoral interns are responsible for providing an evaluation of the intern during and at the conclusion of each assignment. Periodic seminars and workshops will be offered to help faculty to better function effectively as mentors for doctoral interns under their supervision.

Teacher Training

The internship program will require all doctoral students to participate in research and teacher training colloquia offered each semester by the STH Faculty. See the PhD Handbook for more information.

Academic Requirements

• A minimum grade of B is required for all classes. No grade lower than B is acceptable for use in satisfying the requirements for the Doctor of Theology degree. An automatic Academic Review occurs if a student receives a grade lower than B.
• Coursework for the degree must contain at least four 900-level courses. (These requirements may not be satisfied by directed study courses except by approved petition to the Advanced Studies Committee.)
• A maximum of four of the twelve courses may be taken at institutions other than Boston University, and these must be approved in advance by both advisors.
• Courses taken to meet language requirements do not count toward the required coursework for the PhD. In addition, undergraduate and 700-level courses will not count toward the required coursework for the PhD.
• Coursework counting toward the degree may not be taken on a pass/fail basis but must receive a letter grade.