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Academic Catalog
   
    Mar 29, 2024  
Academic Catalog - Spring 2014 
    
Academic Catalog - Spring 2014 [ARCHIVED]

Doctor of Education, Ed.D.


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The purpose of the Seminary’s Doctor of Education program is to prepare men and women through rigorous academic study for service as leaders in denominational ministry, as teachers in colleges or seminaries, and as educators or administrators in local churches or Christian schools.

In our mission to equip students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary has long recognized the importance of preparing qualified educators to pursue their calling. Southeastern continues to maintain a selection of degree programs focused on professional educators including the MDiv with Christian Education, the M.A. in Christian Education, and the M.A. in Christian School Administration. The addition of the Doctor of Education degree completes a full complement of academic training by providing a terminal degree program for those students called to the ministry of higher education.

Graduates of this degree program will be able to apply biblical concepts and educational theory in their chosen area of ministry. Graduates will also demonstrate competence in research skills necessary for guiding future research and problem solving. They will demonstrate leadership skills and administrative concepts needed in a variety of organizational settings and demonstrate teaching skills suited for both ministry and academic environments. Finally, graduates will be able to integrate insights from current research in human growth and development and learning theory to design effective educational models and programs.

Pre-application Phase

The pre-application phase includes a pre-application form available from the Doctor of Education office, a professional resume, and official transcripts from each academic institution the applicant has attended beyond high school mailed to the Doctor of Education Office directly from each institution(s). Once these items are completed and considered by the Ed.D. Admission Committee, a full application form will be sent by mail.

Full Application Process

The items listed below are necessary for an application to be complete:

  1. The application form and applicable non-refundable fee: new applicants $50, re-applicants $25. Checks should be made payable to SEBTS.
  2. A church affirmation and recommendation form is to be filled out by the church of current membership.
  3. Recommendations from three persons who have known the applicant longer than one year. Recommendations should include one academic source, one clergy source, and one additional source.
  4. A printed autobiography, 2-3 pages in length, documenting conversion experience, spiritual pilgrimage, call to ministry, and life experiences. This autobiography should include information on ministerial experience, spiritual growth, calling, and significant life events (such as marriage, physical and emotional illness, or divorce, and reasons for choosing Southeastern Seminary).
  5. A printed statement of how this degree will complement the applicant’s professional goals.
  6. Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores.
  7. Applicants must successfully complete (minimum grade of B) a graduate-level class in statistics in order to fulfill the language requirement and assure adequate preparation for the course in statistics included in the program.
  8. A master’s degree in education or related fields from other accredited institutions will be accepted. Admission will require a minimum 3.25 GPA requirement in addition to an acceptable score on the MAT. However, for those students who did not have biblical studies background in their graduate program, a biblical core of 12 hours will be required prior to registration in the second year of the program. The biblical studies core consists of 12 hours composed of New Testament Survey (3 hours), Old Testament Survey (3 hours), Systematic Theology (3 hours), and Baptist History (3 hours). The same option applies to the statistics requirement. Those students lacking course work in Christian education may be given additional requirements.
  9. Applicants must submit a 3-5 page paper on their personal philosophy of education.
  10. After receiving all application materials the Ed.D. Committee may request an interview.
  11. The Ed.D. Admission Committee will notify applicants of their admission status within 60 days of receiving their completed application.

Additional information may be obtained from the Doctor of Education Office, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, P.O. Box 1889, Wake Forest, NC 27588-1889, or e-mail at edd@sebts.edu. An application information sheet and check list will be provided to guide the student in completing the application.

Degree Requirements


The Doctor of Education program is designed to be completed in three years. The curriculum for the first two years requires 48 semester hours. Of these 48 hours, 42 are in the classroom, while the remaining 6 semester hours will involve the student in mentorship and guided research. The third year requires 12 semester hours of dissertation work.

Students will take all classes on campus at Southeastern Seminary during two week-long sessions each semester, during January term, and during summer sessions. The first session occurs early in the semester after initial assignments have been completed. The second session occurs later in the semester to advance the student’s understanding of his/her research and course content and to provide summative experiences.

Integrative Seminars
Integrative Seminars are designed to be a forum for doctoral students and faculty where issues and developments in the ministry of Christian education and leadership are explored.

Students are required to take 6 hours of integrative seminars. Both of these seminars will be taken in Christian education or the student may elect to take a seminar in the Ph.D. program.

In order for a student to receive credit for a research seminar, the student must earn a B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). Any grade below a B results in loss of credit for the course and the student is placed on probation after a review of the student’s status by the Doctor of Education Committee. An additional research seminar grade below a B during the following semester may result in termination from the program.

Advanced Statistics
Graduate studies in empirical research methodologies, statistical analysis, and computer applications serve as substitutes for foreign language studies in the Doctor of Education program. Actual foreign language studies are not ordinarily required unless mandated by the dissertation research topic.

Mentorship
The Ed.D. program includes a mentorship; that is, a focused series of interactive academic meetings including personal tutoring in the field by the student’s major professor. As this process takes place, the professor interacts with the student to provide academic direction and advice as the student develops increasing depth and skill in the area of research interest.

Comprehensive Examinations
Comprehensive exams will consist of twelve hours of oral and written examinations following the completion of all course work and prior to advancing to candidacy. Six hours of the exam will be related to core requirements and 6 hours related to the area of concentration. Testing involving the area of concentration will be designed by the student’s major adviser.

Specialized Studies Courses
Students must complete 6 hours of course work related to their area of academic interest. These classes may include doctoral seminars at SEBTS. In addition, the Doctor of Education Committee may approve one doctoral-level course at another regionally accredited institution. Students who take courses at institutions other than SEBTS will pay fees and tuition charges prescribed by the host institution. If the student is simultaneously taking courses for credit at SEBTS, the student also will pay the seminary registration fees.

The student is responsible for requesting that an official transcript of coursework taken at other institutions be sent to the Registrar’s office at SEBTS. No student will be cleared to take Comprehensive Examinations until the official transcript(s) have been received and evaluated by the Doctor of Education Committee at SEBTS.

Dissertation
Production of a dissertation that makes an original contribution to the student’s academic field is the final stage in the Ed.D. program. Preparation of the dissertation normally begins during the mentorship stage of the student’s program, though submission must follow successful completion of written and oral comprehensives. The mentorship and guided research will help the student specify the title, the proposed method, content of research, and demonstrate that the resources necessary to successfully complete the dissertation are available to the student.

In order to graduate with a Doctor of Education, the student must complete 60 hours of study as follows:

Advanced Statistics - 3 Hours


Integrative Seminars - 6 Hours


Specialized Study Courses (Doctoral and upper-level Masters) - 6 Hours


Mentorship and Guided Research - 6 Hours


Areas of Concentration


Denominational and Educational Leadership
Church Education
Church Administration
Christian School Leadership
Teaching and Learning Curriculum
Higher Education Administration
Spiritual Formation and Discipleship
Legal Issues In Education and Ministry
(other areas of interest may be approved)

Research Methodology and Dissertation - 15 Hours


Total Hours - 60


Course of Studies


First year


Sessions 1 and 2 - 12 Hours


Sessions 3 and 4 - 12 Hours


Second year


Sessions 5 and 6 - 12 Hours


Sessions 7 and 8 - 12 Hours


Third year


Fall - 6 Hours


Spring - 6 Hours


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