Doctor of Philosophy, PhD

Pre-requisites for Admission

The following are the more common FAQs about the application process as well as some important details about admission into the program.

First, admission to the program is competitive. Therefore, any evaluation of application materials (like transcripts etc.) or suggestions related to a student’s application are not intended to be guarantees. They are recommendations from the Office of Ph.D. Studies concerning how to put forward a compelling application for the Ph.D. Committee. 

Ultimately, it is the student’s responsibility to distinguish themselves in the following areas:

• Approved Master of Divinity degree or research Master of Arts degree in the same field in which one wishes to pursue doctoral studies as long as that degree and its prerequisites meet M.Div. equivalence. Typically, SEBTS research masters degrees meet this requirement.
• G.P.A. (3.5 and above)
• Writing sample (4-6k words including footnotes)
• References
• Major Professor Evaluation
• Graduate coursework (strength of your core courses and specialization in the area being pursued)
• Personal statement
• Other required items 

Second, the Office of Ph.D. Studies will give preference to those applicants who show proficiency in our M.Div. Equivalency Core which consists of: 

* Biblical language expectations depend on the applicants given Area of Study.

** Applicants must have studied the Patristic, Medieval, Reformation and Modern eras.

*** Baptist History is required for applicants pursuing Historical Theology.

Third, the Ph.D. Committee looks favorably on those applicants who demonstrate a specialization in their desired field of study. You are not just fulfilling standards set by our institution, you are also contending against the other applicants in your field. It is the student’s responsibility to establish through the various application elements that they are prepared for the rigors of the Ph.D. In addition to our recommendations above, in some cases an applicant’s (potential) major professor may be available to discuss the particulars of their application.

Finally, the Ph.D. Committee considers the whole of one’s application and every application will be given the same degree of attention, though each student will be evaluated in light of the total applicant pool competing for admission into the program. The Office of Ph.D. Studies does not provide specific steps for applicants who wish to strengthen their application. Nor will the Office of Ph.D. Studies reveal information relative to the current applicant pool.    

Application Elements

Interested applicants may visit our website and apply through our online application http://www.sebts.edu

Application materials that must be mailed can be sent to the following address:

Office of Ph.D. Studies
SEBTS: Carson Hall 204
P.O. Box 1889
244 N. Wingate Street
Wake Forest, NC 27588-1889

The Office of Ph.D. Studies may be reached by phone at 919-761-2415 or you may e-mail phd@sebts.edu

Specific information concerning scholarships that are available may be found on Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s website (http://www.sebts.edu) by clicking on the “Admissions & Aid” tab and clicking on “Financial Aid and Student Resources”. Please note that most scholarships are intended for students at the master’s level and not for those seeking to pursue their doctorate.

For explanation or clarification concerning the status of one’s application or concerning any aspect of the Ph.D. admissions process, the applicant should consult the Office of Ph.D. Studies. Questions regarding program requirements can be sent directly to phd@sebts.edu. For a more complete explanation of requirements and guidelines relating to the Ph.D. program, the current Ph.D. Student Handbook may be requested. The application process may be terminated at any time by either the applicant or by the Director.

Program Elements

A student who graduates from the Ph.D. program at Southeastern will have accomplished the following objectives:

1. Proficiency in research and writing
2. Understanding of the philosophy and methods of teaching at college and seminary levels
3. Breadth of knowledge of the literature in the student’s major area of study
4. Depth of knowledge and skill in the student’s concentration
5. Reading proficiency in at least two research languages
6. Ability to think across traditional disciplinary boundaries

The Ph.D. program is accordingly comprised of the following elements:

FOUNDATIONS STAGE (25 HOURS)

PhD Program Orientation - PHD 9100 (1 hour)  - Students receive an overview of the Doctor of Philosophy program. The workshop consists of guidance through the program specifications, an introduction to the various support components of the program, preparation for the rigors of doctoral work, and an orientation to the program. This orientation will help students navigate the logistics of the program, as well as help them plan for greater success in the program. This workshop must be taken prior to the student’s first seminar.

Introduction to Research & Writing - PHD 9101 (3 hour)  - This is the foundational seminar for all incoming PhD students and is designed to provide a theological and spiritual framework for scholarship. The seminar is chaired by the Director of PhD and ThM Studies and taught alongside other professors. The seminar provides a systematic introduction to academic research and writing, with an emphasis on capturing ideas, assessing scholarship critically, formulating arguments, and writing in an academic environment for an academic audience. During the seminar, attention will be given to seminar papers, critical book reviews, formulating a prospectus, and writing a dissertation. This seminar is taken in the beginning of the student’s first academic year and meets via Microsoft Teams through the semester and for one weekend on campus.

Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response Training - GEN 0000 (0 hour)  - Students will be required to complete the free online course on sexual abuse prevention and response while earning their advanced degree. The mandatory training course provides an overview of practical strategies for preventing and responding to sexual abuse and clarifies biblical and theological foundations for caring well for survivors of abuse. Students in the course receive a biblical and theological foundation for protecting the vulnerable as well as instruction on how to recognize vulnerabilities in ministry. The course is designed not only to inform students about proper responses to sexual abuse, but also about prevention and creating a culture of prevention and open communication. Instructors will also address implementing protective policies and reporting processes, understanding legal obligations, and navigating spiritual and interpersonal challenges relevant to sexual abuse. This course is typically offered in the Fall and Spring terms.

Seminars (4 seminars during this stage for a total of 16 hours) - Each doctoral seminar is a four-credit hour course, covering a designated field of study, and is directed by a member of the faculty who assigns and evaluates student work and participation. Seminars are offered in a variety of delivery methods. Doctoral seminars are designed to engage advanced scholarship in particular disciplines. As such, these seminars are tooled towards the highest academic rigor. Students should be prepared to read as much as 4,000-5,000 pages of reading per 4-credit hour seminar. Seminar papers remain a regular feature in doctoral seminars, although other assignments are also often assigned to complete.

Please note that the curriculum requirements vary for each Area of Study/Concentration. Students should consult the Academic Catalog for their particular seminar requirements determined for their term of entry.

Integrative Colloquia: CQM 9010 Integrative Colloquium I (2 hours)  & CQM 9020 Integrative Colloquium II (2 hours)  - The PhD Integrative Colloquia series seeks to develop students into well-rounded scholars who are aware of important developments in theological disciplines outside of their areas of specialization. The course is designed to allow students to:

1. Demonstrate a general knowledge of some current conversations in the various areas of study.
2. Critically assess the current conversations in the various areas of studies on the grounds of argumentation and biblical fidelity.
3. Engage in cross-disciplinary discussion in a manner which reflects a commitment to academic discourse.
4. Integrate material gleaned from other areas of study into their own discipline.
5. Attend colloquia and apply scholarly practice of attending formal scholarly presentations and discussion.

Students are required to participate in colloquial events. The series consists of two, two-credit hour courses for a total of 4-credit hours. For students unable to attend in person, the colloquial events will be recorded and posted on the CampusNet course page. During the course, students will also interact with recent works of scholarship, attend or view online the panel discussions, participate in online threaded discussions, and integrate material gleaned in the conversation into their own discipline.

The Fall CQM 9010 - Integrative Colloquium I  will always be repeated in the following Winter term. The Spring CQM 9020 - Integrative Colloquium II  will always be repeated in the following Summer term. CQM 9010 - Integrative Colloquium I  is more specific within your Area of Study. CQM 9020 - Integrative Colloquium II  is broad and will cover all three Areas of Study (Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, Applied Theological Studies). Students will be required to have both Integrative Colloquium I  & Integrative Colloquium II  appear on their transcript.

ThM Portfolio - THM 8600 (1 hour)  - A capstone course to earning the ThM along the way while pursuing the PhD. Students produce a portfolio integrating the material from their four PhD seminars into their ministry context. The context can be local church ministry or cross-cultural missions.

To accomplish this, students will

1. assess the material from their PhD seminars for integration into ministry. 
2. demonstrate the integration of a theological education into ministry.
3. synthesize the scholarship from the seminars in their program into a portfolio for future ministry.

ADVANCED STAGE (27 HOURS)

Introduction to Teaching in Higher Education - PHD 9102 (3 hour)  - Introduction to Teaching in Higher Education is a course designed to give students a systematic introduction to philosophies and methods of college and seminary teaching, as well as insight into what life is like as a teaching scholar in higher education. In addition, this seminar will include a discussion of best practices used in distance learning classrooms. The class meets in the intensive format for one week and is should be taken during the advanced stage of the program.

Seminars (4 seminars during this stage for a total of 16 hours) - Each doctoral seminar is a four-credit hour course, covering a designated field of study, and is directed by a member of the faculty who assigns and evaluates student work and participation. Seminars are offered in a variety of delivery methods. Doctoral seminars are designed to engage advanced scholarship in particular disciplines. As such, these seminars are tooled towards the highest academic rigor. Students should be prepared to read as much as 4,000-5,000 pages of reading per 4-credit hour seminar. Seminar papers remain a regular feature in doctoral seminars, although other assignments are also often assigned as part of the seminar to complete.

Please note that the curriculum requirements vary for each Area of Study/Concentration. Students should consult the SEBTS Academic Catalog for their particular seminar requirements determined for their term of entry.

Specialized PhD Research - IND 9400 (4 hour)  

• This optional course is taken under the guidance of a professor at another accredited institution who has special expertise in the student’s area of study. If this option is chosen, then typically an Independent Study is taken as one of the last seminars needed (either the 7^th or 8^th core seminar).
• Arrangements for this course are made in correspondence with and under the supervision of the Office of PhD and ThM Studies. An Independent Study course may only be taken once for credit in place of a doctoral seminar. The course may not be taken in place of a required doctoral seminar but may take the place of an elective doctoral seminar. 
• The student will create the syllabus which must be approved by the external professor who will be directing the study, as well as by the Director of PhD and ThM Studies. The amount of work for the four-credit hour course is normally more than that required in a four-credit hour seminar to compensate for the lack of an in-class component. 
  • There is a template syllabus that can be obtained from the Office of PhD and ThM Studies. Please note that the course requirements reflected on the syllabus template (i.e. a minimum of 2000 pages of reading and a 40-45 page chapter length research paper) must also be met on the syllabus submitted to the Office of PhD and ThM Studies to approve. Again, this is because of the lack of an in-class component.
• Once the Independent Study has been approved, it is the responsibility of the Office of PhD and ThM Studies to contact the Registrar’s Office and manually have the student registered for IND 9400 .
• At the end of the course, the external professor must submit an evaluation of the student’s work along with a letter grade for the Independent Study. It is again the responsibility of the Office of PhD and ThM Studies to contact the Registrar’s Office and manually have the student’s grade posted for IND 9400 .
• The Independent Study should be completed in the semester in which the student is registered for the course.

Mentorship: Mentor Directed Studies I - PHD 9501 (3 hour)  & Mentor Directed Studies II - PHD 9502 (3 hour)  - The PhD program includes a year-long mentorship which is essentially a focused series of interactive academic meetings including personal tutoring in the field by the student’s Major Professor. Mentorship 1 and 2, together, are considered to be equivalent to 6 total hours of doctoral work and typically taken either during the last two semesters of planned coursework or in some instances taken after all coursework has been completed.

Mentorship is designed to serve five program-related interests:

1. Develop Mastery of the Student’s PhD Concentration: The Major Professor guides the student in developing a comprehensive knowledge of and critical interaction with the primary and secondary sources in the student’s concentration by reading representative and significant works.
2. Comprehensive Examination: The Major Professor guides the student in deepening knowledge in the student’s concentration to be tested on the comprehensive examination. In the case of a student concentrating in the Old Testament or New Testament, the Mentorship may involve advanced language study under the direction of the Major Professor.
3. Introduction to the Ministry of Teaching: The Major Professor guides the student in the preparation and delivery of a lecture to at least one of the classes, campus or online/hybrid, being taught by the Major Professor each semester of the mentorship. Following the lecture, the professor and student should meet to evaluate the student’s lecture and delivery. The Major Professor should complete the evaluation form (PHD9502.TE) and return it to the PhD Office. This requirement should be completed as a component of Mentorship 2.
4. Foster a Commitment to Research in Theological Scholarship: Students will demonstrate commitment to the vocation of research in theological scholarship by submitting research for publication or submitting a proposal to present a paper at an academic society meeting. The Major Professor will evaluate the paper or proposal and supervise in necessary revisions before submission and write a recommendation for consideration to the publisher or academic society. This requirement should be completed as a component of Mentorship 1 and verified by completing form PHD9501.CTS.
5. Dissertation Prospectus: The Major Professor guides the student in reading in an area or areas that may lead to a dissertation, in choosing an appropriate topic for a dissertation, and in the preparation of a rough draft of the dissertation prospectus to be completed by the end of the second semester of the mentorship. 

Research Languages (0 hours) - Research languages are tools which equip the student to engage in the global conversation in the student’s field of research. All PhD students are required to demonstrate reading proficiency in at least one modern research language, and possibly two depending on the student’s Area of Study and research interests. Typically, this entails the study of either German, French, Latin, Spanish, Attic Greek, Logic or Statistics. There are rare instances however when another language may be considered acceptable. For example, if a student’s dissertation warrants knowledge of the language where he/she is serving overseas and will be utilized in the dissertation, then if proof of proficiency for that language is provided, the Office of PhD and ThM Studies may also accept use of this language. Proficiency in the first research language should be taken earlier in the program. If a specific Area of Study and/or Concentration requires additional languages where a student’s dissertation research warrants such knowledge, then the second language must be completed before the student sits for his/her comprehensive exams. 

Research languages do not count toward seminar credit but are necessary to proceed in the PhD program. 

The seminary offers campus and/or online classes in German, French, Latin, Spanish, Attic Greek, Logic and Statistics, which are designed to help the student prepare for the language proficiency exams. These courses will be offered yearly. The final examination for these courses counts as the proficiency examination, and a passing grade on the final examination means that the student has demonstrated adequate proficiency in that language. There is also the opportunity for students to study a research language that is offered at SEBTS on their own and then test to demonstrate they have achieved the required level of proficiency. 

Comprehensive Exams - PHD 9800 (2 hour)  - Each student must pass a written and oral comprehensive examination in his/her Area of Study/Concentration. This exam is to be taken following the successful completion of all course and language requirements and prior to the submission of the prospectus. Passing these exams qualifies the student for doctoral candidacy. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of PhD and ThM Studies the semester prior to taking the comprehensive exams to learn additional logistical details about the exams and to track their progress in the program to confirm that all requirements have been met.

CANDIDATE STAGE (8 hours)

PhD Prospectus - PHD 9850 (1 hour)  - Preparation of the prospectus for the dissertation normally begins during Mentorship 2 of the program. Submission of the prospectus occurs however, following the successful completion of both the written and oral comprehensive exams.

The prospectus must include the following:

1. A proposed title.
2. A proposed thesis statement or research question.
3. A demonstration of the importance and relevance of the topic, showing that the dissertation will make a unique and original contribution to the academic field of study. This section of the prospectus should identify the databases and search terms utilized to ensure that the dissertation does not duplicate the research efforts of others.
4. An explanation and defense of the research methodology to be employed.
5. A demonstration that the resources necessary to complete the dissertation are available to the candidate.
6. A chapter-by-chapter detailed, analytical outline (including subheadings).
7. A chapter-by-chapter summary of the anticipated contents of the dissertation.
8. An extensive bibliography of relevant sources that includes foreign language work.

PhD Dissertation - PHD 9900 (6 hours total; 2 hours per dissertation block)  - Production of a dissertation, approximately 60,000 to 80,000 words in length (not including footnotes), which makes an original contribution to the candidate’s academic field, takes place during the final stage of the PhD program. Each dissertation must be crafted as an acceptable piece of focused research. Its value should be recognizable across denominational, political, and even religious lines. SEBTS dissertations are expected to meet the highest standards of academic excellence.

PhD Dissertation Defense - PHD 9950 (1 hour)   - Students must submit their dissertation by September 1^st to graduate in the Fall term or by February 1st to graduate in the Spring term. A dissertation that is submitted must be approved by the Major Professor initially, then second by another faculty reader, and then thirdly by an external reader. The oral defense occurs after the evaluation has been performed by all three members of the committee. All three readers of the dissertation committee have an equal vote and determine whether the dissertation has passed.     

General Information

Seminars from other research-based doctoral programs may be considered for transfer into the program. In order to transfer credits from another institution, the applicant must complete the application process and be accepted into PhD Studies at SEBTS. After acceptance, requests made in writing to the Office of PhD Studies will be considered.

PhD students can transfer up to four seminars completed during their ThM into the PhD program. Only seminars which fit within the student’s PhD curriculum will be eligible for transfer.

Courses taken in the EdD or DMin programs are not transferable into the PhD program, even if the student did not complete the EdD or DMin degree.

Students in the Ph.D. program must earn a grade of “B-” or above in any graded course to receive credit for any graded element in the Ph.D. program.  Students receiving a grade of C+ or lower will not be given credit.  One grade of C+ or lower will result in an automatic review of the student’s program by the Director of Ph.D. Studies and will lead to a student being put on academic probation. A second grade of C+ or below may result in the student being dropped from the program. 

Admissions decisions are normally made within 6-8 weeks following the entrance examination. An initial enrollment fee is due within 30 days after receipt of the acceptance letter to confirm one’s entrance into the program.

Applicants who are not accepted into the program may reapply no earlier than one year after their last application. Applicants who are twice unsuccessful must make a new, updated application including a statement of any and all special circumstances that would have significantly enhanced the applicant’s qualifications to be considered in a later admission cycle.

For explanation or clarification concerning the status of one’s application or concerning any aspect of the Ph.D. admissions process the applicant should consult the Office of Ph.D. Studies. Questions regarding program requirements should be directed to the assistant to the director. For a more complete explanation of requirements and guidelines relating to the Ph.D. program, the current Ph.D. Student Handbook may be consulted and may be obtained by contacting the PhD office.

PhD Program of Study

Foundations Stage - 25 Hours

• PHD 9100 - PhD Program Orientation 1 credit hour(s).
• PHD 9101 - Introduction to Research and Writing 3 credit hour(s).
• GEN 0000 - Sexual Abuse Prevention & Response Training 0 credit hour(s).
• CQM 9010 - Integrative Colloquium I 2 credit hour(s).
• CQM 9020 - Integrative Colloquium II 2 credit hour(s).
• Foundations Stage Seminars: Select four seminars from the PhD specialization’s prescribed seminars. 16 semester hrs.
• First Research Language 0 semester hrs.
• THM 8600 - Th.M. Portfolio 1 credit hour(s).

Advanced Stage - 27 Hours

• PHD 9102 - Introduction to Teaching in Higher Education 3 credit hour(s).
• Advanced Stage Seminars: Select four seminars from the PhD specialization’s prescribed seminars. 16 semester hrs.
• PHD 9501 - Mentor Directed Studies I 3 credit hour(s).
• PHD 9502 - Mentor Directed Studies II 3 credit hour(s).
• Second Research Language 0 semester hrs.
• PHD 9800 - Written & Oral Comprehensive Exams 2 credit hour(s).

Candidate Stage - 8 Hours

• PHD 9850 - PHD Prospectus 1 credit hour(s).
• PHD 9900 - PHD Dissertation 2 credit hour(s). Students must register for three dissertation blocks for a total of 6 hours.
• PHD 9950 - PHD Dissertation Defense 1 credit hour(s).

Total Hours - 60