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Academic Catalog
   
    Dec 17, 2024  
Academic Catalog - Fall 2016 
    
Academic Catalog - Fall 2016 [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 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 sent to the Doctor of Education Office directly from each institution(s). Once these items are completed, they will be reviewed by the Director of the Ed.D. Program. If the applicant is approved by the Director to continue a full-application form will be sent.

Full Application Process

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

  • The application form and applicable non-refundable fee: new applicants $40, re-applicants $25. Checks should be made payable to SEBTS.
  • A church affirmation and recommendation form is to be filled out by the church of current membership.
  • 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.
  • Spouse’s Personal Statement
  • A printed autobiography, 2-3 pages in length. This autobiography should include information on ministerial experience and reasons for choosing Southeastern Seminary. Also, the applicant should discuss significant life events, such as marriage, physical and emotional illness, or divorce.
  • A brief personal statement should be included in the application that discusses his/her purpose and goals for acquiring an Ed.D.
  • Applicants must submit a 3-5 page paper on their personal philosophy of education.
  • Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores
  • TOEFL Test Scores
  • International Student Packet
  • 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 (This course may be taken after a student begins the program).
  • A master’s degree in education or related fields from other accredited institutions qualifies the student to make application. An applicant is expected to have earned a minimum 3.25 GPA from his/her last completed degree.
  • For those students who did not have biblical studies in their graduate program, a biblical core of 12 hours will be required prior to registration in the second year of the program. These leveling courses in biblical studies must be designated graduate level. We recommend the following: 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.

The Ed.D. Admission Committee will notify applicants of their admission status following its meeting the first week of May and the first week of December.

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


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 attend four one-week class session at Southeastern Seminary during fall break, spring break, a week in June (depending on the SBC Annual Meeting), and the first week in December.

Specialized Studies Courses
Students complete 6 hours of course work related to their area of academic interest. 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.

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. Preparation of the dissertation normally begins during the mentorship stage of the student’s program. 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.

Comprehensive Examinations
Comprehensive exams will consist of eight hours of written examinations following the completion of all course work and prior to advancing to candidacy.

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.

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

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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