The Residency
Midwestern Seminary’s Residential PhD Program.
The Residency provides students the freedom to pursue their PhD as a part of Midwestern Seminary’s vibrant academic community in Kansas City, Missouri.
What is the PhD Residency?
Don’t just study theology; live it. In the Residency, PhD students live within the academic community, so that what you learn in seminar gets applied in real ministry settings and mentorship.
The Residency blends the best of two doctoral traditions: the independent, research-driven rigor of the American PhD and the close faculty mentorship of the traditional UK doctoral model. You’ll pursue your own advanced theological research, but you’ll be backed by a cohort of cross-discipline scholars, regular engagement with faculty and theological leaders, and the daily rhythm of life on Midwestern’s campus. It’s a doctoral path built for one purpose: preparing you to serve the church through the academy.
Mentorship
The Residency is the residential track for a theological PhD program. Residency students take the same seminars as non-residential PhD students with no additional tuition expenses. However, the Residency adds benefits that a non-residential track can't offer, such as regular, personal interaction with
- faculty administration
- theological and pastoral leaders, and
- fellow students.
It's rigorous doctoral work inside a campus culture, and it's built to be both academically demanding and spiritually enriching.
Community
Students engage in weekly forums for a minimum of four semesters. During this time, they will meet with the President and Provost and key faculty members for academic coaching and oversight you won't find in a typical PhD program. After those first four semesters, Residency students mentor new incoming PhD students.
Experience
The Residency also prepares you for the parts of academic life a PhD alone doesn't teach. You'll gain leadership, administration, and classroom skills that make a strong professor, not just a strong scholar. When you complete The Residency, you'll earn the Graduate Certificate in Theological Higher Education (GCTHE), a credential that signals to hiring committees you're ready to teach at the highest level. Combined with Midwestern Seminary's strong track record of placing doctoral graduates into teaching positions, The Residency is built to help you land the job, not just finish the degree.
Doctoral Fellowship
Fund Your Doctorate Through Service
Qualified PhD students can apply to become a Doctoral Fellow — working alongside a professor or department for 10 hours a week while receiving the SBC tuition rate each semester they serve.
Prerequisites
Program Requirements
In addition to meeting current standards, prospective students must:
- Hold an accredited M.Div or M.Div equivalency of at least 72 or more credit hours in duration
- 6 completed hours of both Greek and Hebrew
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.4
- Secure two faculty recommendations (internal or external to MBTS)
- Undergo a substantive interview with an MBTS faculty member
- Relocate to Kansas City
The Residency Director may consider exceptions to these requirements on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Residency office if you have questions about your eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Residency students complete the exact same credit-hour requirements as students on the regular PhD modular track. The Residency adds mentorship and community, not extra coursework.
Yes, and in fact, we’d encourage you to seek out any ministry role your studies would allow. Midwestern Seminary’s mission is to train servants For The Church, and active ministry alongside your studies only deepens your doctoral work as you prepare to serve churches through the academy.
Yes; relocation to Kansas City is required because The Residency’s mentorship and community model only works if you’re physically present on campus.
Yes. You’re welcome to apply for Midwestern Seminary campus housing. Plenty of residency students also choose from the many safe, affordable housing options near campus and throughout the Kansas City metro area, close to local churches, shopping, and dining.
The Graduate Certificate in Theological Higher Education (GCTHE) is a 12-hour certificate you earn as a result of your time in the Residency PhD. It signals to academic employers that you’re trained to teach and that you’ve gained:
- Real classroom experience in lecturing and grading
- Administrative preparation
- Guided experience in academic writing and publishing
Have more questions about the Residency? Reach out to [email protected].
