Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Biblical Studies
Overview
Practical Research For the Church
Our PhD in Biblical Studies is offered as a standard program and with emphases available in biblical theology, New Testament, and Old Testament. This advanced degree is intended primarily to equip graduates for vocations of teaching and research in theological schools, colleges, and universities as well as for the scholarly enhancement of ministry practice.
Available: Residential & Modular
52
Credit hours
10
Seminars
4-5
Years to complete
$3,475
Per semester
Biblical Studies
At a Glance
Discover the PhD in Biblical Studies at Midwestern Seminary.
The Midwestern PhD
Explore the PhD in Biblical Studies at Midwestern, including curriculum, concentrations, and FAQs.
Doctoral Core
- DR00000 Doctoral Orientation1
- DR30020 Doctoral Studies Colloquium
- DR35090 Advanced Biblical Hermeneutics
- DR34080 Teaching Principles and Methods in Higher Education
- DR30090 Dissertation Seminar
PHD, Biblical Studies Seminars (24 HRS)
See course outlines by emphasis to the right.
Comprehensive Examinations (4 hrs total)
- DR39055 PhD Comprehensive Research
- DR39060 PhD Comprehensive Exam
Dissertation2 (8 hrs total)
- DR40980 PhD Ongoing Research (1–8 hrs)
- DR40990 Dissertation – PhD (0–8 hrs)
Total Credit Hours (52 hrs)
1 Upon admission, the student will be enrolled in DR00000, Doctoral Orientation, for 0 credit hours.
2 After meeting all the requirements, the student will be enrolled in DR40980 PhD Dissertation – Ongoing Research for 2 credit hours each semester until the dissertation is completed. When the student is ready for the dissertation defense, the student will be enrolled in DR40990 PhD Dissertation for the remaining hours in order to receive a total of 8 credit hours.
Standard
Doctoral Core (16 hrs)
Standard Emphasis (24 hrs)
- DR35110 Advanced Hebrew Grammar (4 hrs)
- DR35150 Advanced Greek Grammar (4 hrs)
- Two seminars from the OT emphasis and two seminars from the NT emphasis (16 hrs):
- 35510 Pentateuch
- 35520 Historical Books
- 35530 Prophetic Books
- 35540 Poetic & Wisdom Books
- 35600 Ancient Jewish & Greco–Roman Literature
- 35610 Synoptic Gospels and Acts
- 35620 Johannine Literature
- 35630 Pauline Epistles
- 35640 General Epistles
- 37340 Advanced Biblical Theology
Comprehensive Examinations (4 hrs)
Dissertation (8 hrs)
Total Credit Hours (52 hrs)
Old Testament
Doctoral Core (16 hrs)
Old Testament Emphasis (24 hrs)
- DR35110 Advanced Hebrew Grammar (4 hrs)
- DR35510 Pentateuch (4 hrs)
- DR35520 Historical Books (4 hrs)
- DR35530 Prophetic Books (4 hrs)
- DR35540 Poetic & Wisdom Books (4 hrs)
- Select Elective (4 hrs):
- 35600 Ancient Jewish & Greco–Roman Literature
- 36250 Preaching from the Old Testament
- 37340 Advanced Biblical Theology
- 37350 Old Testament Theology
Comprehensive Examinations (4 hrs)
Dissertation (8 hrs)
Total Credit Hours (52 hrs)
New Testament
Doctoral Core (16 hrs)
New Testament Emphasis (24 hrs)
- DR35150 Advanced Greek Grammar (4 hrs)
- DR35610 Synoptic Gospels and Acts (4 hrs)
- DR35620 Johannine Literature (4 hrs)
- DR35630 Pauline Epistles (4 hrs)
- DR35640 General Epistles (4 hrs)
- Selected Elective (4 hrs)
- 35600 Ancient Jewish & Greco–Roman Literature
- 36260 Preaching from the New Testament
- 37340 Advanced Biblical Theology
- 37360 New Testament Theology
Comprehensive Examinations (4 hrs)
Dissertation (8 hrs)
Total Credit Hours (52 hrs)
Biblical Theology
Doctoral Core (16 hrs)
Biblical Theology Emphasis (24 hrs)
- DR35600 Ancient Jewish & Greco–Roman Literature (4 hrs)
- DR37350 Old Testament Theology (4 hrs)
- DR37360 New Testament Theology (4 hrs)
- DR37340 Advanced Biblical Theology (4 hrs)
- Selected Elective (from Old Testament) (4 hrs)
- 35110 Advanced Hebrew Grammar
- 35510 Pentateuch
- 35520 Historical Books
- 35530 Prophetic Books
- 35540 Poetic & Wisdom Books
- Selected Elective (from New Testament) (4 hrs)
- 35150 Advanced Greek Grammar
- 35610 Synoptic Gospels and Acts
- 35620 Johannine Literature
- 35630 Pauline Epistles
- 35640 General Epistles
Comprehensive Examinations (4 hrs)
Dissertation (8 hrs)
Total Credit Hours (52 hrs)
Admission Requirements
Make sure you have everything you need to start your PhD at Midwestern.
- Hold an earned (a) ATS accredited Master of Divinity degree or (b) a master’s degree in a theological or related discipline from an accredited institution.
- Have a 3.0 grade point average or above on a 4.0 scale for all graduate-level studies.
- Demonstrate foundational competency in biblical hermeneutics/interpretation, normally to be satisfied by taking a graduate-level hermeneutics.
- Demonstrate graduate-level competency in biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek, usually satisfied by six hours of coursework, per each language, completed at the graduate level, with increases applied in the case of New Testament (12 Greek/6 Hebrew), Old Testament (6 Greek/12 Hebrew), and the standard Biblical Studies (12 Greek/12 Hebrew)
- Demonstrate graduate-level competency in historical and systematic theology, usually satisfied by graduate-level coursework taken in these fields.
- Standard Biblical Studies requires 12 hours Greek, 12 hours Hebrew & a research language of either French or German
- Biblical Theology requires 6 hours Greek, 6 hours Hebrew & a research language of either French or German
- New Testament requires 12 hours of Greek, 6 hours of Hebrew & a research language of either French or German
- Old Testament requires 6 hours of Greek, 12 hours of Hebrew & a research language of either French or German
International applicants must also submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination. For the internet-based test (iBT), a minimum total score of 80 is required with a minimum of 20 on each of the Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing sub-sections. Other forms of the TOEFL exam are not accepted unless prior approval is obtained from the Doctoral Academic Policies Committee. Applicants not meeting all admission requirements may petition to enter the program under provisional status. For information about this process please contact the Doctoral Studies Office (877-414-3755 or [email protected]).
Each doctoral program is designed to follow a particular type of master’s degree, but exceptions are available. To have your transcripts evaluated for the degree you are interested in, simply submit your file to the doctoral office. Typically, the program choices are as follows:
- DMin follows an MDiv or equivalent.
- “DEdMin and EdD follow.
- PhD follows a ” theological Master of Arts degree of 52 or more semester hours duration.
The doctoral seminars involve five-day intensive seminars. Generally, students take two or three seminars per year. Most seminars are held on the MBTS campus and require significant pre-seminar and post-seminar research and writing. The DMin, DEdMin and EdD programs also utilize online courses. Typical coursework for any seminar includes (but is not limited to) 500–800 pages of reading per credit hour, interviews/outlines/ projects, research papers and a comprehensive closing paper. Each seminar is designed to point students toward the end goal of a dissertation.
Yes, as this is another degree program, a new application will be required. The doctoral office will waive the application fee and secure transcripts from the student’s previous study at MBTS. However, if the applicant has completed transcripted study at another institution since graduation from MBTS, official copies of transcripts from that institution will be required.
Our doctoral programs are open enrollment, which means applications are received and reviewed monthly. The orientation course, Doctoral Colloquium, is offered at least three times per year to accommodate a timely start to your studies.
Program Outcomes
Students graduating from the Doctor of Philosophy, Biblical Studies program will be able to do the following:
- Master a discernible field of study in the area of biblical studies.
- Demonstrate advanced skill in scholarly research and evaluation.
- Demonstrate advanced skill in writing and theological instruction.
- Exercise the liberty to develop and defend a research dissertation in biblical studies.
