Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Applied Theology

Midwestern offers a PhD in Applied Theology, with available emphases in Apologetics, Biblical Counseling, Biblical Spirituality, Ecclesiology, Leadership, and Missiology. The PhD, Applied Theology is intended primarily to equip persons for vocations of teaching and research in theological schools, colleges, and universities or for the scholarly enhancement of ministerial practice.

Program Outcomes

Students graduating from the Doctor of Philosophy, Applied Theology program will be able to do the following:

1. Master a discernible field of study in the area of applied theology.
2. Demonstrate advanced skill in scholarly research and evaluation.
3. Demonstrate advanced skill in writing and theological instruction.
4. Exercise the liberty to develop and defend a research dissertation in applied theology.

Language Requirements

• Greek & Hebrew are not required.
• Students in Applied Theology would be able to satisfy the research language requirement either by (a) taking one of the standard research languages used in Biblical Studies or Theological Studies, (b) demonstrating competence in a language used currently in an international ministry setting, or (c) 34300 Applied Statistics [2 hrs].

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general criteria for admission to Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, applicants to PhD, Applied Theology degree programs must satisfy the following criteria:

1. Hold an earned (a) ATS accredited Master of Divinity degree or (b) a masters degree in a theological or related discipline from an accredited institution.
2. Have a 3.0 grade point average or above on a 4.0 scale for all graduate-level studies.
3. Demonstrate foundational competency in biblical hermeneutics/interpretation, normally to be satisfied by taking a graduate-level hermeneutics.

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 docstudies@mbts.edu).

Duration

The PhD, Applied Theology degree is a 52-hour program usually requiring four years or more of academic study.

Distinctive Resources

PhD, Applied Theology students have access to community life that provides formal and informal educational experiences, religious fellowship, and opportunity for reflection upon the meaning of faith in its relation to education and research. Access to faculty advisors/mentors, possible opportunity for teaching college and online courses, and preferred access to library resources is also provided.

FAQ

• Download Doctoral Handbook
• PhD Degree FAQ
• General Doctoral FAQ
• MATS/MTS to Doctoral
• Language FAQ