Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Theological Studies

Midwestern offers a PhD in Theological Studies, with available emphases in Ethics, Historical Theology, Preaching, and Systematic Theology. The PhD, Theological Studies is intended primarily to equip persons for vocations of teaching and research in theological schools, colleges, and universities, as well as for the scholarly enhancement of ministerial practice.

Program Outcomes

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

1. Master a discernible field of study in the area of theological studies.
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 theological studies.

Language Requirements

• Ethics requires 6 hours Greek, 6 hours Hebrew & a research language of either French, German or Latin
• Historical Theology requires 6 hours Greek, 6 hours Hebrew & a research language of either French, German or Latin
• Preaching requires 6 hours Greek, 6 hours Hebrew & a research language of either French, German or Latin
• Systematic Theology requires 6 hours Greek, 6 hours Hebrew & a research language of either French, German or Latin

Admission Requirements

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

1. 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.
2. Have a 3.0 grade point average or above on a 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.
4. Demonstrate graduate-level competency in biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek, usually satisfied by six hours of coursework, per each language, completed at the graduate.
5. Demonstrate graduate-level competency in historical and systematic theology, usually satisfied by graduate-level coursework taken in these fields.

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, Theological Studies degree is a 52-hour program usually requiring four years or more of academic study.

Distinctive Resources

PhD, Theological Studies 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