Comments on: Some Thoughts on Doctoral Programs at Evangelical Schools

By: Thorsten Moritz

Thorsten Moritz — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:12:49 +0000

Just for info, there is also this (three years, British, but with no relocation to the UK needed – also offers a research-based MTh, one year):

http://web.me.com/tmoritz

By: Greg Carey

Greg Carey — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:09:45 +0000

As a Southern alum, from before the fundamentalist takeover, I can recognize the name power within the faculty. But when a school defines its ethos so incredibly narrowly, you have to know that degree will carry a punch only within a narrow range. Now that I teach at a mainline ecumenical school, I can tell you that a Fuller degree might win attention (with some perhaps unfair prejudice), we wouldn’t really know how to evaluate Wheaton (in theology or history, perhaps we’d be interested), but an SBC degree wouldn’t get a second look.

By: Brandon Wason

Brandon Wason — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:35:07 +0000

Michael, thanks for the note about DTS. They have a strong reputation for being rigorous, especially in the languages category, and a PhD from DTS in certain circles (e.g., dispensationalist circles) is the most coveted degrees around. In think your points about funding and job placement are spot on.

By: Brandon Wason

Brandon Wason — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:30:24 +0000

Thanks for the comments about the Baptist schools, Cel. Your post just reminded me that I forgot to mention McMaster Divinity College, aka MacDiv. They obviously fit into this category as “Canada’s Evangelical University-Based Seminary.” First the divinity school and the department of religion are separate programs with different scholars, so keep that in mind. The divinity school offers a PhD program that competes with the good evangelical schools, and I know of at least one student who has been very successful in their program. Their NT faculty includes Stanley E. Porter and Cynthia Long Westfall. I’m not exactly sure how they are about funding and living in Canada might pose other problems for US students, yet students wishing to attend an evangelical school will want to consider their program.

By: Michael Whitenton

Michael Whitenton — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:55:33 +0000

Interesting discussion, Brandon. Thanks for this. Though I have come to feel that it’s not a good fit for me, DTS’s doctoral program is exceptionally rigorous. I’ve perused the syllabi for many of the NT classes and have been impressed with the level of work that it required of students. The two major problem at DTS (if one doesn’t mind their conservative persuasion) is funding and job placement.

Funding – Because DTS is committed to missions and the training of international students, most of their funds go to international students in their signature degree program, the Master of Theology (ThM). Almost all funding given at DTS is need based and barely livable at that. In my view, this damages the quality of their doctoral program because students who are qualified enough to go to a program that will pay for tuition and offer a living stipend with inevitably go where they can get paid.

Job placement – First, let me say that I haven’t seen any figures, but my understanding is that a DTS PhD will likely land you a job at another conservative seminary, or more likely, a bible college (Cedarville has a few DTS grads). Anything beyond that will usually want a Ph.D. from a more universally respected program. Conversely, if you have aspirations of teaching at a conservative seminary, you may not want to go to a secular university. I have been told that sometimes more conservative schools are gun-shy at hiring someone from a university because they are concerned about their orthodoxy (to put things bluntly). So, I guess the “job placement” factor is only a negative depending on one’s career goals.

That’s my two cents.

Thanks again, Brandon!

By: Celucien Joseph

Celucien Joseph — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:25:27 +0000

At Southern seminary, there you have Seifrid and Schreiner, both are renown Pauline scholars, and Brian Vickers a rising star. Robert Stein has retired several years ago but I believe he still teaches one doctoral seminar per seminar (?). The doctoral program at any sbc schools are unbelievably reasonable and inexpensive. I think the tuition and fees are about $ 2,4000 annually for sbc students. The GRE is not really a big issue at Southern or Southeatern where Andreas Kostenberger (Johannine specialist) and Dave Black (Greek scholar) teach.

As far for criteria, location is not really a big deal for me. But I do consider other few factors: (1) The quality of scholarship produced by each school (2) Faculty publication is essential, (3)The tuition and fees.

At any rate, If were to choose an evangelical school to pursue PhD studies it would have to be first Fuller to work on John with Marianne Thompson; second, Southeastern to work with Kostenberger; third, Southern (my alma mater) to work with Schreiner (Interestingly, Schreiner has supervised several students with an interest in the Fourth Gospel. Jim Hamilton of “For His Renown” blog wrote his dissertation on John under Schreiner’s supervision) . I must also point out that the SBC schools, for example, provide few fellowships (perhaps 2 or 3 per year) for PhD students.

By: Brandon Wason

Brandon Wason — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:12:30 +0000

Thanks OI for the comments about Fuller. I do hope they are able to get some good packages together to compete better with Baylor and Wheaton.

By: Brandon Wason

Brandon Wason — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:10:47 +0000

I’m really intrigued by how they cram all the coursework, comps, and dissertation into three years. Is it normal for their graduates to complete the degree in this amount of time? I wonder what type of changes they make to the requirements to make it shorter.