Information regarding the Doctor of Philosophy Degree for the School of Evangelism and Missions which follows is an overview of the basic structure and requirements for completing the degree. Students enrolled in the program follow the current Doctor of Philosophy Degree Handbook, which is provided by the Office of the Associate Dean for Doctoral Programs.
The Ph.D. program prepares persons of exceptional ability and promise to serve as teachers in specialized areas of theology; pastors; chaplains; or denominational leaders in positions such as administrators, editors, authors, in the United States or abroad. Presupposing a general education, the Ph.D. program emphasizes the attainment of expertise in the major, quality research, the development of critical evaluative skills, and significant contribution to the student’s field. Requiring competence in both biblical and non-biblical languages, the program also provides instruction in principles of research and in pedagogy. Doctoral study presupposes a high degree of originality, independence, analytical research, judgment, and skill in articulating findings.
Applicants must hold a bachelors degree from an accredited college or university and a masters degree in biblical and theological studies from a regionally accredited college, university, or seminary. Suitable degrees are listed below.
Acceptable degrees for entrance into the Ph.D. program include the Master of Theology (Th.M.) and the Master of Divinity (M.Div.). The Master of Arts in Theology (M.A.Th.) may be acceptable for some majors depending on the overall content of the degree curriculum in relationship to the desired area of study. All applicants to the program must have attained exegetical competence in Biblical Hebrew and Greek.
Applicants must have completed elective work in their desired field of study beyond the introductory courses required in a standard M.Div. degree. Each applicant’s portfolio will be evaluated by a potential faculty supervisor. Admission decisions rest totally on the strength of the complete portfolio. Those deemed insufficiently prepared will be denied admission. Some may be admitted conditionally on the completion of leveling work prior to matriculation in the program.
Application for admission to the Ph.D. program is made through the Ph.D. Office. Applicants must submit the following:
Applicants from institutions outside the United States must submit their transcripts to the World Education Services, P.O. Box 745, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113-0745; www.wes.org; telephone: 1-800-937-3895; fax: 212-739-6100, for evaluation. The evaluation service sends evaluation results directly to the Ph.D. office.
Applicants must submit all remaining application documents.
Each applicant must submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam Standard Examination (GRE). The GRE examination should be taken at least four months prior to the entrance examination and must have been taken no more than five years prior to applying for admission to Southwestern's Ph.D. program. Applicants must take the GRE at a testing center. Southwestern Seminary does not administer the GRE. The GRE may be taken more than once, but only one score will be considered with the application.
For admission, all non-USA citizens will be required to take the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as an admission requirement. The minimum score for unconditional admission is 100 (those who score between 90-99 may enter the program conditionally; those who score less than 90 may not enter the Ph.D. program). Citizens of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada and other non-USA citizens who have successfully completed an accredited English-language based bachelor's degree from a North American institution are exempt from this requirement. All TOEFL scores submitted should be less than two years old.
Each applicant must submit a research paper on a subject in the student's chosen major either previously prepared (an ungraded copy) or prepared especially for the Doctor of Philosophy application. This paper should be 20-30 pages in length, and should represent the best quality research and writing that the applicant can offer. The form and style should follow the most recent edition of Turabian or Southwestern Manual of Style. The research paper will be used to assess the applicant’s research and writing abilities.
Each applicant must provide three confidential recommendations by former professors. Reference forms are included with the application for the Ph.D. degree. These forms must be submitted separately by the professors or in sealed envelopes over which the professor has signed his or her name across the seal.
Applicants whose application form, research document, standardized test scores, and academic reference forms are posted by the deadline will be invited for an interview and asked to write an examination in the area of their major and minor fields. The entrance examination probes the applicant's knowledge in the major and minor fields and tests the ability to organize and express those thoughts logically and clearly. The examination essays will each be written within two separate two-hour periods in an examination setting. Persons who have completed their application requirements will be notified by the Ph.D. office of the time and date for entrance examinations. Study aids for this exam are available from the office of the Associate Dean for Doctoral Programs. Professors in the major division will interview all applicants.
Application Timeline
Timeframe |
Action |
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Preliminary Step Academic year prior to the intended beginning of Ph.D. studies. |
Applicants request and receive application materials. |
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Application Deadline 5:00 p.m. the last Friday in January for regular application. Items mailed must be postmarked by this date. In special cases, applicants can submit their applications by the last Friday in August. Please contact the Fish School Ph.D. Office for further information. |
Applicants must submit the Ph.D. application form and all supporting documents: GRE scores, TOEFL scores (if applicable), three academic references, 20-30 page research paper, and official transcripts. |
|
Intent to sit for Entrance Exams 2nd Friday in February |
Applicants invited to take the entrance exams must submit the written reservation form sent with the invitation. |
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Entrance Exams and Interview 1st Monday in March Major Exam: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Interview: 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Minor Exam: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Applicants write the major entrance exam. Applicants interview with faculty. Applicants write the minor entrance exam. |
The Ph.D. program is comprised of reading seminars, research seminars, a comprehensive examination, and the submission and defense of a dissertation. Students select a major and minor area.
The School of Evangelism and Missions Ph.D. program offers the following areas of study (majors):
| Evangelism, Missions |
Faculty availability and specialization determine seminar offerings.
Ph.D. students in the School of Evangelism and Missions may minor in any area in which the seminary offers majors. Alternatively, Ph.D. students may choose to minor in a sub-discipline of their major field. For further information regarding the availability of sub-disciplines, students should contact faculty supervisors who specialize in the area of interest.
The comprehensive examinations require mastery of the comprehensive bibliography distributed at the beginning of the student's program and adjusted as necessary no less than four months prior to the exam. Students are expected to continually prepare for the comprehensive examination throughout the program.
The Ph.D. dissertation must argue for a clearly articulated thesis which constitutes a contribution to scholarship in its field. It should demonstrate the candidate's ability to design a viable research project, pursue the research in relative independence, and write with clarity and force.
Each Ph.D. student is required to pay the general matriculation fee and all student fees of the institution as well as the Ph.D. studies fee each semester until the degree has been completed. Fees are established by the seminary administration, not by the Fish School Ph.D. office, and are subject to change.
Current fees per semester for Ph.D. students:
| Tuition* (per semester) | 5,040.00 |
The Cooperative Program Scholarship reduces tuition for Southern Baptist students by (per semester) |
2,520.00 |
| Southwestern Journal | 9.00 |
| Technology Fee | 60.00 |
*Modern language and other leveling courses are not included in this amount. These courses will be billed at the student’s hourly rate.
Financial assistance is not available through the Fish School Ph.D. office. However, a Research Doctoral Grant is provided to Ph.D. students of good standing during the first eight semesters of their study at SWBTS. All inquiries regarding the grant or any other financial assistance should be made through the Financial Aid office of the seminary.
Students interested in more complete information regarding the program should contact the Fish School Ph.D. Office, SWBTS Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, P.O. Box 22667, Fort Worth, TX 76122-0667, call (817) 923-1921 extension 6476 or email PhDFish@swbts.edu.