School of Leadership and Church Ministry

Doctor of Philosophy Program (Resident Program)

Program Accreditation
 

Southern Seminary and this doctoral degree program are fully accredited as follows:

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097: Telephone number 404-679-4501).

The Southern Baptist Theological seminary is accredited by The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15275-1103: Telephone number 412-788-6505).

Description and Purpose
 

The purpose of the Doctor of Philosophy degree program is to give students of superior ability an opportunity to prepare themselves thoroughly for effective Christian ministry leadership. It is designed for persons who have demonstrated significant potential for making contributions in research, teaching, and/or administration. It also is intended for Christian educators who are seeking to enhance their ministry in the church or in a denominational organization or to prepare themselves for teaching and leadership in Christian higher education.

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Core Competencies
 

The PhD in Leadership seeks to develop four core competencies in the student. These include:

1: Research Competence

This core competency focuses on the ability to carry out the entire research process.

2: Educational Competence

This core competency focuses on the development of a knowledge of human development, learning and the teaching process. 

3: Leadership Competence

This core competency focuses on the development of a knowledge of leadership theory and practice.

4:  Scholastic Competence

This core competency area promotes integrative thinking about issues in leadership and education from a biblical worldview perspective. 

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Residency Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy is a residential degree program. Students are required to remain in residency a minimum of 6 semesters and until the dissertation prospectus has been approved. Residency is defined as participation of the student on campus for a minimum of 40 hours each week during the regular semester. A student must enroll every semester through the term of completion, defense, and acceptance of the dissertation. 

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July/January Scheduling Option

For a select group of non-traditional students meeting the highest of academic and ministry standards, an alternative residency option maybe available. Contact the Associate Dean of Doctoral Studies at the School of Leadership and Church Ministry office for additional information on this option at eddlead@sbts.edu. 

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Faculty Mentoring Program

The resident program affords opportunities to students to develop mentoring relationships with faculty, teaching assistant opportunities (Garrett Fellows) and actual classroom teaching experience depending on the strengths of the individual student.  One of the distinctive goals of this program is the development of faculty members for school of Christian higher education.  Therefore, the LEAD School has developed a three step mentoring program for those persons who show a special aptitude for classroom teaching.  This program is open only to full-time, resident PhD students and is not available to EdD or CPhD students.

Faculty Mentoring Program Overview

Year 1 - Second Term (Student serves as Garrett Fellow)

Year 2 - Full year (Student continues to serve as Garrett Fellow while team teaching a course with a professor during one of the semesters of study)

Year 3 - One Semester (Student teaches a bachelors or masters level course under the supervision of a LEAD School faculty member)

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Length of the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy program is designed to be completed in three years. This time frame includes all seminars plus the dissertation. A student must enroll every semester until the dissertation has been accepted.

If a student requires additional time beyond four years, that student must petition for an extension of time. The petition must be submitted to and approved by the Leadership and Church Ministry Doctoral Studies Committee. Students who are granted extensions will be assessed an additional fee for each semester of extension beyond the four-year limit.

The extension fee will be waived for each semester a student has served as grader, teaching assistant, or sole instructor of a class during his or her program of study. Under no circumstances shall a student extend the time of completion beyond six years.

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Learning Format

In each research seminar, doctoral students pursue lines of inquiry in course assignments that are related to both the seminar topic and individual student ministry interests. Thus one student may research administrative protocols in local church settings, while another student is researching administrative policies and procedures related to Christian schooling.

The goal of the research seminars is for doctoral students to explore the theoretical foundations of a subject in order to generate informed applications for vocational ministry. Research papers will involve identifying precedent theory and practices, evaluating them in light of theological presuppositions and education and leadership assumptions, resulting in the proposition of new theoretical constructs or revised applications for ministry. In many cases the research will influence policies, procedures, and practices in the workplace.

Each course in the PhD is taught by a graduate LEAD professor of Southern Seminary. Courses are offered on-campus and meet once each week in block schedule format for the 14 weeks of Fall or Spring semester. 

The exception to this are the Advanced Research Focus courses which are offered in J-Term (January and July).  These course are taught by guest lecturers and offer the student an opportunity to study under some of the finest scholars in Christian higher education.  J-Term classes are typically 4 days in length, require pre-seminar and post-seminar research work, and are taught in an intensive format.

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Program Overview

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EdD Program Tuition and Fees

Fees for the PhD program are detailed in the Southern Seminary Catalog.  To go directly to the section of the catalog that provides details program fees, click on the link below. To return to this page, use the back button on your browser.

PROGRAM FEES AND REFUND POLICY

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Admissions Requirements

Admissions requirements are detailed in the Research Doctoral Studies Handbook.  To go directly to the page in the handbook that provides details about the admission process, click on the link below. To return to this page, use the back button on your browser.

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

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Language and Research Requirements

Foreign language is not required in this program. Students are required to have taken a master’s level course in research statistics.  Students who have not taken a statistics course before entering the program can do so through the Seminary during the June or January term before entrance into the program.  

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Comprehensive Exams

The comprehensive examinations mark the shift from “user of knowledge of the field” to the “originator and extender of the knowledge base of the field.” These exams also sample the critical thinking and problem solving skills of doctoral students.

The comprehensive examinations consist of three written evaluations integrating the concepts of the research seminars in the doctoral program. These exams can be taken only after the completion of all course work and program competencies. Comprehensive examinations must be taken within twelve months following the successful completion of all course work. Doctoral students must complete the comprehensive examinations successfully before the dissertation prospectus can be approved and dissertation data gathering can begin.

Two of the three comprehensive questions are derived from seminar content. The third question is dissertation related and is generated from work done for the advanced research assignment in the 96800 Empirical Research Methods course.

In the resident PhD, comprehensive examination are taken on three consecutive days at the start of the third year of the program of study. The scheduling of these examinations is arranged through the LEAD School Office. These examinations cannot be taken during January or Summer terms.

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Dissertation

Each candidate for the Ph.D. in Leadership must successfully complete a dissertation based on the candidate's own systematic inquiry into an area of advanced research in leadership. The dissertation is intended to: 1) demonstrate the student’s competency in research methodology, 2) to demonstrate the student’s ability to think critically and systematically, and 3) to make a significant contribution to the literature base of the field of leadership and church ministry.

The process of writing the dissertation is not a sudden enterprise, but a progressive investigation of a line of empirical inquiry begun in the research seminars. Students first encounter the empirical research model in the first term during the Critical Inquiry and Research Design course. Through seminar course work, students continue to identify potential research questions.
 

In the Empirical Research Methods seminar, the student receives formal training in research methodologies. In the Advanced Focused Research seminars, students will develop their study of the literature base related to their intended dissertation topic. In the Analysis of Empirical Research course students gain skills in instrument design and the selection of statistical techniques.

After completing comprehensive exams (one of which is dissertation related), the student develops a dissertation Prospectus that will present the student’s research questions and strategy. The student’s Dissertation Committee supervises the dissertation writing process including the writing of the Prospectus. The student defends the Prospectus in an open hearing. The student cannot begin dissertation research until the Dissertation Committee and the seminary faculty accept the Prospectus.

Research methods utilized for the dissertation must be appropriate to the type of research being conducted by the student. Qualitative and/or quantitative social science research methodologies appropriate for the dissertation include: descriptive research, ethnographic research, historiographic research, and experimental methodologies and their variants. On-campus, individual consultations are required of the student during the writing of the dissertation.

Worthy topics for dissertation research generally will arise out of a specific relational or conceptual problem in reference to human development; theory and praxis of teaching and learning; organizational management; leadership; decision-making; or other social-interactional dimensions of Christian education and leadership broadly defined.

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Course Descriptions

The following are the catalog descriptions for the research seminars in order by course number, not the order in which the courses are taken.

90000 Leadership and Church Ministry Colloquium

A forum for doctoral students, faculty and guest lecturers to explore theological, philosophical and social science assumptions and issues in ministry leadership. A minimum of six semesters is required. 1 hour.

91020 Christian Higher Education

A study of the principles of educational administration in Bible colleges, Christian liberal arts colleges and seminary education. Attention is given to the educational role of the institution as well as its administrative tasks. 4 hours

93420 Curriculum Theory and Design

An exploration of the major curriculum developments in Christian education including a review of historical trends, the design of curriculum frameworks and teaching-learning sessions, the supervision of curriculum in the local church, and a critique of curriculum issues in higher education. 4 hours.

93565 Issues in Student and Family Ministry

Examines the state of youth and family ministry programs and strategies, the many profiles of youth today, the impact of the family, the development of the adolescent, intergenerational relationships, and the challenges of cultural diversity.4 hours.

93570 Spirituality of Adolescents

Explores the spiritual and mental development of adolescents, and wrestle with models and methodologies that may effectively promote spirituality in adolescents. 4 hours

93575 Models of Student and Family Ministry

Examines and critiques the history, philosophy, methodology, and relative strengths and weaknesses of major youth and family ministry leadership models through a theological and psychosocial grid. 4 hours

93610 Communication and Team Dynamics

A study of team/group dynamics theories and their application
to organizational leadership. Issues of team leadership and team effectiveness are explored. Examines theory and practice of professional communication in organizations and its impact on team process. 4 hours

93920 Current Theory and Practice in Adult Education

A critical examination of current issues in adult education, including the assumptions and philosophies underlying andragogy, and program planning models and principles. 4 hours.

95100 Personality and Developmental Theory
An evaluation of personality theories, educational psychology and developmental psychology and an analysis of their contributions to the practices of leadership, instruction and spiritual formation.   4 hours.

95500 Critical Inquiry and Learning Assessment
Critical thinking and reflection processes are explored and are applied to research evaluation and interpretation. Students develop the knowledge, skills and disposition for critical inquiry and research development, preparation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation. 4 hours.

95600 Teaching and Learning: Theory and Practice
An analysis of learning theory and contemporary models of teaching with an emphasis on instructional techniques used in higher education. 4 hours.

95700 Theology and Leadership

Students examine leadership theory from a biblical worldview perspective by critically examining the theological assumptions that underlie various models of leadership. Examines theological themes that directly impact leadership practice. Builds a theological foundation for the practice of leadership. 4 hours.

96100 Leadership and Management Theory
A critical examination of contemporary leadership principles and practices in the light of biblically-based models and criteria for Christian leadership and administration. 4 hours.

96200 Leadership for Church Development
An evaluation of a variety of contemporary ministry models and church growth strategies and an analysis of their contributions to the development of Christian leadership. 4 hours.

96300 Organizational Theory and Development
Explores psychological and developmental underpinnings of organizations. Presents classical and contemporary theories and principles of organizational development. Students gain skills in the analysis of organizational culture, communication processes, and staff training. 4 hours.

96400 Change, Power and Conflict
An analysis of the change process, the role of power and authority in the development of change and conflict, and approaches to conflict management. 4 hours.

96800 Empirical Research Methods
A study of research methodology, including methods and techniques of literary, quantitative, and qualitative analysis, data collection and tabulation, statistical analysis, and the documentation of findings. 4 hours.

96850 Analysis of Empirical Research
A study of the methods of empirical data gathering and analysis including the design and validation of instrumentation, the selection of statistical measures and options for data computation, and the documentation and display of research findings. 4 hours.

96920 Comprehensive Examinations
A series of individualized research questions incorporating and expanding upon the findings of doctoral course work. Enrollment continues under Directed Doctoral Study until the comprehensive examinations are passed. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all requisite research seminars. No credit.

93980 Doctoral Dissertation Research and Writing

Self-directed research for degree candidates who have completed dissertation research and who are now attempting to defend the final manuscript in open hearing. If additional research is warranted following the defense, enrollment continues in this course through the term the revised manuscript is defended. No Credit until defense is successfully completed.  16 credits are then awarded.

96990 Dissertation Continuation
Self-directed research for degree candidates who need to complete additional research toward the completion of the dissertation following the completion of the four dissertation research courses and prior to dissertation defense. No credit.

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