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The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
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Prepares candidates for a vocation in
theological instruction and scholarly service
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Includes mentoring of students by
leading evangelical scholars
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Provides opportunity for rigorous critical scholarship in a context of vibrant faith
Distinctively Fuller
Curriculum
Languages
Faculty
Scholarships
Admissions Information
Deadlines
CATS website
Distinctively Fuller
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the highest academic degree awarded by Fuller's School of Theology. A Ph.D. degree is normally a prerequisite for a teaching career at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral institutions. With this goal in mind, Fuller's Ph.D. degree, offered through the Center for Advanced Theological Studies (CATS), is designed to prepare students for a vocation in theological instruction and Christian scholarly service to the church.
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The Curriculum
The Ph.D. curriculum consists of nine graduate seminars or directed reading courses (72 units). Major research papers are components in each of these courses. Students take at least five seminars in their designated major field, including a methods seminar. The remaining courses, which constitute the minor field, are selected from the other concentrations under the guidance of the student's mentor. Depending on the time a student can devote to the program, a minimum of four years and a maximum of eight years are usually invested to complete the degree program, with residence near Pasadena required during the first two years. Students may complete three seminars, or one full year, of their degree at another institution subject to prior approval by the CATS Committee. Advanced standing may be granted to students who have completed a Th.M. from an ATS-accredited institution, which may allow them to satisfy degree requirements with seven courses instead of nine.
Program Overview
Stage One: Foundations for Research
Mastery of designated research languages
Methods seminar - 8 units
Four seminars - 8 units each
Four comprehensive examinations
Stage Two: Dissertation Research
Four seminars/directed readings - 8 units each
Dissertation
Languages
Students entering the Ph.D. program are required to have 8 quarter units of Hebrew and 12 quarter units of Greek or the appropriate equivalents. Those entering without the requisite work in biblical languages must demonstrate competence within the first calendar year of study.
In addition, research languages are seen as an integral part of the Ph.D. program. Specific language requirements differ according to concentration, but these will normally consist of two or three research languages and may be fulfilled through examinations or course work.
Areas of Concentration
Theology & Culture
Christian Ethics
Church History
Historical Theology
New Testament
Old Testament (Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature minor possible)
Philosophical Theology
Philosophy of Religion
Practical Theology (two years of prior ministry or vocational experience required)
Theology
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Scholarships
The Center for Advanced Theological Studies offers the following merit scholarship opportunities to incoming and returning Ph.D. students. Incoming students are evaluated on the basis of their master's- level GPA combined with their GRE, TOEFL,
or IELTS scores.
Full Graduate Fellowships
Eight awards in the amount of $9,000 each are available to new and returning students. Part of the award ($6,000) is apportioned as grant-in-aid toward annual tuition costs. The remaining $3,000 is earned in a teaching/research assistantship.
Dilworth Graduate Scholarships
Four $9,000 tuition scholarships are available to international students enrolled in doctoral programs at Fuller.
Partial Graduate Fellowships
Currently, eight $3,500 awards are given annually to new and returning CATS Ph.D. students.
George Gay Memorial Fellowship
This award is given to a Hispanic U.S. citizen who is pursuing post-M.Div. studies at Fuller with the purpose of teaching Hispanics in the U.S. after graduation.
Esther and Harold Stassen Jubilee Scholarship
Two annual awards of $12,000 each are given to international Ph.D. students who plan to return to teach in their country of origin.
Geoffrey W. Bromiley Church History Scholarship
This annual award of $1,000 is given to an outstanding Ph.D. student majoring in church history.
Note: Additional financial grants may be available to international students whose applications are received prior to December 15.
Paid Teaching Assistants
The center also provides an opportunity for graduate students to take steps in embarking on a teaching career. Teaching assistants work together with the faculty in their teaching through evaluation of students' work and, in some cases, gain classroom experience in the presentation of lectures.
A $1,500 stipend is available for the position of Library Coordinator; the
position involves a commitment to complete 150 hours of work during the academic
year.
The Charles E. Carlston New Testament Scholarship is a $9,000.00 award given
to qualified individuals enrolled in the CATS New Testament concentration.
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The Faculty
Full Members
David W. Augsburger,
Professor of Pastoral Counseling. Research areas:
pastoral counseling, cross-cultural counseling, conflict studies, pastoral care,
reconciliation, forgiveness, anger, prejudice, and hatred.
James E. Bradley, Geoffrey W. Bromiley Professor of
Church History. Research areas: church and state in the modern era, the English
enlightenment, American evangelicals, and spirituality in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries.
Colin Brown, Professor of Systematic Theology. Research
areas: Christology and the quest of the historical Jesus, theological method.
William A Dyrness, Dean emeritus and Professor of
Theology and Culture. Research areas: cross-cultural theology, theology of
culture and the visual arts.
John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old
Testament. Research areas: Old Testament theology and ethics, Old Testament
hermeneutics, Pentateuch, Isaiah.
Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor of New
Testament. Research areas: Matthew, Hebrews, first-century Judaism, Pauline
theology, the Apostolic Fathers.
Veli-Matti
Kärkkäinen,
Professor of Systematic Theology. Research areas: pneumatology, ecclesiology,
ecumenical theology, W. Pannenberg's Theology, theology of mission.
Seyoon Kim, Director of the Korean Doctor of Ministry
Program and Professor of New Testament. Research areas: Paul, synoptic Gospels,
Jesus, New Testament Christology.
Nancey Murphy, Professor of Christian Philosophy.
Research areas: modern and contemporary philosophy, integration of theology and
science, theological methodology, and the philosophy of religion.
Richard V. Peace, Robert Boyd Munger Professor of
Evangelism and Spiritual Formation. Research areas: evangelism, spiritual
formation.
Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Director of the David du Plessis
Center for Christian Spirituality and Professor of Church History and Ecumenics.
Research areas: ecumenics, origins and development of global Pente-costalism.
David M. Scholer, Associate Dean for the Center for
Advanced Theological Studies and Professor of New Testament. Research areas:
Paul and Judaism, the separation of the church and Judaism, women in the early
church, Gnosticism, Revelation, Galatians, second-century church history and
literature.
Glen H. Stassen, Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian
Ethics. Research areas: method for concreteness in Christian ethics, theological
ethics, biblical ethics, justice, peacemaking.
Marianne Meye Thompson, Professor of New Testament
Interpretation. Research areas: Jesus and the Gospels, Johannine literature and
theology.
Associate Members
Richard Beaton,
Assistant Professor of New Testament. Research areas: ancient Judaism and early
Christianity, New Testament, Parables, the Gospels, the Hebrew Bible in Judaism
and Christianity.
Mark Lau Branson, Homer L. Goddard Associate Professor of
Ministry of the Laity. Research areas: Intercultural life and congregations,
urban church redevelopment, practical theology.
Chapman R. Clark, Associate Professor of Youth, Family,
and Culture. Research areas: youth culture, youth and family ministry,
parenting, leadership and teamwork, spiritual formation.
Todd E. Johnson,
William K. and Dolores S. Brehm Associate Professor of Worship, Theology, and
the Arts. Research areas: liturgical and sacramental theology, liturgical
history, ritual studies, and spirituality.
Robert K. Johnston, Professor of Theology and Culture.
Research areas: theology and film/literature, contemporary evangelicalism.
Richard J.
Mouw, President of Fuller seminary and Professor of Christian Philosophy.
Research areas: social ethics, the philosophy of culture, and theological higher
education.
Clayton J. Schmit, Arthur DeKruyter/Christ Church Oak
Brook Associate Professor of Preaching. Research areas: preaching, worship,
liturgy, composing, conducting liturgical music.
John L.
Thompson, Professor of Historical Theology. Research areas: history of
exegesis, Calvin, early modern gender studies.
Contributing Members
Leslie C. Allen,
Senior Professor of Old Testament. Research areas: prophets and writings,
especially from the perspectives of textual criticism, redaction criticism, and
rhetorical criticism.
Ray S. Anderson,
Senior Professor of Theology and Ministry. Research areas: integration of
theology and psychology, hermeneutics, Christology, ecclesiology, and ministry.
Grayson Carter,
Associate Professor of Church History. Research areas: modern European church
history, modern English history, history of evangelicalism, C. S. Lewis,
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and history of Christian spirituality.
Mignon R. Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Old Testament.
Research areas: Old Testament theology of hope, Old Testament ethics, minor
prophets, Pentateuch.
Howard J. Loewen, Dean of the School of Theology and
Professor of Theology and Ethics. Research areas: Spiritual and ecumenical
formation, Anabaptist-Mennonite theology, Karl Barth Studies.
Yea Sun Eum Kim, Associate Professor of Family Counseling
and Korean Family Studies. Research areas: family ministry with Asian families,
culture and family therapy, supervision.
Ralph P. Martin, Distinguished
Scholar in Residence (New Testament). Research areas: liturgical interests in
the New Testament and beyond.
Juan F. Martinez, Assistant Dean for the Hispanic
Church Studies Department and Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and
Pastoral Leadership. Research areas: Latino Protestantism,
Anabaptism in Latin America, pastoral ministry in multicultural settings, and
leadership development.
Charles J. Scalise, Associate Professor of Church
History. Research areas: early church history, theological hermeneutics, history
of doctrine, pastoral theology.
Pamela J. Scalise, Associate Professor of Old Testament.
Research areas: prophets, Old Testament theology.
Russell P. Spittler, Provost Emeritus and Senior
Professor of New Testament. Research areas: anatomy of sectarian piety,
particularly in the charismatic Corinthian church.
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Admissions Information
For deadlines click on the clock
Applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy program in
the School of Theology must submit the following:
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Official transcripts from all
post-secondary schools attended, demonstrating
superior academic ability in a first theological
degree (M.Div., M.A. in Theology with a
concentration in biblical studies and theology, or
the equivalent from an ATS-accredited school), with
a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.5 or
above. The Practical Theology concentration requires
a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent.
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All applicants to the Ph.D. in
Theology program must take the verbal, quantitative,
and analytical writing sections of the general
Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Preference is
given to those whose verbal scores are in excess of
600.
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Those whose native language is not
English may elect to submit
TOEFL or
IELTS exam scores in
addition to submitting GRE scores if these fall
below the minimum acceptable scores.
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Evidence of suitability for
doctoral-level study as communicated through
references, through the applicant's written
statement of vocational goals, and the applicant's
religious autobiography.
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A 15- to 25-page research paper in the
discipline for which the student is pursuing further
study.
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Fuller's application form, with
application fee.
To
request an application packet or more information
about the application process click
here.
If you would like to apply on-line, click
here.
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