Rationale

Students who have achieved at least a 2.5 grade point average in the Doctor of Religious Education or Doctor of Theology degree program and taught for at least two years in a recognized program of theological education following the completion of the D.R.E.  or  Th.D. degree may apply to upgrade their degree to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in ABGTS. Their institutional faculty, their national denominational body, and their cooperating foreign mission body, if any, must endorse their application.

In order to do this, one additional academic year of study in a doctoral degree program at an approved theological graduate school is required.  Three-fourths of the seminars will be in the student’s major field and one-fourth in a minor field other than that studied in the D.R.E. or Th.D. degree program.  In addition, students who have not completed a D.R.E. or Th.D. dissertation will be required to prepare a dissertation in accordance with the catalog requirements.  Students who have completed a D.R.E. or Th.D. dissertation are required to submit to the Associate Dean a 25 to 45 page  paper setting forth his or her theological reflections on contextualizing ideas arising out of the study.

Before beginning the additional year of study, students typically must pass a written examination on the German language (and/or some other language if required by his course of study).   In addition, an acceptable grade on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.  Where permitted, the student will take the major field examination at the end of the year of study.