Rationale

The Doctor of Religious Education degree is a three to four-year program of study designed to prepare students for the top-level leadership in religious education for seminaries, publishing agencies, social service agencies, and denominational organizations in Asian context.  It includes one to two years of residence study, at least sixteen weeks of Supervised Teaching, ordinarily in a faculty position in a theological school or extension program, and a research dissertation utilizing scientific methodologies.  This degree program is designed to develop the student’s knowledge and competencies through study in the following areas:  foundations, age-groups, administration, and research methodologies for religious educations ministry.​

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have earned a B.A. degree or its equivalent in scope and a M.R.E. or its equivalent in scope and content.  Generally, they must have earned a minimal grade average of 3.5 (A-B) on a scale of 4.0 (or its equivalent) in their M.R.E.  studies.  Applicants must have  engaged in vocational Christian service for at least two years (other than Seminary Field Education, internship or practical training required by a study program) preferably beyond master level studies, and should intend to engage in the leadership of religious education after completing their graduate study.  Applicants must have passed the doctoral entrance examination in Religious Education including the following areas:  Foundations, age-group characteristic, administration and research methodologies.​

Supervised Teaching

All students ordinarily are required to participate in an intensive program of Supervised Teaching as a faculty member in a program of theological education, Christian College, Dimensional Training program in the country where they minister.  When this is not possible, the Associate Dean, with the approval of the Dean, may make special alternate arrangements for the students to fulfill the Supervised Teaching requirements.  Such students must still perform their teaching ministries under competent supervision.  They should conduct at least eight, two-hour conferences with the Field Supervisor over at least sixteen weeks.  Field Supervisors seek to assist students with professional, emotional, and spiritual development in the context of a teaching ministry. The Associate Dean appoints a Field Supervisor in consultation with the students.​

Defense

After completing the required course work, the student will prepare and defend a prospectus that describes the proposed research topic.  This prospectus must be at least 20 pages in length (excluding bibliography).  The student, accompanied by his or her supervisor, will defend the prospectus before the faculty.  In the event that the supervisor may not be present, the student has the option to request a circulated prospectus defense.  In this case, the Associate Dean will request the faculty members to evaluate the prospectus privately.  If there are problems, the Associate Dean will meet the faculty and supervisor to determine a course of action.  Upon approval of the prospectus by the faculty, Associate Dean, and the Dean, the student may proceed with research and writing for the dissertation.

Degree Requirements

​The Doctor of Religious Education course work  includes the following basic requirements:
                                                                               Credits
Core Seminar (Contextualizing
Practical Theology, 450-129)                               2
R.E. Seminars                                                          10
Philosophy of Education                                       2
Introduction of Statistical Analysis                     2
Research & Design Seminar                                 4
Colloquium in Christian Ministry                         2
Supervised Teaching                                              4
Prospectus/dissertation/defense                      14 
Total                                                                         40

The candidate will select an area of concentration in Religious Education for the study program.

Dissertation

The student will prepare four copies of a dissertation of between 150 and 250 pages (excluding the bibliography and appendixes) on a topic related to the candidate’s concentration in Religious Education.  The research will be based on a  comprehensive  study of literature related to qualitative or quantitative scientific educational research regarding a population found in the area where the student ministers.  The  dissertation must conform to the D.R.E.  standard of form and style.