Ph.D. & Ed.D. in Educational Studies
Advancement to Candidacy Official candidacy for the doctorate signifies an advanced stage in the student’s progress and is characterized by self-directed research in the completion of a dissertation under the direction of a faculty dissertation advisor. Successful completion of the candidacy exam admits the student to candidacy status. Dissertation After passing the Candidacy Examination, the student will enroll in TTDE 889 Dissertation Proposal Development (3 credits) for one semester and then TTDE 891 Dissertation (3 credits) for up to two semesters (Ed.D.) or four semesters (Ph.D.). A student must be enrolled in 891 or 895 Dissertation Extension the semester of graduation. Students who require more time must receive approval to enroll in TTDE 895 Dissertation Extension (3 credits). Dissertation students are considered full-time for a maximum of one semester of TTDE 889 and two semesters (Ed.D.) or four semesters (Ph.D.) of TTDE 891 only. Enrollment in TTDE 895 does not constitute full-time status. Doctoral students must submit a dissertation evidencing high attainment in scholarship. Detailed information may be found in the Dissertation Guidelines Handbook. Final Dissertation Defense and Graduation The final examination is an oral defense of the dissertation before the student’s dissertation committee and other invited guests. Detailed information regarding the defense and final submission deadlines for graduation may be found in The Dissertation Guidelines Handbook. All students must present an acceptable dissertation, satisfactorily pass their candidacy examinations, and complete all coursework with a minimum 3.25 GPA to qualify for graduation. Beyond completion of academic requirements, Doctoral Program faculty must also recommend that the student is eligible for conferral of the degree on the basis of evidence of Christian life and character established during his or her course of studies. All financial obligations must be settled. Attendance at commencement ceremonies is required when the degree is granted unless approval has been received from the Dean to graduate in absentia (see the Doctoral Program Handbook for further details). Admission Requirements The doctoral program seeks to admit applicants whose background clearly demonstrate scholarly aptitude, a commitment to the historic Christian faith, personal character and integrity, a service-oriented motivation toward endeavors of educational ministry and a deepening relationship with God. Biola University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic group identification, gender, age or physical disability. Persons interested in attending should request the doctoral application form (the same form for both degree programs) for Talbot School of Theology from the Graduate Admissions office at Biola University. As in many graduate programs, enrollment is limited. In order
to be admitted to full graduate standing, the applicant must comply with the following: 1. Have completed at least three years of full-time vocational experience in educational ministry with evidence of leadership gifts and abilities. 2. Have earned a Masters degree in Christian or Religious Education (MACE or MRE) or its equivalent from an accredited educational institution. Equivalence is defined as an earned master’s degree of 36 semester credits of graduate study in areas related to the Christian education ministry, including 18 credits of graduate Bible and theology. At least one course in each of the following areas should have been completed: Philosophy or History of Christian Education, Human Development or Educational Psychology, Educational Administration or Leadership, Interpersonal Communication / Group Dynamics or Counseling, Curriculum Design and / or Methods of Teaching. A minimum GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale in all previous graduate work is required. Students whose formal educational preparation does not include all of the required prerequisite coursework may be admitted provisionally with a deficiency of master’s level courses. See the Doctoral Program Handbook for several ways to address deficiencies. 3. Submit a completed Talbot School of Theology doctoral application form and $55 application fee. The form will provide a place to indicate the program for which application is being made, either the Ph.D. or Ed.D., and which format, either the residential or modified residential. 4. Submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (expected verbal score of 500 and analytic score of 4.5). Information regarding GRE testing dates and location may be obtained by writing to the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, New Jersey 08591 ( gre.org), or call 1-800-473-2255 to register. International students whose native language is not English are required, instead, to submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet- based Test (TOEFL iBT). Preference in admission will be given to those with an overall score of at least 100 on the TOEFL iBT, with expected minimum scores for the four sections as follows: Writing (22), Reading (26), Speaking (26), Listening (26). The TOEFL iBT is available on-line through the Educational Testing Service. For more information, go to their website: toefl.org. Students should consult the general Biola University guidelines (see the Admission of Non-Native English-Speaking Students section at the beginning of the University catalog as well as the Admissions of International Students section at the beginning of the Talbot catalog section). Since doctoral seminars involve regular student discussion, it is expected that international students have the requisite ability with spoken English to be a contributing member of such discussions.
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