TALBOT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Qualifying Examinations
GENERAL ACADEMIC INFORMATION Classification of Students
other invited professionals. Upon passing the defense, the candi date must submit to the program secretary, three weeks prior to expected gradua- tion, the original and four copies of tJ1e dissenation signed by the disserta- tion committee. Extra-Curricular Factors Ed.D. faculty must recommend that the student is eligibl e for confer- ral of the degree on the basis of acade- mic stature and evidence of Christian life and character establ ished during residential studies. All financial obliga- tions shou ld be settled and attendance is required at commencement cere- monies when the degree is granted . ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS The Ed.D. program seeks to admit applicants whose background clearly demonsu·ate scholarly aptilllde, a com- mitmem to the historic Christian faith, personal character and integrity and a service-or iented motivation toward endeavors of educational minisu-y. As an evangelica l Christian institution, Biola University requires that an appli- cant has been a Christian for at least one year prior to admission. Biola does not di scriminate on the basis of the applicant's race, color, sex, handi- cap or national or ethnic origin. Persons interested in attending the Ed.D. program should request an Ed.D . applica ti on form for Talbot School of Theology from the director of graduate admissions of Biola Uni- vers ity. As in many graduate programs, competition is keen and enrollment is limited. In order to be admitted to full graduate standi ng the applicant must complywith the following: (I) Submit a completed Talbot School of Theology Ed.D. application form. (2) Have earn ed a Masters degree in Christian or Religious Education (MACE or MRE) or its equivalent from an accredited educational instituti on. Equivalence is defined as an earned master's degree of 64 semester units of graduate swdy in areas related to th e Christian education minisuy, including 18 units ofBible and theology. At least one course in the followi ng areas shou ld have been completed: Philosophy or Hist01y of Christian Edu- cation, Human Development, 'Educa- tional Psychology, Educational Admin- istration, In terpersonal Communica- tion / Croup Dynamics or Counse ling, Curriculum Design and/ or Methods of
Teaching, Research Methods. A mini- mum CPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale in all graduate work is required. Students whoseJonna/ edumlianal /mpa- mtion does nol include all of the mquiml /1re- mquisite wurse w01k may be admiued /nuui- sionally with a deficiency of master's level ww,es. See t/11! Ed.D. Student Handbook for several ways to address deficiencies. (3) Submit scores on the Gradu- ate Record Examination (CRE). Infor- mation regarding testing dates and location may be obtained by writing to the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. No applicant is exempt from submitting CRE sco res which must be received prior to the appli ca tion deadline elate for a full application review. International students should con- sult the general Biola University guide- lines (see the Admission of Interna- tional Students and Resident Aliens sec- tion at tl1e beginning of the catalog) . (4) Have compl eted at least three years of vocational experience in edu- ca tion al ministry with evidence of leadership gifts and abilities. (5) Present evidence of potemial for original academ ic research at the doctoral level by submitting a sample of published scholarlywriting. If this is not available, the applicant may submit a recent academic paper (with citations and bibliography), preferably related to education , of at least 20 pages, for- matted according LO APA style. (6) Applicants may be asked to be interviewed by the program director or the Ed.D. committee as a require- ment for admission. Application Deadline Since enro llment is limited and admission is on selective basis, applica- tions should be made as early as possi- ble. The Application Deadline for the Fall semester is April 15 and for the Spring semester is November I. The Ed.D. committee will process appl ica- tions as quickly as possible following these dates. Decisions are normally made on completed applications only. Applications submitted after the dead- line will usually be considered for the following semester. Admission of International Students and Resident Aliens See Admission and Registration and Requirements section at the beginning of the catalog.
The qualifying examinations eval- uate the student's allainment of pro- gram study obj ectives and lead to advancement to cand id acy. This examina ti on includes both wriuen and oral components. Written Qualifying Examination Written mate1ial is required which, in the judgment of the faculty, demon- strates proficiency in the areas selected in consultation with the program direc- tor. The examination is composed of four written papers comple ted while the sLUdent is engaged in specialization course work. (See the Ed.D. Student Handbook for funher details). Oral Qualifying Exam.ination The student 1akes the oral exami- nation after completing: (I) All coursework, (2) A second se lf-assessment inventory, and (3) All papers constituting the writ- ten qualifying examination. The oral qualifying exainination may be taken in lhe final semester of roursework. Admission to Candidacy Official candidacy for the doctor- ate signilies an advanced stage in the student's progress and is character- ized by self-directed research and the comp letion of a dissertation under the direction of a faculty dissertation advisor. In order Lo be admiued to cand idacy, the student must have: (I) Successfu ll y completed the Preliminary Oral Interview (2) Passed the Qualifying Exami- nations, and (3) Received approval of a disser- tation proposal by the slU- dent's dissertation committee. Upon reachi ng candidacy a stu- dent must enroll for DE 89 I (0 units; fee equivalent of 3 units of tuition) each fall and spring semester until graduation. Normally, dissenation stu- dents are considered full-time for a maximum of four semesters. Dissertation Doctoral sllldents must submit a dissertation evidencing high attain- ment in original scholarship. Detailed information may be found in the dis- sertation guidelines sec tion of the
Ed.D. srnd ents meeting all entrance requirements will be classi- fied as regular graduate students. Stu- den ts who do not fulfill all entrance requirements may be admitted wi1h provisional status umil they correct any deficiency. Any such deficiencies must be removed within one calendar year of a sllldent's admission as a provi- sional student. Normally all prerequi- sites must be satisfied before a student may enroll in Ed .D. courses. Full-time study is defined as 9 units per semester. Research Competence Specific research sk ills appropri- ate for proposed dissertation study are LO be demonstrated. The Ecl.D. pro- gram director will validate compe- tence through review of examinations, completed research, or course work. Appropriate research too ls and meth- ods include biblical languages, mod- ern languages, statisti cal analysis, and research methodologies applicable to educational problems and issues. Defi- ciencies in research competence may result in addit ional program specia l- ization components. Grading System Students wishing Lo obtain a doc- toral degree must maintain a consis- tently hi gh academic performance throughout their program. An overall B average, i.e., 3.0 on a 4.0 sca le, is required. Only grades of "A", "B", "C" earn graduate credit. Grades of all stu- dents are recorded in the registrar's office. Grading ison the following basis: Grade Grade points A Superior achi evement 4.00 A- Significant achievemem 3.67 B+ High standard achievement 3.33 B Standard gradua1e achievement 3.00 B- Low standard achievement 2.67 Ct Minimum passing performance 2.33 C Minimum passing performance 2 00 C- Minimum passing performance l.67 F Failure 0.00 R Dissertation research in progress 0.00 An "S" indicates satisfacto1y com- pletion for courses li sted from DE 880-889.
Ed.D. Studem Handbook. Final Oral Examination
The final examination is an oral defense of the dissertation before the swdent's dissertation commiuee and
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