Ph.D. in Biblical Studies

Admissions Policies for PhD in Biblical Studies

The Kearley Graduate School of Theology seeks to admit doctoral candidates who have demonstrated through their academic performance aptitudes to complete graduate work at the highest level. A student must be of good character and of good standing within the community and local church.

An applicant’s master’s program should represent a broad based curriculum in Old Testament and/or New Testament, biblical languages, and a foreign language. After reviewing the applicant’s transcripts the graduate committee may recommend or require leveling work in one or more of following areas:

• Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek grammar and reading
• General biblical studies
• Theological studies
• Historical studies
• Textual studies

Application Procedures

KGST processes applications only after receiving all required materials. The Office of Graduate Enrollment will notify the applicant when the file is complete, and the applicant should assume that the application is incomplete until notified that is complete.

Admission is granted only for the term indicated on the application. Application materials submitted to the Office of Graduate Enrollment are the property of Faulkner University and remain in possession of the university. The KGST director and a select admission committee will evaluate all application materials. For admission to the PhD in Biblical Studies program, an applicant must complete the following tasks:

• Completed graduate application
• Earn a biblical-studies master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Hold at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point in a master’s degree program. If the student does not meet this requirement, the student may request conditional admission.
• Arrange delivery of official transcripts, from all the colleges and universities attended, directly from the school to Faulkner’s Office of Graduate Enrollment. Hand-delivered copies, photocopies, unofficial copies, and printouts of grade reports are not acceptable.
• Submit three letters of recommendation with specific comments regarding the applicant’s academic work, ability to successfully complete graduate study, and any relevant professional experience. Letters of recommendation should, if possible, include a letter from a faculty member who taught master’s classes for the applicant and a letter from a work supervisor who is familiar with the applicant’s degree-related work.
• Submit a goals statement of approximately 1500 words specifying the applicant’s degree-related goals and stating ways in which the PhD from the Kearley Graduate School of Theology will contribute toward achieving those goals. Include in this goals statement: (1) background preparation for the degree, (2) basis for the choice of the KGST, (3) spiritual and academic goals, (4) impact of the degree sought on finances and personal, employment, and family time. Obtaining a score of 40 or above qualifies the applicant for an interview with the PhD faculty. 
• Submit a copy of a graduate research paper or thesis previously accepted in a graduate- level biblical studies program
• Participate in an interview with the dean, KGST director, and the graduate committee. The dean, director, and KGST committee may elect to forego interviews on a case-by-case basis.
• Receive approval for admission from the KGST director.

A student whose first language is not English must demonstrate English competency as discussed in the University’s graduate catalog.

Applicants may begin the application process online, by mail, or by telephone. Online access is available through the “Apply Now” link on the KGST web page.

The mailing address is:

Faulkner University
Graduate Enrollment
5345 Atlanta Highway
Montgomery, AL 36109

Phone number is: 334 386-7140. Fax number is 334 386-7413.

To receive full consideration for the start date you applied for please submit all admission requirements by the posted deadline:

• Spring Semester - October 15th
• Fall Semester - June 15th

Conditional and Provisional Admission

The director of graduate studies, with confirmation from the dean, may grant conditional admission to a student, due to unusual circumstances. The director may, for example, grant admission to an applicant before all transcripts arrive - if the applicant had requested those transcripts in a timely manner. Such admission would be conditional with a requirement that all admissions transcripts and materials arrive within two months of the beginning of the semester.

Academic Policies

In addition to policies described in the front section of the Graduate Catalog, the following policies apply to students pursuing the PhD in Biblical Studies.

Class Attendance and Participation

Class attendance via web-based technologies is a requirement of this degree program. Class attendance and participation are academic matters. A student must attend each collaborative session from the time it begins until the time it concludes. Absences and submission of late work result in academic penalties. In extraordinary circumstances a professor may excuse a student who has a documented need for an absence; the student will be required to submit makeup work for the class(es) missed.

Faculty-Student Communication

This PhD program is distinctive in content and form. The faculty establishes a learning community by developing an environment that encourages communication. Students are encouraged to interact with faculty and other members of the learning community via email or another academically approved platform. Faculty members must respond to weekday student communications within 24 hours.

Transfer Credit

KGST does not accept transfer credit in the PhD program except in specific extenuating circumstances. Students who believe their circumstances fit this criterion must submit a petition demonstrating such. The director will provide the official form. In those cases where credit is accepted, the director and/or the dean will determine which courses qualify for transfer as well as which courses in the KGST PhD program the student must take. In all such cases, the transfer credit must have been at least a “B” and completed within the last 5 years. Students seeking transfer credit also must have maintained a 3.0 GPA and must complete at least 50% of coursework with the KGST PhD program.

For information regarding the cross-application of PhD credit earned from KGST during a student’s ThM program, see the above “PhD Credit Policy” under the Master of Theology program.

Student Load

For academic purposes, a student enrolled for six or more hours in a semester is classified as a full- time student.

Course Grades

Instructors will assign grades according to evaluation standards specified in the syllabus for each course taken. All courses in this program use the following grading scale: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = Below 60. The minimum acceptable grade in a course for a PhD student is B. A student who earns a grade of C or lower must repeat the course and earn at least a B before that class will count toward the degree.  Additional possible academic consequences for low grades are described below. Grading for dissertation modules is described below.

Academic Standing, Probation, and Suspension

Academic Standing

A KGST student must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing. Evaluation of academic standing occurs at the end of each full-time semester, or upon completion of 6 semester hours.

Probation

The director places a student on probation at the end of the first semester (or first 6 hours) that the cumulative graduate GPA falls below a 3.0. The director may place the student on continued probation for one more term if the term GPA is not 3.0 or higher during the first term of probation. The director may, at the discretion of the graduate faculty, place a student on probation any time the student earns a grade below C.

Suspension

The director places a student on suspension for one semester at the end of a second successive semester (or 6 hours) that the student’s cumulative graduate GPA falls below a 3.0, unless the director grants the student continued probation as specified in the preceding paragraph. The director suspends a student from the program after a third successive semester (or 6 hours) that a student’s cumulative graduate GPA falls below a 3.0, regardless of the term GPA. The director may suspend a student immediately any time the student’s semester GPA falls below a 2.0, regardless of previous average. The director may, at the discretion of the graduate faculty, place a student on suspension any time the student earns a grade below C. A suspended student who wishes to resume the program must petition the KGST director.

The procedure is as follows:

• The student submits to the director a formal request to re-enter the program.
• The director, the dean and the graduate committee review the petition.
• The director notifies the student of the decision to accept or reject the petition.

Research Languages

PhD students must demonstrate reading proficiency in German. A student may substitute another language for German (e.g., French, Latin, Spanish, etc.) if that student demonstrates the substituted language is more useful in the dissertation research than German. Students must demonstrate reading ability in German (or the substituted language) prior to sitting for the comprehensive examinations.

Satisfying the Language Requirements

Students satisfy language requirements by taking reading knowledge language courses at another institutionally accredited institution whether seminary, university or college (minimum of two hours each), and transferring those credits to the KGST. Completing and transferring these credits from other schools satisfies the requirements of BI 9044 Secondary Language Proficiency Exam.

Suggested Language Courses through Other Institutions

Liberty University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison offer language courses for reading knowledge in both German and French. These Internet courses fully satisfy the doctoral language requirement. Students may start a course at any time during the year; tuition costs are reasonable. Students who take this route simply send in their official grade report for the language which will be substituted as the grade for the proficiency exam normally taken at the KGST.

For more information visit the following URLs:

Liberty University
URL: https://www.liberty.edu/casas/continuing-ed/writing-languages/
German Reading Proficiency: GRP_FY20_001
Direct any additional questions to Liberty University.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison
German course URL: https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/german-reading/
French course URL:
https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/classes/french-reading-translation -online/
Direct any additional questions to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Purpose of Doctoral Program

The purpose of the PhD in Biblical Studies is to provide a quality program for the preparation of well trained, morally oriented, and ethically driven scholars in their chosen fields. Graduates will be able to realize careers in teaching, research, and diverse fields of ministerial occupations. The program’s design provides graduates with essential knowledge in the key areas of biblical studies and prepares them for scholarly endeavors. Therefore, the goals of the program are as follows:

1. To prepare graduates for entry-level teaching positions in public, private, and governmental sectors and for postdoctoral research.
2. To provide general course work in biblical studies and specific course work in religious history, theology, biblical backgrounds, archaeology, biblical and related languages, and biblical interpretation.
3. To provide graduates with specific and general knowledge and a range of skills in the key areas of reading, writing, speaking, researching, and analyzing which lead to excellence in a variety of career options.

Learning Objectives

Graduates of the PhD in Biblical Studies program should be able to:

1. Translate and analyze the original languages of the biblical text.
2. Translate and analyze the languages of scholarly research.
3. Interpret the biblical text.
4. Contextualize the biblical text in the process of interpretation.
5. Defend original, scholarly research in the field of biblical studies.
6. Apply scholarship and course content to the life of the church.

Master of Philosophy

After passing the comprehensive exam, and before completing a dissertation, a qualified PhD student may apply for and obtain a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree. To qualify the student must have exhibited suitable research, maintained a 3.0 grade point average, and passed the comprehensive exam. The MPhil degree is essentially a milestone on the way to the PhD in Biblical Studies. The MPhil is not a free-standing degree program within the Kearley Graduate School of Theology. A doctoral student who withdraws after receiving the MPhil degree is ineligible to reapply for the PhD program at KGST. Students who apply ThM credit to their PhD program are not eligible to receive the MPhil. For more information, see above on the “PhD Credit Policy” under the Master of Theology program.

Dissertation Policies and Procedures

Pass/Fail Dissertation Modules

The PhD degree plan includes five dissertation modules, one of which (RD 9025) serves as a continuation of the dissertation process for students who may need extra time, for completion of the dissertation. Each module has specific requirements. A faculty member assigns a grade of Pass or Fail for each dissertation module. A student who fails a dissertation module must retake that module. If a student fails a dissertation module a second time, the program director suspends the student from the PhD program. A suspended student who wishes to resume the program must petition the director of the KGST. The procedure is as follows.

• The student submits to the director a formal request to re-enter the PhD program.
• The Director, the Dean and the graduate committee review the petition.
• The director notifies the student of the decision to accept or reject the petition.

Defense and Acceptance of Dissertation

The director of the KGST appoints a dissertation chair and two other faculty members as a student’s Dissertation Committee. The Director makes appointments based on the requests of the student and the agreement of the faculty members involved. The student defends the dissertation before the assigned chair and at least two other faculty members identified by the director. When the Committee determines that the student has successfully defended the dissertation, the Committee will determine whether it is “distinguished” with “minor typographical and/or stylistic corrections,” “satisfactory” but “requiring considerable editing or significant additional elaboration,” “unsatisfactory” in which a “rewritten or new thesis/dissertation may be submitted no earlier than a year later,” or “unacceptable” in which “no provision for submission” is allowed.

The Committee documents its decision on defense of the dissertation by adding an Oral Examination Certificate to the student’s academic records. The student then submits an electronic copy (PDF) to the KGST Librarian, who inserts a completed Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance Page, approved by the thesis/dissertation committee and the Director. The librarian will then make the thesis available in the library catalog. In conjunction with the KGST librarian, the student should also make copies available to the Theological Research and Exchange Network (TREN) as decided by faculty agreement.

In order to graduate with a PhD in Biblical Studies, a student must: earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on all course work attempted for the degree, earn at least a B in each course required for the degree, successfully pass one 6-hour exam and two 3-hour exams covering the courses taken, successfully defend the required dissertation, and complete the PhD program within a time limit of ten calendar years from initial admission.

In addition, the student must submit a graduation application by the appropriate due date to the Registrar’s Office, and pay all obligations to the university. Beginning in the semester a student expects to complete all requirements for the PhD degree. Upon confirmation that the student has met all relevant requirements, the university Registrar will confer the degree and post on the student’s official transcript the degree earned. Any time after the degree is posted, the graduate may arrange for the Registrar’s office to send to any interested

The Registrar’s Office normally mails diplomas within two weeks after graduation. Graduating PhD students indicate on their graduation applications whether or not they intend to participate in the commencement program. Those who do choose not to participate in the spring commencement must also notify the director. Students will be invited to participate in an annual survey from KGST for five years after graduation. Their participation is strongly encouraged and aids in accreditation reports.

Course Instruction Formats

Classes in the PhD in Biblical Studies program normally include five full-day collaborative sessions.

1. This schedule accommodates students whose live participation might be prohibitively limited by time and distance.
2. This schedule permits ministers, teachers, and other professionals to engage in live online collaboration and instruction–without taking leave from their employment.
3. This schedule enables students to balance study time, work obligations, and family responsibilities.

Individual professors may at times adjust the format of this schedule.

KGST students use web-based learning resources that facilitate live online learning, which may include but not necessarily be limited to any of the following.

Online video recordings of all the student’s live class lectures and collaborative sessions, available online, Class, notes, and materials, and lectures posted on the class web site,

Internet and Computer Requirements for Live Web Collaboration

KGST students must have ready access to updated technologies in order to participate in live virtual collaborative sessions. Current technology requirements are detailed in the university’s Online Student Handbook Supplement. Students access this information at https://www.faulkner.edu/wp-content/uploads/onlinestudenthandbook.pdf. The following sections of that handbook supplement are particularly significant to participation in this program:

1. Accessing Faulkner University Online
2. Minimum Technical Requirements and Skills
3. Student Support: Technical Support

Minimum Technical Requirements for Online Learning through KGST

KGST students must have ready access to updated technologies in order to participate in live virtual collaborative sessions. Current technology requirements are detailed at: https://www.faulkner.edu/about-faulkner/technology/. Minimal technology requirements for online learning through the Kearley Graduate School of Theology include the following:

• Personal computer- Smart phones, tablets (including iPads), and other mobile computing devices may not be able to perform all tasks necessary to participate fully in an online course.
• Operating system: Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.10 or later, or Linux (Debian 7, Fedora 17, OpenSuSE 12.2, Ubuntu 12.04).
• Hardware- Processor: 1.5 GHz dual-core Intel Pentium 4; Intel Pentium 3; Athlon 64; Free RAM: 128 MB; Free disk space: 100 MB; Monitor: Color with a resolution of at least 800 x 600; Graphics card: 128 MB; Broadband network adapter; 100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card and speakers.
• Broadband Internet access- DSL, cable, not “dial up”; WiFi or mobile (e.g., 3G, 4G) connections are not recommended for taking examinations, participating in video conferences, or engaging in other activities that require especially stable connections.
• Web browser- Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox (current stable release); Apple Safari and Internet Explorer users may experience difficulties with some learning management systems or other web components.

PhD Comprehensive Examination Qualifications and Procedures

To qualify for the Comprehensive Examination,

1. A student must have completed 43 hours of required courses. These include three foundation courses, six core courses, and six textual seminars.
2. The student must register for BI 9046 Comprehensive Examination for Doctor of Philosophy.
3. The Comprehensive Examination will consist of three written tests, administered over a three- day period.
4. Professors who taught the student will evaluate student responses to questions about the subjects that they taught to the student.
5. Faculty evaluate the student’s overall response to the Comprehensive Examination by grading it as “Pass” or “Fail.”
6. A student who fails the exam must retake the questions missed.
7. A student may retake the exam as early as agreed upon by the Director, the faculty involved, and the student, up to the end of the following semester.
8. A student who fails the exam a second time may not retake the exam without the approval of the Director.
9. To request a third opportunity to take the Comprehensive Examination a student must submit a formal petition to the Director. The Director will then chair a faculty committee for consideration of the petition. Committees will approve petitions only in very unusual circumstances

Total Hours - 55