Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Interpretation and Theology

Select two of the three following courses:

Select five courses from the BNT, BOT, BTH and THE 900 level offerings.

The student shall, after the completion of the 48 credits of seminars, take the Comprehensive Exams. The exams will be graded Pass or Fail. If a student fails, he/she may petition the Program Director to retake the exam(s). A second failure results in termination from the PhD program. After the successful completion of the Comprehensive Exams the student will prepare and submit the Dissertation Proposal and, upon approval of the proposal, will begin work on the dissertation. For more information about the Comprehensive Exams, see the AGTS PhD BTH Participant Handbook, available from the Program Coordinator's office.

Dissertation Proposal. After all the coursework is completed, the Comprehensive Exams passed, and any co-requisite expectations satisfied, students will submit a Dissertation Proposal. They will work closely with the Advisor /Dissertation Committee chair to make the work a clear, distinct, substantive and unique work. Proposals will be evaluated, and the following assessments offered:

• Accepted, no revisions
• Accepted with minor revisions
• In Process, significant changes needed
• Rejected (This will be rare, especially as the student works with the Advisor; however, there will be one opportunity for a resubmission within six months.)

Dissertation. A research dissertation advances knowledge in the field of study and enables the participant to integrate and apply his or her learning in global academic and ministry contexts.

Dissertation Submission. The student will work closely with his or her Advisor/Dissertation Committee chair on the writing of the dissertation submission and sequentially submit individual chapters. The Advisor/Dissertation Committee chair will give timely critique and feedback and the student is expected to make the appropriate changes and edits. When the dissertation is completed, the student will submit the final draft for review by his or her entire Dissertation Committee, in preparation for the Oral Defense. When the dissertation has been successfully defended and all other graduation details completed, the degree will be awarded.

For more information about the dissertation proposal, submission and defense, see the AGTS PhD BTH Participant Handbook available from the Program Coordinator's office