The Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies (PhD) is a four-year minimum program with a two-year residency in Hamilton, MA. It prepares Christian leaders from around the globe to conduct rigorous scholarship and to teach theological studies while cultivating spiritual depth and personal integrity.
With an emphasis on global outreach and engagement, applying contextual awareness, affirming an orthodox theology, and helping students to graduate debt-free, the program is the seminal expression of the seminary’s distinctives.
Please fill out an inquiry form at the bottom of the page if you are interested in the program or have questions. Our Admissions team will contact you with more information.
Our PhD in Theological Studies prioritizes the integration of scholarly and theological formation with spiritual formation. We believe in theology “done on one’s knees,” and we want to equip intellectuals and scholars to invest in the spiritual development of students and the Church through the academy.
Theology/Ethics
Mission/World Christianity
This list is provided for your convenience. It seeks to be accurate and up-to-date but does not replace your graduation check sheet as the authoritative statement of degree requirements per your admission.
Prerequisite, Concentration, Dissertation or Other Requirements:
Please note the Pedagogy Practicum, Doctoral Colloquium, and Tutorial requirements as part of the core.
For the “Theology and Ethics” concentration, the following courses will be selected from the Concentration Courses list: ET/TH1160, TH1101, CH/TH1101, MC/SF1102, ET/TH1101, and two additional courses offered through the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium.
For the “Mission and World Christianity” concentration: CH/WM1160, EV/WM1101, CH/WM1101, TH/WM1101, IS/WM1101, and two additional courses offered through the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium.
President and Professor of Missiology
Professor of Church History and Spiritual Formation
Eva B. and Paul E. Toms Distinguished Professor of Mission and Global Christianity
Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Theology
Professor of World Christianity and Asian Studies
Robert E. Cooley Professor of Early Christianity
Mockler Associate Professor of Christian Ethics
Areas of Supervision: Theological, Philosophical, and Social Ethics
Associate Professor of Theology
Areas of Supervision: Doctrine of Christology, Doctrine of the Trinity, Doctrine of God, Hamartiology, Social Ethics
Areas of Supervision: Ancient and Modern Asian Christianity, Mission Theology, History of Global Christianity, History of Mission, Mission History
Areas of Supervision: Medieval and Reformation Studies, Christian Spirituality
Areas of Supervision: Trends in Global Christianity, Global Pentecostalism, Integral Mission and Development, World Religions, Global Christian Leadership and Spirituality
Areas of Supervision: Trinitarian Theology, Theological Hermeneutics, Christology and Pneumatology
Areas of Supervision: Christianity in Confucian and Buddhist Contexts, Study of Chinese Christianity, Mission and World Religions
Areas of Supervision: Ecumenical Councils, Patristic theology, Medieval and Byzantine theology
Areas of Supervision: Theological, Philosophical, and Social Ethics
Doctrine of Christology, Doctrine of the Trinity, Doctrine of God, Hamartiology, Social Ethics
In addition to access to all Gordon-Conwell libraries, PhD students will enjoy full access to the libraries associated with the BTI Consortium to which Gordon-Conwell belongs. World-class consortium seminaries and theological schools include Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Harvard Divinity, and Holy Cross Orthodox School of Theology.
Required Degree:
A Master of Divinity or equivalent; ThM desired. MDiv equivalency to be determined by the PhD Committee on a student-to-student basis.
Minimum GPA:
3.7 on a U.S. scale for all graduate-level work
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Applicants who are promising but cannot demonstrate all requisite academic requirements for embarking on doctoral research, even if they have two master’s degrees, can be initially admitted to one of our ThM programs. It will be determined thereafter whether the student then qualifies to apply to the PhD program.
English Language Requirements:
Non-native English speakers must submit a TOEFL score of 100 or higher (IBT) or 600 (paper-based), or an IELTS score of 7.0 or higher, with results dated within two years of the applied to term. The Duolingo exam is not accepted for the PhD program.
Applicants who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in English from a university in the USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Anglophone Canada are exempt. However, Gordon-Conwell reserves the right to ask for a TOEFL or IELTS exam as needed.
Biblical and Research Language Requirements:
Facility in research languages, including biblical languages, will be determined by the PhD committee on the basis of the proposed area of research. The student will need to obtain independent certification in time for admission to candidacy.
Two-year Residency Requirement:
Gordon-Conwell is committed to residential theological education and vibrant community life. Students are required to remain in residence in Hamilton, MA for two years or until they pass their comprehensive exams.
Prior to beginning the residency, during the preceding summer, an asynchronous online course on Research Methods is required before commencing residency, along with needed work on languages. During the two years of residency, the student will be enrolled in doctoral seminars, participate in research colloquia, and meet regularly with their advisor.
During the candidacy phase the student remains enrolled full-time for an additional two years in which he or she is expected to complete his or her dissertation. This period can be extended by a maximum of four years. Except for leaves of absence, the maximum duration of the program is eight years.
Students Must Commit To:
A Completed Online Application Includes:
We offer a limited number of full fellowships with housing to international students with financial need. Fill out our inquiry form to be contacted by Admissions when more information is available.
We offer full-tuition fellowships to domestic students through the Partnership Program. You may apply for the Partnership Program at the same time as you apply for the PhD program.