Ph.D. Historical Theology

"Faith has nothing to fear from Historical Research"
-Pope John Paul II
(1999 address)

Introduction

The Doctor of Philosophy in Historical Theology degree is based upon the Catholic tradition and approaches theology from an historical perspective. This comprehensive way of examining theological issues takes a double thrust, namely studying the issues within their own context of time and place while also relating them to the broad developments within the tradition of Christian theology from the early church to the present day. The program prepares students for teaching, research, and publication.

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Admission and Application

Admission requires transcripts from all previous post-secondary education indicating at least a bachelor's degree and GRE general test scores not more than five years old. In addition to three academic letters of recommendation, the applicant is also to submit a carefully written two to three page statement indicating personal and academic goals.

Applications for the Ph.D. program in historical theology must be completed by February 1st in order to begin the program in the subsequent fall semester. Students may begin the Ph.D. program only in the Fall Semester. All applicants for this program must apply through the Graduate School under the rubric of "classified" status. The application may be downloaded here.

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General Prerequisites

• Undergraduate major in theology (18 hours)
• Nine credit hours of upper-division undergraduate philosophy courses, and
• Nine credit hours of upper-division history-of-Western-civilization, and
• M.A. degree in Historical Theology or the equivalent.

Deficiencies may be satisfied through specific, intensive, prerequisite courses offered by the Department of Theological Studies.

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Course of Study

(30 of courses plus 12 hours of dissertation researach)

• Specific Prerequisite Courses
  
  Acceptance into the program is based upon the general prerequisites listed above. However, the following three 500 level courses are required of all incoming Ph.D. students:
  
  TH-A 520 Historical Method
  TH-A-536 Theological Method
  TH-A 526 Comparative Theology.
  
  
  Additionally, depending on the nature of the equivalency of the M.A. in Historical Theology, the following prerequisites are often required and explicitly listed on the official acceptance form:
  
  TH-A 521 Survey of Early Church
  TH-A 522 Survey of Medieval Church
  TH-A 523 Survey of Modern European Church
  TH-A 524 Survey of American Church
  
  When any of the above four prerequisites have been assigned in the formal acceptance of the student into the Ph.D. program, the student may challenge any or all of them. Those who wish to do so must fill out a "Challenge Exam Form" during the first month of study in the program. A syllabus demonstrating that a course taken previously may fulfill the prerequisite should be attached to this form. If a syllabus of the previous course is not available, the student should identify the specific course in the transcripts and provide a summary of the contents of that course. Upon review of this information and subsequent approval by the director of graduate studies, the student will be permitted to take the challenge examination. Any challenge examinations must be taken within the first semester of the program.
  
  
• Required Courses (24 hours)
  
  Minimally, two courses of research problems (6 hours) chosen according to the student's interest and specialization. These two courses are to be selected from the following four:
  
  TH-A-601 Research Problems in Early Church
  TH-A-602 Research Problems in Medieval Church
  TH-A-603 Research Problems in Modern European Church
  TH-A-604 Research Problems in American Church
  
  Minimally six advanced seminars (18 hours) are required. At least three of these advanced seminars are to be chosen from the one specific field of the student's specialization. The remaining three seminars may be taken in any combination according to the student's interest. These six required seminars are to be chosen from among the following:
  
  TH-A-611 Early Church Seminar
  TH-A-612 Medieval Church Seminar
  TH-A-614 Modern European Church Seminar
  TH-A-615 American Church Seminar
  
  
• Elective Courses (6 hours)
  
  Two additional electives may be chosen from any of the 600 level seminars offered by the Department of Theological Studies or, after consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, by other departments in the university.

• Dissertation Research (12 hours)
  
  Students may register for 12 hours of dissertation research as soon as they have completed their 30 hours of required coursework. Afterwards, students must register for 0 hours each semester to maintain continuous registration.
  
  
• Continuous Registration
  
  From the first semester of course work until the final semester of graduation, the student must be continuously registered, even if for 0 credit hours. Otherwise the student is not considered a student at the university. Continuous registration for the fall and spring semesters (but not the summer) is the responsibility of the student; failure to register each semester results in significant fines imposed by the Graduate School.
  
  
• Required Grades
  
  

  To remain in good academic standing the Department expects the student to maintain a 3.5 (B+) grade point average.

  Regarding lower grade point averages, the Graduate School policy is as follows:

  "If the cumulative grade point average of a Classified student in The Graduate School falls below 3.0 (on the four-point scale, "B" = 3.0), that student is automatically placed on academic probation. To continue degree pursuit, the student must progress toward a 3.0 cumulative average and is expected to emerge from academic probation within nine (9) credit-hours or two successive academic terms during which coursework registrations are recorded. A student in The Graduate School will not be advanced to Candidate status while on academic probation. In general, doctoral students are expected to achieve at the 'B+' level in postbaccalaureate academic work."

  
  
  
• Time Frame
  
  The student is expected to complete the program and graduate within five years (from the date the student began the Ph.D. program). Extensions are granted reluctantly, and only upon evidence of progress in research and writing. Extensions are never granted unless the student has completed 12 hours of dissertation research. If the student, however, does not complete the dissertation proposal within one year after passing comprehensive examinations, the department will not recommend any extension of time for completing the dissertation.
  
  
• Residency
  
  Ph.D. students are expected to remain in residence, doing study and research, and participating in doctoral colloquia for the duration of their program, until graduation. In rare cases, students may petition to be non-resident only after they have completed all their course-work, their comprehensive examinations and have had their programmatic essay approved. This petition does not excuse students from participating in the regular doctoral colloquia in their research field.
• Participation
  
  The student is expected to participate in the life of the university and of the department. Each student should contribute to the development of a community of scholars. Attendance at special academic events sponsored by the Department is of utmost importance. Those who have advanced to candidacy are required to participate in a doctoral colloquium until the dissertation is completed and accepted.
  
  

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Language Competencies

Before admission to the comprehensive examinations, all Ph.D. students are expected to demonstrate competency in Greek, Latin, French and German. (Substitutions for any of these four are normally not permitted.) Competency in these four languages is to be demonstrated by passing a two-hour written examination prepared and administered by the Department of Theological Studies and graded on a Pass/Fail basis by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Courses offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages are available as preparation for the departmental examination. For this examination, the student may use a dictionary.

Compentency in any language (beyond the above four required languages) necessary for the student's disseratation must be demonstrated prior to approval of the dissertation proposal.

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Academic Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the student's initial adviser. Throughout the duration of the program, the student must meet once each semester with the director of graduate studies at the time of registration to review progress in the program. As the student's academic focus becomes clear, the student is urged to seek out an adviser from among members of the faculty, whose area of specialization is similar to the student's and who can best direct the student's studies. The student should then inform the Director of Graduate Studies of the adviser chosen.

Student responsibilities:

• Communicate regularly with the adviser.
• Investigate and plan scheduling possibilities.
• Learn and follow all requirements, procedures, and deadlines.

Adviser responsibilities:

• Be familiar with the overall program and the student's interests.
• Confer regularly and help the student prepare a teaching dossier.
• Be aware of the duties of research assistants.
• Know graduate school policies.

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Financial Aid

Financial aid is possible in the form of a research assistantship and in the form of tuition remission.

Research Assistants: For a research assistantship, apply during the month of March for the following academic year. Application forms are available in the Departmental office. Benefits for full time assistants include: an annual stipend of $10,500, health insurance, and 18 credit hours of tuition remission to be divided between the fall and spring semesters. Full time assistants may not hold any other fellowship, assistantship, or employment during the 9-month appointment. Benefits for half time assistants include: an annual stipend of $5,250 and 12 credit hours to be divided between the fall and spring semesters. All research assistants are required to be in good academic standing and to have no delinquent "Incompletes." Download application here

For Ph.D. students, the Department of Theological Studies, in cooperation with other entities of the university, normally grants an assistantship for at least three years (presuming good academic standing and good performance reviews). A fourth year may be possible, but students are encouraged to pursue other sources of funding.

Responsibilities for research assistants:
• Full assistants are required to work twenty hours per week during the academic semester. Half time assistants are required to work ten hours per week. Assistants are accountable for the required hours.
• Assistants are to meet with their assigned faculty member and communicate regularly, preferably each week.
• Assistants should assist professors in their research and in their work on specific academic projects. Results will be delivered to the assigned professor in the form of abstracts, papers, dossiers, photocopies of books and journals, notes, or by providing the actual sources. They may be asked to assist in editing or help in the preparation of conferences and lectures.
• Assistants may be asked to teach some classes or help in the preparation of classes.
• During the month of April, the research assistant is to submit a written report to the Director of Graduate Studies, detailing the type of work done and evaluating the overall experience. This is to be completed before the student can be considered for renewal of the assistantship.

Responsibilities for faculty members:
• State research objectives clearly at the beginning of the academic year.
• Develop a work plan, provide research tools, and direct students in the performance of their duties.
• Meet with the assistant regularly, preferably weekly, in order to deal with any questions or problems in a timely manner.
• Insure that all research work is ordered toward the academic development of the student. (Research assistants are neither private secretaries nor factotums, and they may not carry out work that is not directly related to professional and academic responsibilities of the professor or of the department.)
• Acknowledge contributions of research assistants in any publication or particular project.
• During the month of April, submit a written report to the Director of Graduate Studies on the quality of the assistant's work and make a recommendation for possible renewal.

Tuition Remission: For those students who do not have a research assistantship, one-third tuition remission is normally available to part-time students, and one half-tuition remission is often available to full-time students. Tuition remission may be applied only to courses required for the degree. Although the department attempts to meet the needs of all students, demands always exceed the available resources. Students should investigate other sources of funding. The Office of Research Services at 314-977-2241 and the Office of Financial Aid at 314-977-2350 are two excellent services located on campus.

Student responsibilities:
• Fill out a tuition remission application by mid-November for tuition remission in the spring semester and by mid-April for tuition remission in the summer and fall semesters. Forms are available in the department office.
• Tuition remission is granted only to students in good academic standing and to those who have no delinquent "Incomplete" in their record.

Other Possibilities:

Various forms of funded assistantships are periodically available from other university or non-university resources.

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Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination

A student may be admitted to the comprehensive examination during the last semester of course work or in the semester subsequent to the last semester of courses. It consists of a twelve hour written comprehensive examination. After successful completion of this written examination, the student may proceed to the second part of the examination, a two-hour oral examination. In this examination of two components, the student is expected to demonstrate an exceptional and comprehensive knowledge of the chosen major field, both in its sources and in its current scholarship, and in languages beyond English. In the minor field, the student is expected to have a reasonable yet extensive knowledge of the period in its sources and in its current scholarship. Minimally, beyond the material covered in the courses, preparation for the comprehensive examination requires six months of intensive reading and preparation.

As part of preparation for the comprehensive examination, the student should construct an extensive reading list for both the major and minor fields drawn from the courses taken and from the additional research into the period(s) by the student. Each reading list, drawn up as part of the preparation for the comprehensive examination, should be approved by one of the graduate professors specialized in that specific period, three months prior to the examination.

• Twelve hour written comprehensive: Eight hours of the written examination will be comprised of questions pertaining to the student's primary area of study. There will be a minimum of two examiners for the primary area. The four remaining hours of the written examination may be comprised of questions proper to the secondary area or areas. There will be a maximum of two examiners for any secondary areas.
• Two-hour oral comprehensive: Minimally, one hour of the oral examination should focus on the major period and, minimally, one-half hour should focus on the secondary area(s). The oral comprehensive examination is normally to be scheduled around ten days after successful completion of the written examination.
• Examination Committee: The examination committee consists of four faculty members chosen by virtue of their specializations according to the major and other areas to be examined. The graduate faculty, upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies, chooses a fifth member at large. All five examiners evaluate the written comprehensives and cast a ballot at the conclusion of the oral examination.
• Selection of the Examination Committee: Minimally six months prior to the proposed date for the comprehensive examination, after consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, the student should request as examiners the service of four faculty members specialized in the pertinent major and/or other areas.
• After the student has received the consent of four faculty members, the departmental "Comprehensive Exam Data Form" should be completed, signed by the student's advisor, and delivered to the Director of Graduate Studies. The graduate faculty must then formally appoint the examination committee, selecting also a fifth examiner. Immediately prior to the date of the written comprehensive examination, the student should also complete the "Doctoral Oral Exam Committee Form" (available in the departmental office) and see that it is sent to the Doctoral Candidacy Advisor in the Graduate School.
• If the written component of the examination is not passed, the student may not proceed to the oral examination. In that case, the student may, according to the recommendation of the examination committee, retake the entire written examination, or failed portions thereof, within three months. This may, however, be done only once. In event of failure of the oral comprehensive, the oral examination in its entirety may, upon recommendation of the examination committee, be retaken within three months. This may, however, be done only once.

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Advancement to Candidacy

After notification from the Dean of the Graduate School that the comprehensive examinations have been successfully passed, the Doctoral Candidacy Advisor of the Graduate School will send candidacy papers to the student's home address. Candidacy papers include the following: (a) application for candidacy; (b) dissertation proposal prospectus; (c) formatting guide; (d) overview of candidacy and graduation procedures. To complete the application process for promotion to candidacy, the student must first complete, and have approved by the graduate faculty, the dissertation proposal, that is, a programmatic essay.

• Programmatic Essay: Although the programmatic essay (also known as a 'dissertation proposal') should offer a detailed research plan, it should be as brief as possible. It is to include the following: (a) clear articulation of a thesis and cogent explanation of the significance of the thesis; (b) explanation of problems and issues relating to the proposed thesis; (c) exhaustive bibliography of the pertinent primary and secondary literature and engagement of that literature as it relates to the proposed thesis; (d) identification of the method to be employed and a description of any ancillary skills necessary to complete the proposed research plan.
  
  
• Review and Acceptance of the Programmatic Essay: During the course of preparation of the programmatic essay, the student should request the assistance and advice of three faculty members, one of whom is to be asked to serve as the director. Once the essay has received the approval of the three readers, five copies are to be forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee for review, along with the application for candidacy papers. The signatures of the dissertation committee members must be appended to this document as certification that they have approved of the Programmatic Essay.
  
  The Graduate Studies Committee reviews the submission and may ask for revisions or corrections (in consultation with the dissertation director). Once a corrected copy has been received, the essay will be forwarded electronically to the Graduate Faculty. In any member of the Graduate faculty has serious reservations or formally wishes to suggest notable change or modification, (s)he is to submit this in writing by way of e-mail to the Director of Graduate Studies prior to the meeting of the Graduate faculty. Such queries will then be addressed by the Graduate faculty as a whole. Approval of the essay is by majority vote, at which point the dissertation committee is formally appointed. After its approval, the essay will be archived electronically on the Departmental web-site and will be accessible to all faculty and graduate students. This process can take several weeks. In order to apply for a dissertation fellowship, this graduate faculty approval must be obtained by the end of February.
  
  
• Application for Advancement to Candidacy: With the formal faculty approval of the essay and the appointment of the dissertation committee, the student must submit to the Graduate School Doctoral Candidacy Advisor the completed application and a copy of the completed dissertation prospectus. Copies of both of these are also to be given to the Director of Graduate Studies for inclusion in the student's file.
  
  
• Advancement to Candidacy: When the student is advanced to candidacy, the student will receive an official letter of notification from the Dean of the Graduate School. With this letter the Dean confirms the departmental approval and identifies the student as a doctoral candidate. During the entire period of candidacy, which lasts until graduation, the student should be registered for dissertation credit hours. After completion of 12 hours of dissertation research, the student may register for zero hours.
  
  
• Writing the Dissertation: The Chicago Manual of Style (latest edition) is normally to serve as the comprehensive guide for the format of the work and the documentation of sources. The writing of the dissertation is to be done expeditiously; extensions are only reluctantly given, and only for serious reasons. When extensions are granted, the Graduate School normally imposes one additional dissertation hour to be paid by the student.
  
  
• Doctoral Colloquium: In conjunction with the specialized 600 level research seminars, several sessions each semester, approximately one session each month, will be designated as the "doctoral colloquium." These sessions are designed for those who are writing a dissertation in the given specialized area. The doctoral colloquium serves as the primary forum for receiving critique and direction necessary for completion of the dissertation. Those students who have advanced to candidacy are required to participate.

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Public Defense of the Dissertation

As the dissertation nears completion and all three members of the dissertation committee have given initial oral approval, the doctoral candidate may, upon notification of the Director of Graduate Studies, contact the departmental administrative clerk to set a date for the dissertation defense. At this time, the director of the dissertation, upon the request of the candidate, should complete and send to the Graduate School Doctoral Candidacy Advisor the "Notification of Readiness for Public Oral Presentation of the Ph.D. Dissertation." After reception of this form, the Doctoral Candidacy Advisor will send the three official ballots to the departmental administrative clerk.

At this time, the candidate should forward to the Graduate School Doctoral Candidacy Advisor a copy of the dissertation for "format review." A disk that contains the "vita auctoris" and a "digest" of the dissertation is also to be sent at this time.

• Dissertation Defense Format: During a session of one and a half hours, chaired by the director of the dissertation, the candidate will make an initial oral thirty-minute presentation. Each of the dissertation committee members will then be allotted fifteen minutes for questions. The remaining fifteen minutes will allow for questions from anyone attending the defense. A representative of the Graduate School, who will monitor the defense, may likewise question the candidate.
• Upon completion of the public defense, the official written ballots should be completed by the dissertation committee and returned to the Graduate School Doctoral Candidacy Advisor.

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Toward Graduation

The final step toward graduation is to present the Doctoral Candidacy Advisor with two copies of the final version of the dissertation on cotton paper. At this time it is presumed all grades are complete, including an "IP" (In Progress) for the twelve dissertation hours as well as for any and all of the 0 hours for which the candidate may have registered. When these two copies of the dissertation on cotton paper are presented, the final forms for graduation are likewise to be completed and delivered.

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Special Opportunities

• Jesuit Language Immersion Scholarship
  
  The Saint Louis University Jesuit Community has made available funds for Ph.D. graduate students in Historical Theology. These funds are designated for language immersion programs to assist the student to develop further skills in specialized research. Students who have already demonstrated competency in three of the four languages required for the Ph.D. and have completed all the 500 level prerequisite courses may apply for this scholarship.
  
  Funding up to the maximum amount of $2500 will normally be allocated to the following: (a) students who plan to enroll in a specific program of intensive language study of Latin or Greek in the United States or abroad; (b) students who are seeking to immerse themselves in French or German (or another language pertinent to their research) by traveling abroad and enrolling in advanced intensive language courses or in historical theology classes/seminars offered in these languages at accredited universities or institutes. A majority of the funds will be allocated for immersion in languages abroad.
  
  Application forms are available in the department office (or by download here) and are to be submitted by March 1st for use during the following summer.
  
  The graduate studies committee will review all the applications and make their recommendations to the chair of the department for a decision.
  
  Upon completion of a language immersion program, the student, in accordance with university travel policy, must submit a brief written report to the chair of the department.
  
  
• Graduate Student Teaching
  
  Under normal circumstances, graduate students do not teach unless the comprehensive examinations have been successfully completed and the student has advanced to candidacy and completed the Effective Teaching Seminar Certification from the Center for Teaching Excellence.
  
  A student who qualifies, or is about to qualify, may make a formal request in writing to the Chair of the Department by the end of September, prior to the academic year in which the student would teach. (The timing of the request is necessary since the schedule for classes is decided one academic year in advance.) The acceptance of the request is the responsibility of the chair. In accepting the request, the chair hires the graduate student as adjunct faculty. The chair will hire the student to teach only upon reception of a letter of recommendation from a member of the faculty who has worked with the student requesting the teaching assignment. The chair will provide initial orientation into teaching within the Department and subsequently appoint a faculty teaching mentor.
  
  The faculty mentor is responsible for the following: (a) assist in the formation of the class syllabus; (b) visit the class and evaluate performance twice during the semester; (c) write a brief report for the chair at the end of the semester.
  
  The student, before beginning the course, is required to consult with the faculty mentor in preparation of the syllabus, and at the end of the course the student should submit to the chair a brief report of the teaching experience. Above all, the student must take full responsibility for the course.
  
  
• Departmental Graduate Student Advisory Council
  
  The DGSAC is a committee of four graduate students in Historical Theology who meet periodically with the Director of Graduate Studies to plan and facilitate events for the graduate life of the department. They also provide continuing review of the program. The four students represent four different years of entry into the program and are elected to serve for one year by the students who began their full time study in that specific year. The departmental representative to the Graduate Student Advisory Council of the Graduate School is an "ex officio" member.
  
  
• Graduate Student Association
  
  The GSA represents all full-time and part-time students enrolled in the Graduate School. It sponsors the annual Graduate Student Research Symposium to showcase graduate student research. The GSA also helps with funding for travel to academic conferences and for meeting publication expenses. The Department of Theological Studies has a representative to the university Graduate Student Association. This representative serves as a liaison between theology graduate students and the other graduate students throughout the university. It is important for students to be in communication with the departmental liaison. Visit the GSA Website.
  
  
• Center for Teaching Excellence
  
  The Center for Teaching Excellence supports faculty and graduate students in the development of instructional skills and individual teaching pedagogy. For this purpose, two teaching certificate programs are available. Selected mentors guide participants through the program. During their course of study, all Ph.D. students in the Historical Theology program are strongly urged to acquire a teaching certificate. Visit the CTE Website.
  
  
• Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
  
  The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CMRS) offers a graduate certificate program with a concentration in either Medieval or the Renaissance areas. This certificate program seeks to increase the range and applicability of the student's research and teaching as well as to provide additional credentials in pursuit of academic positions.
  
  The basic structure of the program consists of fifteen credit hours. Six hours are taken within the student's own admitting department and six credit hours are taken in one or two other participating departments. Many of these hours may overlap with the student's already required Ph.D. courses. However, an additional three hour "foundations" course and an inter-disciplinary "capstone project" are required.
  
  Interested parties may obtain a "Petition to Pursue a Certificate within a Degree Program" from the CMRS Office, Humanities 317. When the form has been completed, it is first submitted to the student's admitting department, then to the Director of the CMRS, and finally to the Graduate School Office for evaluation and approval.
  
  Visit the CMRS Website.
  
  
• Puleo Scholarship
  
  The Mev Puleo Scholarship offers a unique opportunity for students in the department. It combines formal study and experiential learning to foster awareness and understanding of the people and culture of Latin American countries, Liberation Theology and the influence and role of the Catholic Church as an agent of change in Latin America.
  
  Learn more about this program here.
  
  
• Theology Digest
  
  Theology Digest is a quarterly journal published by the Department of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. Theological articles published in languages other than English are translated, discussed, and digested for publication in English. Professors and students have the opportunity to participate in this project. Theology Digest sponsors a regular weekly meeting for discussion of current theological issues.
  
  Visit the Theology Digest Website.
  
  
• Language Reading Groups
  
  Language Reading Groups meet informally upon availability of a professor throughout the semester to encourage development and retention of language skills. These groups are usually headed by a professor and tend to focus upon primary texts in differing languages.
  
  

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