Doctor of Theology

Program Code: D-DIV-THD
Degree Designation: Doctor of Theology
Department: Divinity School
Website: divinity.duke.edu/academics/thd

Program Summary

The Doctor of Theology (ThD) program provides students with academically rigorous doctoral training for theological engagement with the faith and practices of Christian communities. The program was initiated, in part, to extend doctoral training at Duke to areas of study outside of the scope of most PhD programs. The ThD allows concentration in the core areas of the theological curriculum as they attend to and enable critical and constructive reflection on the faith and practices of Christian life and community. Creative interdisciplinary and integrative study with this focus is particularly encouraged.

Student Learning Outcomes

Through study and engagement within this program, students will be able to:

• Hone a student’s ability to reason and reflect theologically about Christian texts, traditions, and practices in the selected area of study;

• Produce original scholarship that demonstrates sophisticated research, clarity of writing, critical thinking, and theological argumentation;

• Engage different academic disciplines so as to formulate creative, constructive, and contextually informed proposals that address current needs;

• Demonstrate working knowledge of at least two modern languages (other than English) appropriate for the student's area of research.

Academic Requirements

• Coursework

  • XTIANTHE 950

  • 11 additional courses 800-level or above

• Competency in 2 Modern Languages

• Exams and Dissertation

Coursework

• Twelve courses are required over two years. The normal load is three courses per semester. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.

  • At least six courses must be related to the student’s primary concentration.

  • At least three courses must be related to the student’s secondary concentration.

    • All students must take the ThD core seminar in their first semester (XTIANTHE 950). This seminar may count as a primary or secondary concentration course with the Director’s approval.

• Students normally take courses at the 800 or 900-level. (Note: Doctoral-level courses offered by other schools of the University such as Law or Business may follow a different numbering system. ThD students do not need to seek the Director’s permission to enroll in such courses.) With approval of the instructor and the Matriculation Committee, students may enroll in courses under the 800-level; a condition for some of these courses may be that requirements be adjusted to a level appropriate to doctoral study, though the course number will not change. Students cannot take more than four of their twelve courses below the 800-level. Such flexibility can allow ThD students to take University degree certificates open to doctoral students that make sense to their research emphases. With approvals from the instructor and Director, a non-900 level  Divinity course can be made into a 900-level one.

  • For graduation purposes, the Director’s approval of any courses under the 800-level must be placed on the student’s Stellic.

• Students may normally take no more than four courses in schools or departments outside of Duke Divinity School. These courses must be congruent with the student’s general program of study.

• A student taking an overload (more than 3 classes for credit per semester) should inform the ThD Director and confirm with Academics. Aid issues will be at play if a student decides to overload one term and then go part-time in another term.

• Students may audit courses or take undergraduate courses that do not give graduate course credit (examples include recreational classes or foreign languages), both while they are in coursework and continuation.

• Students may take courses for credit while in continuation only with approval so that tuition can be adjusted. They should inform the ThD Director at registration of such plans.

• Students may transfer in a maximum of three courses taken prior to matriculation if the following conditions are met (see transfer credit policy on the intranet for application):

  • These courses must have been taken after receiving the MDiv, MTS, or other degree that qualified the student for application to the ThD program.

  • These courses may not have been used to complete a previous degree.

  • These courses must have been offered at an appropriate graduate level (and normally at an ATS accredited school), and they should be congruent with the student’s program of study in the ThD.

  • Decisions on transfer of courses must be confirmed around first-year registration into the ThD at Duke Divinity School. Academics reviews all applications.

  • If students transfer in the maximum of three courses, their required full-time enrollment (and any corresponding tuition award) will be reduced by one semester. 

Exams

• Demonstrated competence in two modern research languages other than English. Additional proficiency may be required in light of the student’s particular research interests

• Written preliminary examinations (including at least one in the primary area, one in the secondary area, and a dissertation exam)

• An oral preliminary examination in which members of the student’s preliminary examination committee will ask the student to discuss the issues treated in the written examinations

Dissertation

Completion and defense of an academic dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to contribute to scholarly discourse and to bring that discourse to bear on the ministries and practices of Christian communities.

Arc of the Program and Continuance Requirements

ThD students complete their coursework over the first two years of their program. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 during coursework; failure to do so may mean dismissal from the program. Once a student finishes coursework, they are registered with a continuation status until the completion of the dissertation.

During these first two years (including summers), students should pass their language exams. Students cannot take their preliminary examinations until they have completed their coursework and passed their language exams.

After coursework, students are enrolled under a continuance status until they finish their dissertation. Normally, students should take and pass their preliminary examinations during their third year. If students do not pass their preliminary exams by the end of the fall semester of their fourth year, they may be dismissed from the program.

Students should schedule their dissertation proposal defense with their dissertation committee three months after passing preliminary exams. If students take longer than six months after preliminary examinations to pass their dissertation proposal defense, they may be dismissed from the program. The same is true for those taking longer than four years (eight semesters) after their preliminary examinations to pass their dissertation defense.