Program Description

The PhD in Preaching program provides an opportunity for qualified students to engage in graduate work in the discipline of homiletics at the highest level and in a university setting. It provides preparation for research and teaching in undergraduate and graduate theological education and for the development of pastor-scholars. The Baylor program offers a rich study of preaching in relation to exegesis, history, theology, ecclesiology, homiletical structure and practice, and teaching.

I. Program Content Overview

The PhD in Preaching program has both residential and distance students. At least two students per year will be accepted into the residential component of the program, while the remaining will be distance students. A PhD in Preaching orientation will take place before the first seminar for each entering class.

Given the hybrid structure of the program, students will enroll in two one-week intensive courses in the fall and two in the spring. Students will take two courses in one summer and one course in the two other summers. After three full years of course work, students will take comprehensive exams in the fall of the fourth year and begin work on a prospectus. The remainder of the program will be devoted to the dissertation.

All PhD seminars involve pre-seminar and post-seminar work, in addition to the hours in the classroom during the seminar. The syllabus and assignments will be posted on Canvas prior to the seminar. Due dates for assignments post-seminar will be included in the syllabus. PhD in Preaching candidates must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher in their courses.

Total hours required for the PhD in Preaching is 45 hours beyond the master degree level.

Some students may live in proximity to other universities with graduate programs in English, Philosophy, Speech Communication, or Sociology. Students may take up to nine hours in graduate programs external to Baylor University with the approval of the Director of the PhD program.

Other Requirements:

1. Prior to completion of their degree, all students will have a minimum of one article submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.
2. Upon admission, if not already, students will become members of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and must attend the yearly Annual Meeting.

II. Language Requirements

Students will be required to have completed and demonstrated competence in both biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek. One foreign language must be completed before the end of the first year of the program. Until then, the student will be admitted on probation. It is advisable to complete the foreign language requirement prior to enrollment in the program. Students must provide transcripts of language course completion with an average grade of at least B or higher.

III. Preliminary Examinations

Doctoral students will take preliminary examinations at the completion of coursework. Students will be required to take preliminary examinations within the field of homiletics.

IV. PhD Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the PhD in Preaching requires 1) satisfaction of biblical and foreign language requirements; 2) satisfactory completion of preliminary examinations; 3) approval of student's dissertation prospectus by the Preaching Graduate Faculty; and 4) certification by the Dean of the Graduate School.

V. Dissertation

The final stage in the doctoral work is the satisfactory completion of a dissertation in accordance with guidelines provided by the PhD in Preaching and by the Graduate School.