A.B.D. - Doctor of Philosophy Degree Completion Option

(for those at the “All But Dissertation” level)

All But Dissertation (A.B.D.) indicates incompletion. According to statistical reports of the various state and government agencies monitoring higher education in the United States, there is an inordinately high percentage of individuals who fail to complete their Ph.D. work after having successfully sustained the doctoral qualifying examinations, completed language requirements, and fulfilled residency coursework. The phenomenon is particularly and disturbingly high in the cognate fields of theology and religious studies.

Under a sponsoring grant from the Zycon Corporation USA, the Foundation has been engaged in a long-term study of this phenomenon. As a result of this study, the Foundation has developed an accelerated completion program designed specifically for those individuals who have reached the A.B.D. level at a graduate school of an accredited seminary or university.

Time Frame and Tuition

The degree may be completed in no less than twelve months and no more than three years.

Tuition: $6,250.00
Thesis Supervision: $1,200.00
Thesis Processing: $300.00
Graduation Fee: $100.00

Admission Requirements

The program is built around the integrity of the graduate work completed up to, but not including, the successful of the dissertation. Any A.B.D. applicant must meet the following criteria in order to be accepted into the program and defined as a Ph.D. candidate:

Appropriate undergraduate and graduate degrees which allow for the pursuit of doctoral work.
Completion of all residency requirements for the Ph.D. at a graduate school of religious studies, seminary, or university.
Fulfillment of language requirements in compliance with the
degree being pursued.
Passing of any and all Ph.D. qualifying examinations in preparation for the writing of the dissertation.
Demonstration of good standing at previous A.B.D. institution.

Graduation Requirements

Individuals designated as A.B.D. who transfer their credits and records
into the A.B.D. program of the Foundation must fulfill the following
requirements:

Viewing of the Foundation's instructional Orientation video.
Submission of the name and résumé of an acceptable Thesis Supervisor for the dissertation.
Submission of three loose-bound copies of the completed dissertation with the Thesis Supervisor Report Form and fulfillment of the Dissertation On Disc (DOD) requirement. (For DOD information, please Click Here.)
Successful defense of the dissertation before Foundation faculty in Indiana or at Oxford during the Summer Programme in Theology. (Students in the A.B.D. program are not required to attend graduation.)

All But Dissertation Transfers

Current students in, and graduates of, the Foundation's A.B.D. program have transferred from the following institutions:

The Angelicum (The Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas)
Columbia University
Drew University
Duke University
Duquesne University
Fordham University
George Mason University
Hebrew Union College
Michigan State University
Nova Southeastern University
The Ohio State University
Seton Hall University
St. Louis University
Touro University
University of Bridgeport
University of Denver
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Pittsburgh
University of San Francisco
University of Wyoming
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University