Research Doctorates at Oxford (Ed.D., Psy.D., Ph.D.)

Description

In keeping with the European tradition of advanced degrees being earned on the basis of original research in a specialized field of study written and defended before a panel of scholarly experts, the Foundation has for a number of years provided a means whereby doctoral-level students can pursue their studies in Oxford towards a degree at the Foundation. Three doctoral programs are available, namely, the Doctor of Philosophy, the Doctor of Psychology, and the Doctor of Education. All residency is taken at Oxford University’s Summer Programme in Theology and the thesis is defended before the Foundation faculty.

Time Frame and Tuition

The degree cannot be earned in less than eighteen months and not more than five years.

Tuition: $8,250.00
Thesis Supervision: $1,200.00
Thesis Processing: $550.00
Graduation: $100.00

Admission Requirements

Research-based master’s degree in a cognate field of ministry validated by a transcript.
Five years of accumulated experience in a cognate field of ministry (lay, religious, ordained). This experience must be within a parish setting or an educational, counseling, research, administrative, health care or cognate setting.
Completion of the Application Procedure.

Orientation

Residency

Residency in Oxford is required. The doctoral student must attend and complete three two-week sessions of Oxford University’s Summer Programme in Theology hosted at Christ Church College/Oxford University. In each week of the summer program, the student must take two seminars (a.m. and p.m.) which means that at the end of the three summer residency periods the doctoral student has accumulated twelve seminars which are reflected on the transcript. No seminar papers are required as the doctoral thesis is the single empirical demonstration of scholarship for the Foundation’s research degrees.

Language Requirement

In instances where the doctoral thesis topic requires competency in one or more languages as determined by the Thesis Supervisor, the student must produce either a transcript of two academic semesters of language courses or some other means of demonstrated competency to the satisfaction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Office of the President.

Thesis Proposal

The candidate will submit a thesis proposal to the Foundation as a demonstration of, and as evidence for, an established relationship with the selected and approved Thesis Supervisor (see description below). The proposal will include a brief description of the proposed topic, a working title, and an exemplary bibliography of sources to be pursued.

Thesis

During or following the completion of the required residency in the summer program of Oxford University, the candidate must undertake the writing of a research-based doctoral thesis of 45,000- 60,000 words (180-240 pages) in the field of specialization. It must clearly be a work of original academic scholarship which makes a demonstrable contribution to the field of specialization. The titling of the degree as Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Psychology, or Doctor of Education is determined solely by the subject matter of the research thesis and not by the seminars taken in the Oxford University Summer Programme in Theology. The twelve seminar titles are reflected on the candidate’s transcript, though the degree itself is earned on the strength of the scholarly research produced in the writing of the thesis.

Upon receiving the Thesis Supervisor’s thesis approval and endorsement, the candidate must submit three loose-bound copies of the thesis to the Foundation.

The basic commitment of the Graduate Theological Foundation is to serve the ministries of the various ecclesial traditions through programs of advanced professional and academic education. The thesis, therefore, as a culminating work of the highest academic standards, must always relate significantly to some aspect of ministry (whether education, counseling and psychology, health care, religious studies, etc.) It must be an original and distinct contribution to the knowledge of the specific discipline or area of specialization.

The thesis is shaped as a written work of original systematic research, which includes the substantive exposition of the theoretical basis and rationale of the subject, together with a demonstration of familiarity with the appropriate scholarly and professional literature. It should be noted that the written form of the thesis is to be in the style of an actual scholarly publication; that is, the thesis as finally submitted is to be suitable for publication without being rewritten.

Thesis Style Statement

As there are several internationally recognized thesis styles acceptable in the academic community, and given the number of international students pursuing degrees at the Foundation, the President’s Council has determined that the Foundation will not adopt a single style form. Rather, the Foundation will simply require a consistency of style within the writing of each individual thesis, leaving the choice of style solely to the discretion of the candidate in consultation with his/her Thesis Supervisor. Those styles most commonly used, but not required, include Turabian, MLA, and APA.

Doctoral Abstract

The doctoral candidate must submit a 750-1,250 word (3-5 page) abstract of the thesis three months prior to sitting for the Oral Defense. A one-page biographical sketch must accompany the submitted abstract.

Thesis Supervision

When degrees first began to be awarded by universities in the twelfth century in Bologna, Paris, and Oxford, the doctor’s degree was recognized as a universal authentication of scholarship. The doctorate was not earned by attending classes but by sustained residency and demonstrated scholarship. The credential was awarded by the faculty of the university on the basis of a thesis which was submitted by the candidate and followed by an oral defense of the document before the gathered academic community.

Times have changed but much of the doctoral process has endured. The Graduate Theological Foundation requires a demonstration of academic research considered by the faculty to be an original work of scholarship and a contribution to the field. After the doctoral candidate has completed residency and language requirements (if required), the development of the thesis is initiated under the direct supervision of theThesis Supervisor.

The Thesis Supervisor, in this style of learning, is specifically mandated to work closely with the candidate in the development of the thesis topic and through its evolving refinements leading to the finished product. The Thesis Supervisor is nominated by the candidate and approved by the faculty on the basis of academic qualifications at the doctoral level of training and experience. Though candidates are encouraged to look within the Foundation’s own faculty for thesis supervision, the Foundation honors the request of candidates who wish to select a Thesis Supervisor from outside our institution.

Option A: Students may select a faculty member of the Foundation to serve as Thesis Supervisor. This option enables the student to receive helpful and pragmatic evaluative feedback from a member of the faculty in the developmental process of producing the doctoral thesis. The role of the faculty Thesis Supervisor is responsive and suggestive. The faculty person is encouraged to limit feedback to pragmatically helpful hints and suggestions and not to attempt any censorship of the thesis. The exercise of discretion with respect to time demands is very important for both the student and faculty member. The faculty Thesis Supervisor must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Thesis Supervisor Report Form.

Selection of Faculty Thesis Supervisor and Nomination Procedure:

The student peruses the Faculty Details page and makes a selection.
The student completes the Faculty Thesis Supervisor Nomination Form 106 (Forms).
Student Services provides the nominated faculty member with Form 106.
The selected faculty member notifies Student Services of acceptance of student nomination.
Student Services informs student and faculty member of relationship approval and contact information is provided.

Option B: Students are at liberty to select a Thesis Supervisor who is not on the faculty of the Foundation. In that event, the Thesis Supervisor must hold a comparable degree to that being pursued by the student. The student must nominate the Thesis Supervisor by submitting a letter of nomination to the Foundation along with a C.V. of the nominee. The student is notified upon approval of the Thesis Supervisor by the Academic Affairs Committee. The Thesis Supervisor must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Thesis Supervisor’s Report Form.

Doctoral Oral Defense

While all research doctorates require a thesis, only the Ph.D. requires an oral defense. After the doctoral thesis has finally reached a state of completion under supervision such that the Thesis Supervisor is in full agreement that the research has demonstrated original scholarship and is a genuine contribution to the field, the candidate submits three physical copies of the thesis along with the thesis supervisor’s written affirmation of approval to the Foundation faculty. Upon receipt of the thesis by the Foundation, the candidate is required to book a date selected from the roster of available defense dates provided by the Foundation. The student must schedule the oral defense no sooner than three months and no later than six months from the date the doctoral thesis is submitted. The candidate comes to the Foundation to appear in a ninety minute oral defense before our faculty. Following the successful defense, the degree is awarded by the faculty to the candidate. Defenses may, by arrangement, also be scheduled in Oxford through the Office of Student Services in consultation with the Dean of Studies at Foundation House, Oxford. Defenses are also hosted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to accommodate our Spanish-speaking students.

Graduation Requirements

Viewing of the Foundation's instructional Orientation video.
Attendance at three two-week sessions at Oxford University’s Summer Programme in Theology over a three-year period and submission of a copy of the Certificate of Completion for each seminar attended (two each week).
Fulfillment of language requirements if such have been determined by the Thesis Supervisor.
Approval for the candidate’s choice of Thesis Supervisor.
Submission of three loose-bound copies of a doctoral thesis of 45,000-60,000 words (180-240 pages), with written approval from the Thesis Supervisor, and (for Ph.D. candidates only) fulfillment of the Dissertation On Disc (DOD) requirement.
Submission of a doctoral thesis abstract and biographical statement.
Successful defense of the Ph.D. thesis before Foundation faculty in Indiana or at Oxford during the Summer Programme in Theology. (Students in the research Ph.D. program are not required to attend graduation.)