Research Ph.D. with coursework completed at Oxford

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Description
 
This degree is a 45 credit program that may be completed in no less than two years and no more than seven years.
 
In keeping with the European tradition of advanced degrees being earned on the basis of original research in a specialized field of study that is 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 attend courses at Oxford for degree credit through the Foundation. All residency is completed at Oxford University’s Summer Programme in Theology and the thesis is defended before the Foundation faculty. Upon successful defense of the thesis, the degree is awarded by the Graduate Theological Foundation. The degree transcript reflects the courses taken at the Oxford University’s Summer Programme in Theology. 
 
Admission Requirements
  1. Research-based master’s degree in a cognate field of ministry validated by a transcript.
  2. 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.
  3. Completion of the Application Procedure.

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Program Requirements

  1. Students are expected to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook of the year of their acceptance with particular focus on their particular degree program.  Students are bound by the academic and financial requirements of the Handbook in use at the time of their acceptance.  The current Student Handbook as well as past years’ Handbooks can be viewed here. 
  2. 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).
  3. Completion of one Unit of Study, Research Methodology (see below), through the Graduate Theological Foundation.
  4. Fulfillment of language requirements if such have been determined by the Thesis Supervisor.
  5. Nomination and approval of the Thesis Supervisor.
  6. Submission and approval of thesis proposal.
  7. Submission of one electronic copy of a doctoral thesis of 45,000-60,000 words (180-240 pages), and required forms (abstract, personal biography, cover sheet, Thesis Supervisor Report Form).
  8. Submission of one CD-ROM copy of the thesis for inclusion in the Online Thesis Library (successfully defended or revised).
  9. 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. are not required to attend graduation.)

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Study in Oxford

This program requires the completion of thirteen Units of Study. Twelve of these Units must be completed through residency in Oxford, England. 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. No seminar papers are required as the doctoral thesis is the single empirical demonstration of scholarship for the Foundation’s research degrees.
 
Students must register for the summer programme directly through the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE). The OUDCE website is linked from the Foundation’s website here.
 
All students are also required to take a Research Methodology course from the Foundation. The cost of this required course through the Foundation is included in the total tuition. The Research Methodology course requirement is explained here.
 
No transfer credit can be accepted in the research-based Ph.D. program.
 
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Tuition
 
Program Cost:  $11,450
Program cost does not include course fees which are paid directly to the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education.
 
Degree candidates are bound by the regulations of the Student Handbook of the year in which they are accepted into their program of study. Tuition fees will not change during a student’s course of study, providing the student submits payments and papers on schedule and completes the degree program within the prescribed time. If the student does not conform to scheduled payment and/or paper submission deadlines, the student’s file will be deactivated. Upon reactivation, the student will be responsible for the tuition and degree requirements which are current at the time of reactivation.
 
Tuition payment schedule for Academic Doctorates
1/3 of total fees paid within 30 days of acceptance
1/3 of total fees paid within one year of the date of acceptance
1/3 of total fees paid prior to scheduling of the doctoral defense
 
Payment Plan Option
Students who are unable to make tuition payments in three installments may request to be placed on a payment plan.  The payment plan option allows the student to make small monthly or quarterly tuition payments for the duration of the degree program.  There is no interest charged on payment plans.  If a student requests a mailed invoice as a reminder to make payment, there is a ten dollar fee per invoice.
 
To make tuition and fee payments online click here. 
 
If you have a question for the Bursar please click here or contact our office 9am-3pm est.

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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 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. The thesis must be written in 12 point Times New Roman (or comparable) font, double-spaced and with the appropriate table of contents and bibliography.

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.

When the thesis in its final form has been reviewed and approved by the student’s Thesis Supervisor, it must be submitted to the Foundation for final review and for forwarding to defense panel members. One copy of the thesis, abstract, cover sheet and biographical statement must be submitted by email to the Office of the Registrar a minimum of three months prior to the intended date of defense. After receiving both the completed thesis and the Thesis Supervisor Report Form, the Foundation will appoint two additional readers, as the thesis is a demonstration of the capacity of the candidate to engage in significant professional scholarship and thus be a peer to other scholars in the field. 

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 the Thesis 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 Academic Affairs Committee, on the basis of academic qualifications at the doctoral level of training and experience.

Selection of Faculty Thesis Supervisor and Nomination Procedure
Students select a faculty member of the Foundation to serve as Thesis Supervisor. This 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.

  • The student peruses the Faculty Details page and makes a selection.
  • The student completes the Faculty Thesis Supervisor Nomination Form 106 (Forms).
  • Academic Affairs provides the nominated faculty member with Form 106.
  • The selected faculty member notifies Academic Affairs of acceptance of student nomination.
  • Academic Affairs informs the student and faculty member of relationship approval and contact information is provided. 
Doctoral Oral Defense
 
The doctoral defense will be scheduled no sooner than 90 days and no longer than 180 days from the time that all academic and financial obligations have been met. You will be notified by the Office of the Registrar of your eligibility to schedule a defense after the following have been received by the Office of the Registrar:
  • Thesis Proposal
  • Thesis Cover Sheet
  • Abstract and Biographical Statement
  • Thesis Supervisor Report Form answering the six key points within the thesis (this form is mailed directly to our offices by the Thesis Supervisor)
  • One electronic copy of the thesis (PDF or MS Word format)

For scheduling procedures click here.

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