PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The PhD program prepares students to be scholars and teachers of religion and theology, requiring mastery of a specialized field—either Biblical Studies or Theological Studies. The program intends to cultivate a Wesleyan-Pentecostal interpretative perspective as students pursue their study. The program will also include preparation for the teaching vocation through a seminar-style course experience and the process of adequate teaching opportunities, i.e., Teaching Assistant, Teaching Associate, and Instructorship.

Academic Excellence

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students are expected to be continuously enrolled in the program from the time of matriculation until the student’s graduation from the program. Under extenuating circumstances students may apply for and be granted an interruption of status designation for a period up to one year. An interruption of status designation does not extend the time limits of the program beyond five years from the date of matriculation nor does the status extend the time limits for completion of courses already in progress. All incompletes should be completed before the interruption of status goes into effect. A student who fails to register for any coursework for a period of one academic year without applying for and receiving interruption of status designation will be considered to have withdrawn from the program and must apply for readmission. 

Academic Warning

Students in the program must maintain a 3.2 GPA or above on a 4.00 point scale. Should a student’s cumulative GPA within the program drop below 3.2, the student will be placed on academic warning for a period of up to one academic year. Students on academic warning will be restricted from registering for more than four hours of coursework per semester. Provided the student makes adequate progress as demonstrated by an improved GPA during the semester following being placed on warning, the student will be granted a second semester in which to bring his or her overall GPA up to 3.2 or above.

Academic Suspension and Academic Probation

Should a student not raise her or his GPA to 3.2 within one year of dropping below 3.2, that student will be placed on Academic Suspension. Once placed on Academic Suspension, a student may not register for courses. During the time in which a student is on Academic Suspension that student may petition the director of the DMIN program in writing for resumption of enrollment under the conditions of Academic Probation. The petition must include an explanation for and plan to address the problems associated with poor academic performance. The DMIN director will forward the petition with his or her recommendations to the Vice President for Academics who will make the final determination on the petition. If approved for reinstatement, the student will then have one semester to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress and a second semester in which to qualify to have the probationary status lifted. Should the student fail to achieve a GPA of 3.2 by the end of the second semester, the student will be placed on permanent suspension and dropped from the program.

Grade Limits

For any course for which a student receives a grade below “B-,” (2.7) that course will not count toward graduation requirements. If the course is a program required course, the student must retake it and achieve a grade of “B-” or higher in order to remain in the program. 

Incompletes

With the permission of the course instructor a student may apply for a grade of “Incomplete” in order to finalize course requirements after the official closing of the course at the end of a semester. Applications must be submitted before the last day of regular class sessions. No more than one incomplete will be permitted at any given time. If the incomplete is granted, the student has one year from the starting date of the course in which to complete the work. If the coursework is not completed by that date, the incomplete will automatically be converted to an “F” on the student’s transcript. While an incomplete is in effect the course will not be included in the student’s GPA. However, in the event the student requests an official transcript, the “I” grade will be changed to an “F”.

Grade Points for Letter Grades 

A = 4.0 

A- = 3.7 

B+ = 3.3 

B = 3.0 

B- = 2.7

C+ = 2.3 

C = 2.0 

C- = 1.7 

D+ = 1.3 

D = 1.0

F = 0

I = Incomplete which is not included in the GPA

W = Withdrawn which does not affect the GPA.

Curriculum

As noted above, the PhD is a five-year, 48 semester hour degree program.