General Info:

The Ph.D. in Biblical Counseling trains pastors, counselors, and scholars to think and practice wisely in caring for people amid the complexities of human life.  The modular format allows for students already established in their respective ministries or vocations to pursue the highest level residential research degree.  This degree not only provides advanced scholarship in the theological, historical, and contemporary aspects of biblical counseling, but also fosters case wisdom, skill in biblical interpretation, and appreciation for the church’s role in the care of people.

Modular Format:

For information on the modular format, please visit the modular program site.

Admissions Requirements:

The Ph.D. program equips students for advanced scholarship, effective teaching, and knowledgeable service. The program is intended to qualify graduates for college or seminary teaching as well as being useful for pastoral and other ministry-related roles.

A Master of Divinity of equivalent is required for admission to the Ph.D. program. Exceptions will depend primarily on the fitness of the candidate’s theological knowledge.

Application:

If you are interested in applying for the Ph.D. in this area of study, learn more about the Admissions Process. To prepare for the field essay in this area of study, consult the Field Essay Study Guide.

Research Languages:

A reading knowledge of two modern and/or classical languages is required.  In the field of Biblical Counseling, students can choose to take traditional languages (German, Latin, etc.) or modern research methodologies (Empirical Research Methods and Analysis of Empirical Research).

Supervision:

Incoming Ph.D. students are matched with a supervisor from our world-class faculty who shares their research interests. Professors who can supervise students in this area are:

Dr. Eric Johnson
Dr. Heath Lambert (pending)
Dr. Jeremy Pierre (pending)

Major Courses

Biblical Theological Foundations in Counseling
Ecclesiology and Methods in Biblical Counseling
Applied Theology and Typical Problems
Marriage and Family Counseling

Minor Courses – Students select 2 out of 3 for minor in Applied Theology

Theological Hermeneutics in the Care of People
Social, Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Counseling
Major Psychotherapies

Colloquia

The department shares the colloquia sequence between Pastoral Theology and Biblical Counseling, alternating the offerings of each.  The colloquia in biblical counseling are unique, in that they focus on the practical application of the knowledge gained in seminars.  For this reason, it is dedicated primarily to case studies as well as the observation and supervision of actual counseling situations.

Because of the modular format allowing for students to be spread widely, students will be required to video record counseling sessions of their own for submission to the course.  Details will be included in the syllabus of each colloquium.

In addition to the practical emphasis of the colloquia, each student will be required to take at least one colloquium on the history of Biblical Counseling as a  movement.

Comprehensive Examinations

Students will be examined in their major area of study, Biblical Counseling.  In addition to this, they will be examined on the two minors they chose.  The seminars and colloquium will largely prepare students for these exams, though the Committee of Instruction may offer further reading or other means of preparation.

Dissertation

Each student must demonstrate the ability to conduct original research by submitting a dissertation to the faculty.  Dissertations in the field of Biblical Counseling will be theologically and biblically oriented, demonstrating thorough research and practical consideration.