Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

The purpose of the Doctor of Education program is to equip men and women to serve as leaders in church-affiliated educational institutions and in the educational ministries of the church.

Consisting of 60 total credit hours, the Ed.D. program offers a cohort-based experience, with intensive seminars meeting on campus in a modular format twice per year.

The program curriculum (listed below) is designed to be completed in 30 months.

 

Curriculum

All seminars meet in modular format in the Summer (July) and Winter (January) terms.

81020 Graduate Research Seminar 2
8 Seminars

  • 92000 Philosophical Foundations for Educational Research
  • 92010 Empirical Foundations for Educational Research
  • 92020 Models of Teaching and Learning
  • 92030 Models of Leadership and Administration
  • 92040 Leadership and Organizational Change
  • 92050 Human Development and Redemptive Formation
  • 92060 Critical Reflection and Research Evaluation
  • 92070 Mentorship and Guided Research
48
92080 Thesis Research and Writing 6
92090 Thesis Defense 4
Total Program Requirements 60 hours

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will demonstrate a mastery of the educational disciplines that is rooted in a graduate-level understanding of the theological disciplines.
  • Students will demonstrate the capacity to serve the church, the academy, and the world through leadership and teaching.
  • Students will apply educational research to solve complex social and organizational problems.

 

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites

  • A regionally-accredited master’s degree totaling at least 48 hours, with at least 12 hours in biblical or theological studies and at least 12 hours in leadership, administration, education, or ministry studies
  • Students having earned a master’s degree but lacking required hours may complete the additional hours through online or on-campus study at SBTS*
  • A master’s-level cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above

*To request an equivalency review based on your master’s-level work, please submit a request for a Doctoral Equivalency Report. Students who have earned a master’s degree but lack required hours may fulfill them through online or on-campus study at SBTS.

TOEFL

Non-native English speakers, including those who have graduated from any U.S. school, must submit an official score report of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). TOEFL scores must meet a minimum of 95 for internet-based test (iBT), 233 for computer-based test (CBT) or 575 for paper-based test (PBT).

GRE

All applicants are required to submit official GRE scores. Scores must be less than three years old.

Admission Deadline

The application deadline for matriculation in the Summer term is January 15.

Entrance Examinations and Interviews

Qualified applicants will be invited to participate in an entrance exam and faculty interview. These steps may be completed either in person on campus or virtually.

Entrance exams are exams designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their comprehension of the subject area in which they are applying. You can find more information about the entrance exam here.

Faculty interviews provide Ed.D. faculty with the opportunity to interact with students who are applying in their area while allowing students the chance to get to know the faculty. Students should prepare to discuss not only their research interests but also their personal interests.

Entrance Exams & Interview Dates

First Friday in March for Summer matriculation

Start Your Application

Click here to begin your online application. Our Admissions Team will assist you with submitting the materials listed below to the online portal:

  • Recommendation Letters – 3 total references (2 academic and 1 pastoral)
  • Research Paper – a graduate-level research paper (10-15 pages) in a field related to leadership, education, or ministry
  • Vita – a summary (1-2 pages) of previous academic studies, rationale for doctoral studies, personal goals, area of research interest, and description of past missions experience

Below is a link to a list of precedent literature with which applicants should familiarize themselves. During their first year in the program, students must complete and submit Abstracts for each of the included texts.

 

Program Fees

The program fee is paid in a $1,000 down payment with the remaining balance due equally over 30 months.*

Initial Down Payment $1,000
Program Fee — SBC Student $20,363
Program Fee — Non-SBC Student $34,005
Continuation Fee (paid per semester after 30 months) $2,000

 

*Program Tuition shown is for the 2022-23 Academic Year. Additional fees are subject to the current catalog. Please see the current catalog for full listing of current fees.