The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will offer every concentration of its Doctor of Philosophy program in a modular format beginning in fall 2027, allowing pastors and scholars to pursue the seminary’s highest level of theological study through focused weeks on campus, while continuing in their current ministries.
The change brings five concentrations previously offered only in residence (New Testament, Old Testament, Systematic Theology, Church History and Historical Theology, and Biblical Theology) into the modular format already used across most of the program. It also establishes a single, consistent structure for every PhD student, regardless of concentration.
President R. Albert Mohler, Jr., said the change continues two commitments that date to the seminary’s founding: to offer the highest level of doctoral research for the service of the Christian church and, at the same time, to make those programs as accessible as possible.
“Southern Seminary was founded to offer the highest level of theological scholarship in service to the church, and to make that scholarship as accessible as possible,” Mohler said. “This change honors both commitments. The standard of our PhD program will not change. What changes is that more pastors and scholars will be able to meet it without leaving their churches and ministries.”
The new structure also streamlines the seminar schedule so students can complete two seminars on campus in six days. Each seminar begins with live online sessions in the months before the campus week, followed by three days of in-person study in Louisville.
Students in every concentration take five seminars in their discipline and three in any area, complete two semesters of departmental colloquium, and move through a dedicated Comprehensive Exam Seminar and Prospectus Development Seminar before writing and defending their dissertations.
The program also adds a seminar called Teaching in Higher Education and the Church, which prepares students to teach in both Christian higher education and to lead theologically in the local church.
Provost Paul M. Akin said the program was designed with the life of a pastor in view.
“The church needs pastor-theologians, and many of our PhD graduates serve the church from the pulpit. We know the challenge of a pastor being away from the congregation, so we built the schedule around his ministry. A pastor can come to campus, complete two seminars in a single week, and be home to preach on Sunday.” Akin said.
Akin added that the format also serves students preparing for academic careers. He said, “Whether God has called a student to the pulpit or to the classroom, the goal is the same: to strengthen and serve the church. This structure allows us to do both with the same standard.”
Matthew Haste, Vice President for Doctoral Studies, said the changes give every student a clear path through the program while preserving its expectations.
“A Ph.D. program should be demanding, but it does not have to be unclear. From the first seminar to the dissertation defense, clarity guards quality and helps ensure that students know what they are expected to do. Our faculty hold students to a high standard and are committed to walk with them as they pursue it.” Haste said.
Southern Seminary’s PhD graduates complete their degrees at more than twice the rate of the seminary’s peer institutions, and more Southern Seminary PhD graduates teach at ATS-accredited schools than graduates of any other evangelical institution. The changes are designed to build on that strength while better equipping the program to serve pastors and others active in ministry.
Students who choose to live in Louisville will continue to have access to a residential experience that includes regular interaction with faculty, the 1892 Club, academic lectures and events, and the full life of the campus.
The Research Doctoral Studies office will contact current PhD students about how the changes apply to their programs. Prospective students applying for fall 2027 and beyond will apply directly to the concentration of their choice.