Doctor of Philosophy Program
Purpose of the PhD Program
Trinity’s PhD program focuses on three areas of concentration: the Doctor of Philosophy (Theological Studies) Program (PhD/THS), the Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Studies) Program (PhD/EDS), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Intercultural Studies) Program (PhD/ICS). Each is specifically designed for those who have completed a master’s degree and who wish to pursue advanced study and research in their field of interest.
PhD Application Deadlines
The application review process begins immediately after the application deadline and normally takes eight weeks. Doctoral applications received after the deadline will be postponed until the next review date.
Each of the three academic doctoral program concentrations operates at full student capacity. Subsequent to the review process, applicants are notified by letter of acceptance or denial of admission. Postponement for one or two semesters after acceptance is occasionally possible.
Participants in the PhD/EDS and PhD/ICS programs may begin in any academic term, including summer. Participants in the PhD/THS program preferably begin studies in the fall.
| Program | Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| PhD/EDS1 | September 15 (spring admission) |
| January 15 (summer/fall admission) | |
| PhD/ICS1 | September 15 (spring admission) |
| January 15 (summer/fall admission) | |
| PhD/THS | September 15 (spring admission) |
| January 15 (fall admission) |
- 1
EDS and ICS: Late application deadline of April 1 with permission of program director
PhD Application Procedures
In addition to the application form, documents required of all doctoral applicants are outlined in the information section for each program. Information concerning application procedures and general admissions policies can be obtained from TEDS Admissions, 2065 Half Day Road, Bannockburn IL 60015; toll free: 800.345.TEDS; phone: 847.317.8000; e-mail: tedsadm@tiu.edu; website: www.teds.edu/admissions/.
The Doctoral Admissions Committee may grant admission on the basis of the required credentials alone or it may request that the applicant submit additional materials or schedule an interview. Admissions policies and procedures are subject to change without notice. If admitted, the new doctoral student is required to submit a nonrefundable tuition deposit to confirm acceptance of admission.
If the Admissions Committee denies an applicant admission, the applicant may send a letter of appeal to the Admissions Office. Appeals must be received no later than ninety days following the date of the Admissions Committee decision.
The PhD Learning Community
The nature of instruction in the PhD/EDS, PhD/ICS, and PhD/THS programs is dialogical. Student participation in the learning experience is thus considered to be both a necessity and a responsibility. Further, because participation in the learning community outside the classroom is also critical to the educational experience, we expect all students to participate in weekly fellowship groups, colloquia, and informal study groups with colleagues.
The Academic Doctoral Office (ADO) assists PhD students through their program by providing academic support throughout the PhD study. The ADO:
- maintains an intranet webpage in MyTIU.
- offers seminars on various topics related to the PhD experience and to participation in the academic world.
- counsels students in their program progress.
- is the connection for program information and support.
The e-mail address for the ADO is droffice@tiu.edu.
PhD Standardized Tests
Applicants to the academic doctoral programs whose primary language of instruction has been English are required to submit scores from either the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) —preferred for ICS and EDS programs—or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)—preferred for the THS program.
Applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit the results of a recent Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), including the Test of Written English (TWE) and the Test of Spoken English (TSE). Admission into the academic doctoral program requires a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (250 if using the computer-based TOEFL), a minimum TWE score of 4.5, and a minimum TSE score of 50. For all applicants, this is to be taken in addition to the MAT or GRE.
Students who fail to demonstrate adequate written and/or oral English communication skills after admission to a program may be advised to take a six-month to one-year leave of absence from degree studies for the purpose of pursuing English language training.
Academic Load
Full-time doctoral students must enroll in at least 9 semester hours of courses each semester to be considered full-time. Students enrolled in 1 to 8 semester hours are considered part-time. See the Financial Aid section of the Catalog for information related to doctoral financial aid. Note that tuition fee and financial aid structures and academic load structures differ.