United States MA adequate prep for Foriegn PhD in Theology

All,

I am currently in Reformed Theological Sem. MA (distance) program which is 60 hours including a 3 hour thesis while keeping open the possibility of pursuing a PhD/ThD. I have looked a programs in the US at various divinity schools and seminaries and most require an MDiv/Mth with a minimum of 2 years residence. I also have been looking into programs from the UK and South Africa where their PhD/ThD are all through research and dissertation (at least that is my understanding).

Now for my question, would an US 60 hour MA program adequatly prepare one for study in a foriegn doctorial program?

cbryant

 

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I have some experience with the expectations of Unizul. I suppose it would be generally the same in any SA university. Your MA were it accredited would suffice. Unizul also requires the master's thesis as evidence of the ability to research. If your promoter sees it that you are unprepared to research your area, then some additional work may be required besides the dissertation. .

You are correct that evangelical US RA seminaries require the MDiv or better the ThM to enter. The MA usually is not sufficient. Fuller may allow the MA-don't remember. But DTS and The Masters require the ThM--the four year masters. IMO this provide a better foundation for research than some MAs. But if yours is a 60 sem unit MA, and concentrated, perhaps it would be the equal of the MDiv in the area of your research.

I am very happy with Unizul.

 

cbryant,

As far as adequate preparation, I think it depends on the individual and the topic. However, as far as entry is concerned, I'm looking into this right now---since I'm considering a PhD in theology. I'll let you know how it goes.

Chris

 

I believe that the PHD programs in the UK do not require even an MA, in that you can usually register for the PHD with only a Bach. degree. Of course in that instance they usually have you follow the one year taught masters course that requires a significant piece of research, and if found to be of a high enough quality it can count as the first year of your PHD (I know Cambridge operates this way)
Also London Bible College may have you register for the one year MTH or two year MPhil before allowing you to move on to PHD work, but if you already have the MA they may not.
Then again their whole system is different in that they view their own BTh programs as the equivalent of our MDiv's....

But as you already know the SA schools are a wee bit less expensive than the UK ones - and Bill's the expert on their requirements....

bc

 

I believe that the PHD programs in the UK do not require even an MA, in that you can usually register for the PHD with only a Bach. degree. Of course in that instance they usually have you follow the one year taught masters course that requires a significant piece of research, and if found to be of a high enough quality it can count as the first year of your PHD (I know Cambridge operates this way)
Also London Bible College may have you register for the one year MTH or two year MPhil before allowing you to move on to PHD work, but if you already have the MA they may not.
Then again their whole system is different in that they view their own BTh programs as the equivalent of our MDiv's....

But as you already know the SA schools are a wee bit less expensive than the UK ones - and Bill's the expert on their requirements....

bc

 

Group,
A guy I did seminary with when I was doing my M.A. (he did a double M.A., NT and OT) went on to do a Ph.D. in NT from University of Pretoria (he is now the academic dean, I believe, at St. Petersburg Christian Univesity in Russia). He is a very sharp guy, and he told me, "I had to do some catch-up after [my M.A.s]....I had to work quite hard to work on my PhD." He also said that his 2 years of teaching in Russia before his 4 years of doctoral work helped him to do it.
I think this would be quite accurate for someone trying to enter a foreign Ph.D. in Bible/Theology with a 2 year M.A. from North America. This was one of the reasons I did not enter directly into a doctoral program from South Africa, although I could have gained admission.
I felt I needed to be better prepared for that level of study.
Also, among other concerns for me was going from the North American class/thesis approach to the strictly thesis approach of much of the UK, Europe, and South Africa.
Hope this helps.

 

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To me this makes sense. The area can be so broad!

I am so much more prepared after the ThM than with just the MA. I can better now use the language tools, better interact with the literature, better research Patristic thought, and better formulate and express the premises which lead to evidencing my thesis.

Besides, IMO the process of learning as much as possible about the subject is more important than getting the degree. This is not to set up the possibility of my failing, though that too is there.

I suppose it may depend on how closely one's topic relates to one's grad studies. If I were going directly MA to PhD, I would try to dissert in the doctoral research something elicited from the master's thesis. But as there was in my case an eight year delay from ThM to entering ThD, my interests changed.

It may also depend on how bright one is ; some MAs are much brighter than many ThMs.

 

I think it was J. Ed K. who recalled a conversation with John Sailhamer on this. Sailhamer's observation was that the ThM's at Dallas usually have an acuity of insight that is above and beyond the rest in flavor.

 

This is true, Chris. But I should note that Dr. Sailhamer was not limiting his comments to ThM graduates of DTS. He felt that pursuing the ThM from any academically rigorous institution made a huge difference in one's educational experience. It was like pouring gasoline on the fire that was lit during the first three years of MDiv (or equivalent) study. This was certainly true in my case. The fourth year of graduate study--though tiresome after three years of languages, theology, history, etc.--was by far my most fruitful. I felt like a completely different student than I did the previous three years.

 

London Bible College (which officially changed its name to London School of Theology last month) deems some British MA programs as sufficient for registration in the PhD program, but normally requires the MPhil or MTh. I highly doubt that the MA from a US-based school would be accepted for direct entrance. This, however, should not pose a problem, since candidates who initially apply for the MPhil can later upgrade to the PhD with the support of their supervisor(s).