INTERNATIONAL
PH.D. PROGRAM
Hartford Seminary, recognizing the desire of students to utilize our unique
educational resources in working toward a Doctor of Philosophy degree and the
importance of international diversity in higher education, has entered into a
partnership with the University of Exeter.
Through this program, students will work toward their degree under direct
supervision of a Hartford Seminary lead advisor with a University of Exeter
faculty member serving as the second advisor. The standards and policies for the program will follow the model of
United Kingdom Ph.D. programs and the degree will be awarded by the University
of Exeter.
In the United Kingdom model, students working on a Ph.D. degree attend a
limited number of courses and spend the largest portion of their time working
independently under the supervision of their lead advisor. Consequently, students interested in this program must be highly
self-motivated and sufficiently prepared in their area of study to conduct
doctoral level independent research.
To insure a quality educational experience, this program will be limited in
the areas of study and in the numbers of students admitted.
Currently, the areas of study available to potential Ph.D. students are: Islamic Studies, Christian-Muslim Relations, Theology, and Ethics. Students exploring this degree option should have a clear idea of the
topic they wish to pursue in their research before applying.
Hartford Seminary values the relationship between the academic pursuit of
knowledge and practical application. All areas of study will explore this relationship and doctoral
dissertations must have both academic depth and practical value.
Transition Year
Most students will be required to participate in a transition year before formally starting their work in the Ph.D. program. This transition year will be comprised of the following components:
- PHD-699: Ph.D. Research Skills Preparation, a course that consists of the following:
- A day-long retreat at the beginning of the program where students will form personal bonds with other students and their faculty advisors. At this retreat, students and advisors will begin to map out their work for their first academic year. The resulting plan will include:
- Initial determination of the student’s academic area of focus. Basically a mission statement for their time in the Ph.D. program.
- A schedule of taught coursework and independent studies to be taken at Hartford Seminary over the course of the academic year that will prepare the student for the tutorial focus of the Ph.D. program. (See #2 below for more information.)
- An introduction to Ph.D. level scholarship, including a discussion of good academic writing and review of library resources.
- A mid-year retreat where students will come prepared to discuss and assess three dissertations in their area of research interest.
- An end of year retreat where students will reconnect, formally present their dissertation topics and bibliography for discussion with peers and advisors, and be further informed on how the next stage of the program will proceed. A revised thesis proposal will be required.
- Coursework: Through a combination of taught courses and independent studies each student will take 6 three credit courses under the tutelage of core faculty members at Hartford Seminary. PHD-699 will count as one of these courses. Students must maintain a B+ average or better in all courses to remain in good academic standing.
- Monthly meetings with the academic advisor to further define the student’s dissertation proposal and begin to develop a preliminary bibliography which will form the foundation for their first year of study.
- Participation in the Seminary community which may include free attendance at all educational outreach events, special lectures arranged by centers, and unlimited auditing of courses not formally part of the student’s program where appropriate. Additionally, students will be invited to social events, activities and chapel services.
