Ph.D. Program

For doctoral students enrolled in the academic year 2026-2027 and onward

The five-year program includes the following components. Areas of study define specific academic content:

• two years of coursework (12-16 courses), including courses through the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium (year 1 and year 2)
• Demonstrated proficiency in research languages
• First year Pro-Seminar, including mandatory training in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Title IX responsibilities
• Area Colloquia
• Departmental service:
  • Teaching Assistant for the full-time departmental faculty: two semesters in year 2
  • Teaching Fellow: teaching four courses in the undergraduate Theology core curriculum, either in year 4 or year 5, or two courses in year 4 and two courses in year 5
• Comprehensive exams: during one of two exam periods in year 3 (one in the Fall and one in the Spring)
• Dissertation proposal: due during year 3 after passing the comprehensive exams (two Spring deadlines)
• Professional development seminars on a variety of topics
• Optional: Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) through Boston College Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough School of Theology and Ministry; Certificate in Digital Humanities; Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies; and Catholic Health Care Track (instead of being Teaching Assistant during year 2)
• Optional: training in teaching pedagogy through Boston College’s Certificate in College Teaching (Tier 2)

For doctoral students enrolled before the academic year 2026-2027

The five-year program includes the following components. Areas of study define specific academic content:

• two years of coursework (12-16 courses), including courses through the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium (year 1 and year 2)
• Demonstrated proficiency in research languages  
• First year Pro-Seminar, including mandatory training in responsible conduct of research (RCR) and Title IX responsibilities
• Area Colloquia
• Training in Pedagogy through Boston College’s Certificate in College Teaching (Tier 2)
• Departmental service:
  • Teaching Assistant for full-time departmental faculty: four semesters, either years 2-3 or 3-4
  • Teaching Fellow: teaching four courses in the undergraduate Theology core curriculum in year 5
• Comprehensive exams during one of three exam periods in the student’s third year
• Dissertation proposal: due by October 15 of year 4
• Professional development seminars on a variety of topics

Optional: Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) through Boston College Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough School of Theology and Ministry; Certificate in Digital Humanities; Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies; and Catholic Health Care Track (instead of one year of service as Teaching Assistant)

The fundamental goal of graduate education in Theology at Boston College is to offer intellectual leadership to the academy, the church, and society.

The Ph.D. in Theology is intended to equip men and women both for academic vocations and for other ministries such as church and university administration, theological renewal, health care ethics, and other careers for which theological expertise is increasingly seen to be necessary. The courses of study offered towards this degree accordingly aim at nourishing a community of faith, scholarly conversation, research, and teaching that is centered on the appropriation of Christian life and thought, past and present, in ways that contribute to this goal.

The Doctoral Faculty endeavors to provide its Ph.D. students with an education which is integrative rather than narrowly specialized; which is set within the context of the Christian churches in all the richness of their ecumenical and confessional diversity and in their relation to contemporary culture; which is itself ‘confessional’ in nature; and for which theology is done as ‘faith seeking understanding.’ Nevertheless, the confessional background or stance of applicants, whether Christian or not, will not of itself influence any decision as to their admission.

Doctoral students are expected to:

• Acquire a rigorous mastery of the Christian tradition, enabling them to critically probe the foundations of various theological positions.
• Command the tools and techniques of research particular to their field and to organize and integrate their knowledge in such a way as to make an original contribution to the academic study of theology.
• Engage in ecumenical, interreligious, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural academic conversation as appropriate to their discipline.
• Acquire the skills and competencies necessary to present papers at appropriate academic conferences and to publish the results of their research in respected peer-reviewed journals.

Acquire the skills and competencies necessary to succeed not only as an active scholar but as an effective teacher. This is achieved through service as Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows, and through the optional completion of the university’s Certificate in College Teaching (Tier 2).