UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTE - SEMINARY

Bachelors Programs 

Theology (B.Th.)

Bachelor of Religious Education (B.RE.)

Bachelor of Divinity or Divine Gnosis (B.Div./B.DG.)

Bachelor of Sacred Theology (B.ST.)

 

UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTE - BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT

Organization and Non-Profit Management (B.A.)

Business Administration (B.A.)

Social-Economics  (B.SE.)

 

GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGY

Graduate Programs

Doctoral Program (Ph.D. or Ph.SD)

Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Philosopher of Sacred Doctrine (Ph.SD.)

MA Program (M.Th.)

Masters of Religious Education (M.RE)

Masters of Sacred Manuscripts (M.SM.)

Masters of Spiritual Counseling (M.SC.)

Masters of Theology (M.Th.) 

  

GRADUATE INSTITUTE  OF SOCIAL ECONOMICS
Graduate Programs

Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)

Masters Program  (M.SE.)
 

GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

Graduate Program

Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)

Masters Program (M.PA.)

Masters of Political Science (M.PS.)

Masters of Public Policy (M.PP.)  

Masters of Public Administration (M.PA.)  

 

 

GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF LAW & LEGISLATION

Graduate Programs

Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)

Masters Program (M.LL.)

 

Doctorate

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin philosophiae doctor or doctor philosophiae) is the highest university degree that is conferred after a course of study and field research.

According to Keith Allan Noble (1994), the first doctoral degree was awarded in medieval Paris around 1150. The doctorate of philosophy developed in Germany as the terminal teacher's credential in the 17th century (circa 1652). There were no PhDs in Germany before the 1650s (when they gradually started replacing the MA as the highest academic degree; arguably, one of the earliest German PhD holders is Erhard Weigel (Dr. phil. hab., Leipzig, 1652).

PhDs are awarded for produce original research that expands the boundaries of knowledge, normally in the form of a thesis or dissertation, and defend their work against experts in the field. The completion of a PhD is often a requirement for employment as a university professor, researcher, or scientist in many fields. Individuals who have earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree may, in many jurisdictions, use the title Doctor (often abbreviated "Dr" or "Dr.") or, in non-English-speaking countries, variants such as "Dr. phil." with their name, although the proper etiquette associated with this usage may also be subject to the professional ethics of their own scholarly field, culture, or society. Those who teach at universities or work in academic, educational, or research fields are usually addressed by this title "professionally and socially in a salutation or conversation." Alternatively, holders may use post-nominal letters such as "Ph.D.", "PhD", or "DPhil" (depending on the awarding institution). It is, however, considered incorrect to use both the title and post-nominals at the same time.

The specific requirements to earn a PhD degree vary considerably according to the country, institution, and time period, from entry-level research degrees to higher doctorates. During the studies that lead to the degree, the student is called a doctoral student or PhD student; a student who has completed all of their coursework and comprehensive examinations and is working on their thesis/dissertation is sometimes known as a doctoral candidate or PhD candidate (see: all but dissertation). A student attaining this level may be granted a Candidate of Philosophy degree at some institutions, or may be granted a master's degree en route to the doctoral degree. Sometimes this status is also colloquially known as "Ph.D. ABD", meaning "All But Dissertation".

PhD confirmation

A PhD confirmation is a preliminary presentation or lecture that a PhD candidate presents to faculty and possibly other interested members. The lecture follows after a suitable topic has been identified, and can include such matters as the aim of the research, methodology, first results, planned (or finished) publications, etc.

The confirmation lecture can be seen as a trial run for the final public defense, though faculty members at this stage can still largely influence the direction of the research. At the end of the lecture, the PhD candidate can be seen as "confirmed" – faculty members give their approval and trust that the study is well directed and will with high probability result in the candidate being successful.

In the United States, this is generally called advancing to Candidacy, the confirmation event being called the Candidacy Examination.

 

Masters

A master's degree (from Latin magister) are awarded upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.^[1] A master's degree normally requires previous study at the bachelor's level, either as a separate degree or as part of an integrated course. Within the area studied, master's graduates are expected to possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theoretical and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, critical evaluation, or professional application; and the ability to solve complex problems and think rigorously and independently.

What is a Master’s Thesis?

A master’s thesis is an original scholarship written under the direction of a faculty advisor. A master’s thesis is similar to a doctoral dissertation, but it is generally shorter and more narrowly focused. As a rule of thumb, a master’s thesis should be publishable as a single article, though it might be longer than a typical article; a doctoral dissertation is generally equivalent to at least three articles.

Scholars who chose to write a master’s thesis rather than a bibliographic essay often do so because they are interested in pursuing further research, for instance in a doctoral program in political science or another discipline, or as a researcher in a public agency. Like a good journal article, a master’s thesis will respond to a debate in the political science literature, and will bring new evidence or arguments to bear upon the topic.

How Long Should it Be? How Long Does it Take? A master’s thesis is generally 40-80 pages, not including the bibliography. However, the length will vary according to the topic and the method of analysis, so the appropriate length will be determined by you and your committee. Students who write a master’s thesis generally do so over two semesters. Finding a Topic Students who are interested in writing a master’s thesis should begin thinking about possible topics early in their academic program. Good research questions often have their origins in seminar papers or class discussions. Keep an idea file where you jot down potential research ideas. Be on the look out for new data that might help provide new insights into a topic, or for past research that might be productively replicated in other circumstances.

 

Thesis and Dissertation Defense

Your advisor will be your chief contact while you are writing the master’s thesis, but you should stay in touch with the other members of the review committee so that they are aware when you are close to completion. When you have a polished draft that is approved by your faculty advisor, you will arrange to have an oral defense of the thesis. The usual result of a defense is that the thesis is approved pending some more or less minor changes.

When scheduling the defense, please remember to allow time for faculty members to read the thesis after you give it to them. Some other Formal Requirements Follow the formatting requirements for Theses and Dissertations listed on the web site of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. You must maintain continuous enrollment while working on the master’s thesis. Be sure to check the schedule for graduation so that you hold your oral defense in time to complete and submit your finished thesis. If you are planning to conduct interviews, surveys or do other research involving human subjects you MUST obtain prior approval from the University’s Human Subject’s Committee. You can find out more about this on the University’s Research page.