Ph.D. in Biblical & Theological Studies Admissions Requirements

Strongly Suggested: Contact your potential potential mentor(s) as soon as you can, well before the application deadline. Our mentors expect and look forward to hearing from applicants. By reaching out to your prospective mentor, he can give you feedback on how to refine your research ideas.

Having a topic that fits your mentor's research interests will be crucial to having a strong application. 

Requirements for All Students 

1. Application Deadline: January 1. Fall entrance only.
2. Master's of Divinity (M.Div.), M.A.Theological Studies, M.A. Biblical Studies, or equivalent.
3. Competencies in the following areas, demonstrated by transcript evaluation.
   • Advanced-Level Greek and Hebrew
     • Historical Theology students may exchange Latin for Hebrew.
   • Old Testament Studies
   • New Testament Studies
   • Basic Systematic Theology
   • Basic Historical Theology
4. PhD Prerequisite Evaluation Form.
5. Minimum Graduate GPA: 3.5.
6. GRE General Test.
   
   • Test scores must be fewer than five years old.
   • For registration information and test-center locations, go to http://www.ets.org.
   • Wheaton College Institution Code: 1905.
7. Four Recommendations, which are web-based forms.
• Three Academic Recommendations.
• One Pastoral Recommendation.
• Letters accepted as supplements to the forms. Recommendations from family or relatives not accepted.
8. Sample Research Paper.
   • Twenty to thirty pages. Should focus on emphasis of interest: Old Testament, New Testament, Systematic Theology, or Historical Theology.
   • For the OT and NT emphases, the paper should also demonstrate exegetical skill.
9. Research Proposal.
   • Must identify a coherent and defensible dissertation topic that fits the interests of the mentor of interest. Students begin serious dissertation work from the beginning of the program.
10. Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume.
11. Signed Statement of Veracity, Statement of Faith, and Community Covenant.
12. Individual Interview on campus, by invitation only. Dates: Two days in mid-February. Exact dates in February 2020 will be posted as soon as they are available.
13. Application Fee: $50, non-refundable.

Additional Requirements for International Students

International students, and permanent residents of the US whose native language is not English, are required to take either the TOEFL or the IELTS test with the minimal scores indicated below:

TOEFL Paper & Pencil = 600

TOEFL Internet-Based = 100

IELTS 7.0

Applicants who are citizens of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the British West Indies and are native speakers of English will not be required to take the TOEFL or IELTS but still will need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).