Theological Studies, Ph.D.

Saint Louis University's Ph.D. in theological studies trains scholars in multiple areas that reflect areas of research excellence and depth among our faculty--Christianity and religions of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, religion and culture, and theology and ethics. Students are formed as both scholars and teachers. 

Regardless of their primary area, students are expected to explore a wide range of methodological approaches and cultivate a range of skills vital for a career in research. Alongside equipping students to specialize within their primary area, SLU's Department of Theological Studies mentors students in the craft of teaching through a variety of opportunities and experiences, including individualized supervision, workshops and diverse undergraduate teaching assignments.

Curriculum Overview

Christianity and Religions of Antiquity and the Middle Ages

The Christianity and Religions of Antiquity and the Middle Ages (CRAMA) area prepares students to engage with a broad spectrum of religious traditions which flourished throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages. Building on our program’s traditional strength in the history of western Christianity, our research and graduate training opportunities now include Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Eastern Christianities, with the option for advanced work in Arabic, Aramaic, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Persian, and Syriac. We incorporate all of these traditions to better understand the growth and significance of Christianity in historical context, as well as to advance original inquiry into these diverse religions and their interconnections. Working with a wide range of textual and material sources, this concentration integrates broader methodological debates in the contemporary humanities, with the ultimate goal of fostering the production of cutting-edge and disciplinarily expansive knowledge on religious traditions in the premodern world.

Religion and Culture

The Religion and Culture (RC) area focuses on the study of religion as it intersects with cultural histories, expressions, identities, and experiences. The concentration is informed by modern discourses of religion, is broadly qualitative in approach, and is open to any period or geographic region. Coursework in Religion and Culture is often interdisciplinary and grounded in a range of intellectual traditions, incorporating the perspectives of ethnography, historiography, critical theory, and/or cultural criticism, and prepares students to pursue a broad range of original research projects. Students concentrating in Religion and Culture may pursue study in such areas as religions of the Americas, early modern Catholic history, religion and politics, gender and religion, African American religious history, Chinese religions and cultures, literary studies, and material and/or visual culture studies of religion.

Theology and Ethics

The Theology and Ethics (TE) area prepares students for constructive and normative work that engages and critically evaluates the Christian tradition. Guided by St. Anselm’s maxim that theology is “faith seeking understanding,” the TE concentration grounds students in the discourse of Christian theology involving coursework in a variety of subdisciplines, including systematic theology, historical theology, theological ethics, political theology, or contextual theology, as well as interdisciplinary research. Students will encounter: (1) key figures and debates in theological history; (2) distinct approaches and methods enabling the construction of new theological paradigms; (3) the connection between theological discourse and normative practices; and (4) hermeneutical and textual investigations promoting creative retrieval.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Resources for theology students at SLU include the more than 37,000 microfilms of the Vatican Film Library, the archives of the Institute of Jesuit Sources and more than 150,000 volumes of the Divinity Library in the Pius XII Memorial Library, which contains 1.4 million books, journals and other media. The library also provides access to many key research resources, including the Patrologia Latina, Brepolis, Early English Books OnLine, ATLA, Catholic Periodical Index, J-STOR and Index of Christian Art, as well as electronic access to major journals and other indexing tools.

The Center for Digital Humanities creates products and tools to support teaching and research in historical theology. Theology faculty and graduate students are engaged in interdisciplinary work with other departments and centers at SLU, including the Department of Women's and Gender Studies; the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies; the Center for Research on Global Catholicism; the Culture, Religion, Ethics, Science and Technology (CREST) Research Center; and the Center on Lived Religion.

Careers

Graduates have gone on to a wide range of careers in academia, educational administration, museums, libraries, archives and nonprofit agencies. SLU's Department of Theological Studies is committed to the professional preparation of every graduate student.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program will have earned a master's degree in theology, religious studies, ancient history, or other closely related fields.

Application Requirements

• Application form
• Transcript(s)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae
• Professional goal statement that should address why you are applying to SLU's Ph.D. program, with what faculty you want to work, what you intend to contribute to your field of study, and what kinds of careers you envision for yourself once you have completed your doctorate
• A writing sample of no more than 20 pages that demonstrates an appropriately academic style of writing and contains an argument structured around a clear thesis

Requirements for International Students

All Saint Louis University admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students applying to SLU must also meet the following additional requirements:

• Demonstrate English language proficiency
• Academic records must include an English translation. Unofficial copies may be accepted in some cases for initial admission review, however official copies must be received prior to enrollment. Course-by-course transcript evaluations are accepted and are required in some cases.

Students must submit financial documents to be issued an I-20 for their F-1 visa application. Proof of financial support must include:

• A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at Saint Louis University
• A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University

Application Deadline

Interested students should apply by Jan. 1.

Review Process

Applications are reviewed by the department’s graduate studies committee. After the first round of review, some applicants will be invited to interview electronically with the graduate studies committee. Decisions will be communicated as soon as possible, ideally in the first week of February.

Tuition 

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships, Assistantships and Financial Aid

For priority consideration for a graduate assistantship, apply by the program admission deadlines listed. Fellowships and assistantships provide a stipend and may include health insurance and a tuition scholarship for the duration of the award. 

Explore Scholarships and Financial Aid Options

1. Graduate students will develop advanced knowledge in their area of concentration, including its historical development, long-standing questions and emerging areas of inquiry.
2. Graduate students will demonstrate an understanding of the theories and methods that give shape to the study of theology and religion. 
3. Graduate students will substantively engage with conversations outside their primary focus, participate in the scholarly community and contribute to the intellectual life of the department.
4. Graduate students will cultivate effective classroom teaching skills as teaching assistants and instructors of record under faculty guidance.
5. Graduate students will produce a significant scholarly contribution in their area of concentration.

Non-Course Requirements

Students typically must acquire competency in two modern languages and any other languages relevant to their research interests.

Doctoral students must complete three written examinations in the fall semester of year 3. These consist of two content-focused, timed, written examinations that supplement what students have learned in coursework, to be completed between August 15th and 30th of year 3, and a 15-20 page literature review, researched throughout year 2 of the program and due by October 15th of year 3, that contributes to students’ development of their dissertation prospectus.

This roadmap is just one example of a semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. There are other plans students can and do take. The plan of study for each particular student is established in consultation with each student’s academic advisor; this roadmap does not replace academic advising appointments.

Roadmap notes:

• This Roadmap assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
• Courses/Milestones marked with an “!” are critical and must be completed in the semester listed in the Roadmap to ensure a timely graduation.
• Course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

For additional questions regarding doctoral study in theological studies, contact theology@slu.edu or call 314-977-2881 and ask for the Ph.D. program coordinator.