Ed. D.

It depends on the institution. If it's offered through a seminary, it most likely has to do with Christian education or leadership.

 

I doubt much study in theology will be involved, simply due to the nature of the degree. As you said, in a seminary setting, the courses will have an underlying Christian foundation, so that would set such a degree apart from one in a secular setting. You may want to check out the non-traditional Ed.D. in Leadership at SBTS.

Bill

 

Agreeing with everything said above.

The EdD is going to be educational in purpose. The focus will be Christian in nature.

It's utility is limited. I occassionally had some profs with one, but I had others that looked upon them with disdain.

What do you want to do with it?

 

This is a good assessment. It will open more secular doors than a DMin or DEdMin will do, but a PhD would open many more.

 

Yes -- much more flexible, if there is any prospect of doing anything in academia. If this will be terminal though. If you want to be a principal, use it in a church setting as Min of Ed, then EdD might fit the bill just fine. Although it probably doesn't have enough theology for a non-school related church setting unless you already know the limits of the role you'll play.

 

Shaun,

Are you married? Children?

Unless you have college debt you have to repay or some serious financial constraint, I would recommend your moving to SBTS and doing the MDiv. I really don't think you're going to be content unless you get a good MDiv.

Similar to Rhet, my wife and I left an eight-year pastorate in south Georgia to move to the Louisville area to do an MDiv at SBTS (and I continued to do the PhD). We had three daughters: two teens and the third an almost teen. It was not easy and it was a financial hardship. We did without some extras but never went hungry or lacked the necessities. And we had no support from a home church or a rich family to rely upon.

I don't think the EdD would do what you want. Unless there is something prohibiting your doing it, I would encourage you to go to a quality seminary and get the training you need. If you have to stay where you are for some reason, teach school and do your MDiv externally. There are several seminaries through which one can do distance education and do the required on campus hours through intensive short terms. No way worth doing is going to be without personal sacrifice, though.

Blessings,
Bill

 

It has been my experience in Christian Ed that a Seminary degree of any stripe will serve you well. An MDiv is an excellent choice and opens so many avenues for you to pursue. If for some reason you decide you want to go into administration, accrediting agencies will be looking for a masters and adminstrative coursework which you can pick up. ACSI even has a streamlined one-year on-the-job track you can follow (with some reading and summer coursework) which will give you ACSI admin licensure - if that's what you want later down the road.

An EdD will limit you in so many ways that a Ministry degree will not.

 

I'm Sister Bitsy

Association of Christian Schools International.

 

I could not help but smile when I read "Dear Brother MC," knowing what was coming. Perfectly honest mistake, but it put a smile on my face nonetheless.

Bill

 

rigor of one EdD program

I was in the Ed.D at Oregon State in the 1970s (not finished) . For me the coursework with the significant exception of "statistics" was quite easy.[I am left brainedraying: ] I took audiology, speech pathology, education, and, as a grad assistant taught remedial reading and practicum.

Physiological Psychology at OSU was my downful. I greatly resented the method of teaching which was to fill in spaces in a workbook while reading the text. Maybe I was wrong, but I thought doctoral students should be past such elementary methods.

When I chose, after the MA, to do more grad work in Bible/ Theology at Western Seminary, I found those studies much more demanding than the EdD.

 

Same story.......different time and place

Ditto--similar experience. Some have labelled the Ed.D. as the middle class Ph.D. It is more about application and practice than theoretical and academic considerations. The question is whether education is academic field or discipline in itself. I have my doubts. :laugh:

 

==I don't know about the exact makeup of the degree. However I think the purpose is different. A seminary EdD is clearly for someone in Christian Education. It is not intended to prepare a person for positions in "secular" schools (public, university, etc). There are many fine Christian universities that offer doctor of education degrees. There are also many good "secular" universities that offer great doctor of education programs.

Just make sure that any EdD program you enter is regionally accredited and NCATE accredited.

Liberty University has a good program as do many of the UNC campuses.