What Is Normal Doctoral Class Like?

Doctoral Work Response

To all who have an ear:

I have done both PhD and DMin work. And I must say that there was not that much difference. The PhD work was done at a major state university of about 20,000 and the DMin work was done at a private seminary, denominational, private, school of religion.

In my humble but most accurate opinion there was not much difference.:laugh:

PhD work at the university consisted of:
1. reading from 4 to 6 books usually 2000 to 3000 pages,
2. seminar style usually lectures, discussions, papers given, book reviews
given, in 1-3hr. session (usually night sessions) per week,
3. 1 (sometimes 2) mid term and/or final exams usually at the end,
4. formal seminar papers on a topic chosen or assigned usually from 20 to
30 pp. (and I have written seminar papers up to 42 pp.),
5. critical book reviews on at least two of the aforementioned books
turned in to prof or given to colleagues and critiqued by them,
6. and I have had to teach a seminar to peers and the prof in the room
and be challenged by all on readings, assertions, conclusions, etc. by all
concerned.
7. and I have had classes where I only had one final exam and only one
20-30 pp. paper with 3000 pp. of reading that was all "fair game" on the
written essay final exam.

Let me add here, that if you take 9-12 hours, and try to have a ministry, wife, family, travel time, study time, and they want you to carry at least a "B" average; you will have all you can do!!! Nine-12 hours will take somewhere between 40 and 60 hours per week if you are going to maintain that "B." Seriously!!!!!

In fact let me add a second thing that Mid America Baptist Seminary demands. They demand that you do 40 hrs. per week on campus if you are full time in the doctoral program. I know many who took 4-6 years to get through their PhD program.

I will say that it all varied from prof to prof. And I will say that I am not speaking "hyperbolically," "rhetorically" (see my name), or "ministerially." Of course I did not have all of the above for each class. And we learned (like high school and college kids do) which profs to take and which profs not to take.

I will say that my DMin work was just as challenging and the "project" turned out to be a "full-blown" dissertation not like some who do the "How to Increase Sunday School Enrollment" type DMin "projects." My DMin work was like unto that described above by the brother combined with what I said about the PhD work. And I would hasten to say that if you go to a reputable place like Southern, Southeastern, Mid America, Trinity, Gordon Conwell, DTS, et al you will have your work cut out for you and it will be no picnic.

After having said all that, I would say "ENJOY!":thumbs:

Now all of you who go to one of these "fly by night" semi-diploma mills like are discussed here on the BB so much, know why we howl, and laugh, and cry at the amount of work these "schools" require for a "PhD" or some such degree. There is no free lunch!!!! If there is then it is worth what it costs!!!!!

sdg!

rd

 

Pipedude

My dearly beloved Pipedude:

1. I am a Mid America Alum, Diploma of Theology (ADiv) 1985,

2. I have lived in the Memphis area ever since (for those who do not know
MABTS is in Memphis),

3. I have many (no hyperbole as a Rhetorician) friends who have
graduated with MDiv's, ThD's (the old degree), and PhDs from Mid
America,

4. I have attended many a Bible conferences, campus revivals,
dedications, graduations, at Mid America and Bellevue
BC under Dr. B. Gray Allison, Dr. Mike Spradlin, and Dr. Adrian Rogers,

5. I have obtained three other advanced theological degrees,

6. Dr. Mike Spradlin, the president of MABTS, has been, until recently, my
interim pastor as well as good friend,

6. Etc., et al.

I am not smug. As grand pappy McCoy would say: "No brag--just fact!" So I think I am qualified to make the observation and assertion above. I stand beside it. If you have some alternative perspective please do not hesitate to bring it out.

Now, I am not so naive as to think that there may not be one different perspective out there somewhere. I will grant that. But my observations, perspectives, and involvement with the school over the past 25 years will hold up I believe.

Corrections and/or angry exhortations welcomed and suspected!!:laugh:

sdg!

rd

 

Doctoral Work Reponse

Gentlemen,

Just one point of clarification:

Mid America doctoral students, if they were full time; meaning that they were taking the full doctoral load, had to be "on campus," teaching, researching, writing, in the oibrary, or doing something that directed related to the doctoral work and it had to add up to 40 hrs per week. That was what they meant by a "full time" doctoral student.

sdg!:thumbs:

rd