Nov 21 2021 Ph.D in Theology HOME | ACADEMICS | PROGRAMS | PH.D. IN THEOLOGY PH.D. IN THEOLOGYQUICK LINKS Fast Facts Typical Plan of Study Departmental Message Admission Requirements Meet the Faculty Ph.D. in TheologyAT A GLANCE PH.D. Take the next step in your journey to be astounded by the infinite knowledge and wisdom of our God. Obtain your Ph.D. in theology at AMU and you’ll benefit from strictly capped class sizes and a distinguished and ecclesiastically approved teaching faculty. Dare to wonder at the greatest mysteries of our faith and prepare yourself for advanced studies or leading roles in Catholic higher education. Get started today by enrolling in the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Theology program at AMU. Careers: Director of Religious Education, Diocesan Leader, Theology Professor, Religious Life APPLY NOW EX CORDE ECCLESIAE — FROM THE HEART OF THE CHURCH Ph.D. students at AMU. develop the habit and unified vision of theological wisdom according to the unerring magisterial teachings of the Church. Through the study of biblical, moral and systematic theology, our doctoral students become conversant in the Catholic theological tradition and lay the groundwork for teaching roles in Catholic or non-Catholic institutions of higher education. Fast Fact: More than 90% of our doctoral graduates are teaching theology at the college, university or seminary level. Skills you will gain withA PH.D. IN THEOLOGY A deeper knowledge of Catholic doctrine and practice. Dive into particular areas of Church teaching that interest you, and examine their scriptural and historical foundations. Engage your mind in the pursuit of wisdom through faith and reason. Research and critical thinking skills. Master a particular topic in theology by performing original research for your dissertation and successfully defending your findings to a panel. Practical ways of growing closer to God. Your ultimate goal in life is not your career (though that’s still important), but getting to heaven! By studying theology you’re learning more about God, the source of all love and joy! CAREER PATHS Theology Professor Diocesan Work Missionary Work Take the NEXT STEP Start yourAPPLICATIONAPPLY NOW Get someFINANCIAL AIDGET AID ContactADMISSIONSCONTACT USA look into thePH.D. IN THEOLOGYDEPARTMENTAL MESSAGE Sedes Sapientiae, ora pro nobis! Thank you for visiting Ave Maria University’s website in order to learn more about our Ph.D. in theology, AMU is committed to the renewal and deepening of genuinely Catholic spiritual, intellectual, and cultural life. To enter our graduate theological programs is to embark on an exacting and exciting venture to deepen both one’s contemplative union with the Triune God and one’s understanding of the great truths of the Catholic faith. To study theology challenges us to open our minds and hearts to Jesus Christ, the one Teacher who illumines everything by his very being as the Word of the Father in the Holy Spirit. To study Catholic theology is to realize that the Word Incarnate and the Holy Spirit inspired Sacred Scripture and continue to guide the Magisterium of the Church, whose Tradition directs us as we reach up to the great minds and hearts of the many saints and scholars who over the millennia have contributed to the quest for genuine holiness, wisdom, science, scholarship, and art. If you decide to join our graduate program, it is their lives and writings that you will study. Fidelity to Catholic truth demands more—not less—commitment to deepening and broadening one’s intelligence to appreciate the unity of theological and philosophical wisdom, too often forgotten in the many specializations and fragmentations of contemporary academic culture. Our program emphasizes a contemplative pattern of study that initiates students into the great tradition of speculative wisdom, with its unifying theoretical vision of the whole of God’s creative and redemptive presence. Dr. Dauphinais Meet our FacultyGerald Boersma, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Theology Education: B.A., Religious Studies, Trinity Western University; M.A., Theology, Ave Maria University; Ph.D., Theology and Religion, University of Durham Office: Henkels 3003 Email: gerald.boersma@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 304-7910 Curriculum Vitae: Download Fr. Romanus Cessario, S.T.D.Adam Cardinal Maida Professor of Theology Education: B.A., St. Stephen’s College; M.A., St. Stephen’s College; S.T.L., Dominican House of Studies; S.T.B., Dominican House of Studies; S.T.D., University de Fribourg; S.T.M., The Order of Preachers, Santa Sabina, Rome Email: rev.romanus.cessario@avemaria.edu Office: Henkels 3026 Phone: (239) 304-7935 MICHAEL A. DAUPHINAIS, PH.D.Chair of the Theology Department, Fr. Matthew L. Lamb Professor of Catholic Theology, Professor of Theology and Humanities Education: Education: B.S., Engineering, Duke University; M.T.S., Theology, Duke Divinity School; Ph.D., Systematic Theology, University of Notre Dame Office: Henkels 3005 Email: michael.dauphinais@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 280-2538 Fr. Robert Garrity, S.T.D.Associate Professor of Theology Education: B.A., English Literature, Aurora University; M.A., Theology, Catholic University of America; S.T.L., Theology, Catholic University of America; J.C.L., Canon Law, The Catholic University of America; S.T.D., Theology, The Catholic University of America Office: Henkels 2068 Email: robert.garrity@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 280-2424 Curriculum Vitae: Download Daniel Lendman, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Theology Education: B.A., Liberal Arts, Thomas Aquinas College; M.A., Philosophy, Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology; S.T.M., Theology, International Theological Insitute; S.T.L., Systematic Theology, International Theological Insitute; Ph.D., Systematic Theology, Ave Maria University Email: danielw.lendman@avemaria.edu Office: Henkels 3029 Phone: (239) 304-7934 Steven Long, Ph.D.Professor of Theology Education: B.A., Philosophy, University of Toledo; M.A., Philosophy, University of Toledo; Ph.D., Philosophy, The Catholic University of America Office: Henkels 3007 Email: steven.long@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 280-1664 Fr. Guy Mansini, S.T.D.Max Seckler Chair of Theology Education: B.A., Philosophy, Saint Meinrad College; M. Div., Theology, Saint Meinrad School of Theology; M.A., Religious Studies, Indiana University; M.A., Philosophy, Marquette University; S.T.D., Pontifical Gregorian University Office: Henkels 3009 Email: fr.guy.mansini@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 280-2594 Roger Nutt, S.T.L., S.T.D.Provost, Professor of Theology Education: B.E.S., Literature & Philosophy, St. Cloud State University; M.A., Theology & Christian Ministry, Franciscan University of Steubenville; S.T.B., Sacred Theology, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, S.T.L., Sacred Theology, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas; S.T.D., Sacred Theology, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Office: Henkels 3056 Email: roger.nutt@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 280-1603 Curriculum Vitae: Download T. Adam Van Wart, Ph.D.ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY Education: B.S., Psychology, Texas Christian University; M.A., Counseling, Dallas Theological Seminary; Th.M., Systematic Theology Dallas Theological Seminary; M.T.S., Theology, Duke University; Ph.D., Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University Office: Henkels 3008 Email: thomas.vanwart@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 304-7825 Curriculum Vitae: Download Jeffrey Walkey, Ph.D.ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY Education: B.S., Management Purdue University; M.T.S. Theological Studies, Duke Divinity School; Ph.D. Religious Studies, Maquette University Office: Henkels 3004 Email: jeffrey.walkey@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 304-7363 Curriculum Vitae: Download FAST FACTS Over 90% of our doctoral graduates are teaching theology at the college, university, or seminary level. One-on-One Instruction: Incoming classes are capped at four doctoral students per year to ensure individualized attention and mentoring throughout the Ph.D. program. Colloquium: Weekly colloquia on the ancients and the moderns, focusing on the interplay between philosophical and theological inquiry, Christian and pre-Christian. TYPICAL PLAN OF STUDY Year One and Two Complete all required coursework and language proficiency courses or exams. By the end of Year Two, submit a comprehensive-exams reading plan to the program director, and schedule the written and oral exams for the following November. Prepare for comps over the summer. Year Three – Fall Semester Register for THEO 699: Residential Research & Dissertation (1 credit). Ask a faculty member to be your dissertation director, discuss and refine the topic, and begin your research. Serve as a teaching assistant to an assigned professor (not necessarily your director), and attend an assigned undergraduate course throughout the semester. Take written and oral comprehensive exams in November as scheduled. Year Three – Spring Semester Register for THEO 699. Teach one section of an undergraduate course (normally THEO 105: Sacred Scripture, THEO 205: Sacred Doctrine, or THEO 400: Living in Christ: Moral Theology). Ask two professors to be readers on your dissertation board (one of these may be external to the department or to the university). Submit your dissertation proposal to the program director and to the dissertation director. Once the proposal has been approved by your board, and both the proposal and the composition of your board have been validated by the entire Theology faculty, you may begin writing. Year Four Register for THEO 699. Teach one section of an undergraduate course per semester (normally THEO 105: Sacred Scripture, THEO 205: Sacred Doctrine, or THEO 400: Living in Christ: Moral Theology). Complete and defend the dissertation. The “Application for Ph.D. Degree” form is available from the registrar. Submit a degree application form and the graduation fee early in the semester in which the student intends to graduate. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Ph.D. applications are due by February 1st. Applicants to the Ph.D. Program must possess an M.A. in Theology or a related discipline (such as Philosophy or Classical Languages) and should have completed at least 12 credits of undergraduate or graduate coursework in philosophy. They must submit: Official GRE Score Report from ETS Seal-bearing transcripts (from all institutions attended) Completed online application with $50 application fee Three letters of recommendation Statement of intent (1500-words): intellectual autobiography, academic/research interests and goals, and Christian-ecclesial commitment Description of professional and academic experience Academic writing sample of theological or philosophical nature (minimum 8 pages) TOEFL Score Report from ETS (for international applicant if English is not the first language) Those accepted into the program may be offered a tuition scholarship and/or stipend for research/teaching assistantships. Regardless, all students must pay the technology fee, the activities fee, and the graduation fee. Graduate Enrollment Office Ave Maria University 5050 Ave Maria Blvd. Ave Maria, FL 34142 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Twelve doctoral-level theology courses (48 credits), maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher Four courses (16 credits) in candidate’s major (systematic or moral) Three courses (12 credits) in candidate’s minor (biblical, systematic, or moral) Two courses (8 credits) in the remaining area (biblical, systematic, or moral) Two required courses: THEO 691 Ancients, and THEO 692 Moderns (8 credits) One additional course (4 credits) Reading proficiency in Latin, Greek, and one modern language (French, German, or Italian), demonstrated by proficiency exams or approved AMU courses (with a grade of B- or higher) Successful completion of oral and written comprehensive exams Successful defense of an approved dissertation Candidates who are judged to have significant lacunae in their prior academic formation in theology or philosophy will be directed to take courses that complement the Ph.D. curriculum. Throughout the residency candidates are expected to maintain full-time status and to devote themselves to studies as to a full-time occupation. They are encouraged to take advantage of the sacramental and spiritual life of the university as an integral element in their theological formation. The tuition-remission scholarship and living stipend remain in effect throughout the four-year residency, provided the candidate is in good academic standing, maintains full-time status, and follows the above course of study in a timely fashion. If the dissertation has not been successfully defended by the last day of August following Year Four, the candidate will need to register for THEO 698 Non-residential Research & Dissertation, and pay tuition (1 credit hour) and any applicable fees, for each subsequent semester, in order to remain enrolled in the program until the dissertation has been successfully defended. The faculty is under no obligation to accept for defense any draft of a dissertation submitted more than eight years after matriculation. Continuance in the program is subject to faculty review each semester. Candidates must maintain good academic standing (GPA of 3.0 or higher) to retain the tuition-remission scholarship and the living stipend. If a candidate receives a final grade of C+ or lower in any course, he or she will be required to retake the course or, at the program director’s discretion, to resubmit selected assignments. A candidate who receives two or more grades of C+ or lower in a single academic year will be discontinued from the program. If personal circumstances require the interruption of studies, the student should inform the program director immediately and must apply for a leave of absence. At the director’s discretion, a leave may be granted for a fixed period. A student who interrupts studies without an approved leave of absence is considered to have withdrawn from the program and must reapply if he or she wishes to return. APPLICATION AND OTHER LINKS Free Online Application Academic Catalogue MEET OUR PH.D. STUDENTSGideon BarrYear Entered: 2017 Major: Moral Theology Bradley CypherYear Entered: 2018 Major: Moral Theology Minor: Systematic Theology Michael De SalvoYear Entered: 2018 Major: Systematic Theology Minor: Biblical Theology Brett FegerYear Entered: 2019 Major: Systematic Theology Minor: Biblical Theology Marie FermanYear Entered: 2020 Major: Systematic Theology Matthew HarteYear Entered: 2021 Major: Systematic Theology Mark HeffleyYear Entered: 2019 Major: Systematic Theology Minor: Moral Theology Aaron HendersonYear Entered: 2017 Major: Systematic Theology Sarah KaiserYear Entered: 2017 Major: Systematic Theology James KellyYear Entered: 2020 Major: Systematic Theology Andrew KuenstleYear Entered: 2019 Major: Systematic Theology Minor: Biblical Theology Kara LoganYear Entered: 2016 Major: Systematic Major, Biblical Theology Minor Curriculum Vitae: Download Rev. Joseph LugalambiYear Entered: 2017 Major: Systematic Theology Curriculum Vitae: Download Matthew McKennaYear Entered: 2021 Major: Moral Theology Minor: Systematic Theology Zachary NaccashYear Entered: 2022 Major: Systematic Theology Taylor PayneYear Entered: 2021 Major: Systematic Theology Tyler PellegrinYear Entered: 2020 Major: Systematic Theology Minor: Moral Theology Michelle PetersenYear Entered: 2017 Major: Systematic Theology David SherwoodYear Entered: 2022 Major: Systematic Theology Minor: Biblical Theology Aaron WeiselYear Entered: 2022 Major: Systematic Theology Minor: Moral Theology CONTACT US Dr. Michael Dauphinais, Program Director: (239) 280-2538 Megan Hare, Administrative Assistant: (239) 280-1629 Email: graduatetheology@avemaria.edu Graduate Enrollment Office Ave Maria University 5050 Ave Maria Blvd. Ave Maria, FL 34142 More to help youON YOUR JOURNEY CAREER SERVICES Achieve your goals with the help of our experts. Learn More FAITH LIFE Enjoy every opportunity to live your faith on our beautiful campus. Learn More CENTERS AND ACADEMY Be inspired to live the Catholic Faith for the greater good. Learn More DISCOVER THE AQUINAS CENTER FOR THEOLOGICAL RENEWAL Created to foster the renewal of Catholic theology, the Aquinas Center is invested in a wide variety of projects both within and outside of Ave Maria University. With the help of scholars from colleges and universities around the world, the center l seeks to contribute to the development of a vibrant theological renaissance. LEARN MORE