Academics - Ph.D. Degree Programs
The doctoral program in theology at Loyola University Chicago is designed for those students who envision a career primarily in teaching and scholarly research at an advanced level.
Length of Program: Full-time students usually complete the program in six years.
Specializations:
Specializations are offered in Christian Ethics, Constructive Theology, or New Testament and Early Christianity. Applicants who specialize in Christian Ethics or Constructive Theology can be admitted to the program on a part-time basis. Many courses are conveniently scheduled during evening hours.
Christian Ethics:
Students pursing a Ph.D. degree in Christian ethics study the history, intellectual foundations, and application of Christian ethics. Faculty members offer particular expertise in the areas of narrative theory and ethics, natural law, feminist and sexual ethics, spirituality and ethics, environmental ethics, biomedical ethics, sacramental ethics, and Roman Catholic social and political thought.
Constructive Theology:
The doctoral program in Constructive Theology is grounded in an appreciation of the inherently multidisciplinary nature of theology. Inspired and illuminated by Roman Catholicism and its theological traditions, research and teaching in this concentration complement conventional systematic and historical studies with the imaginative and creative integration of various critical theories.
New Testament and Early Christianity:
The New Testament and Early Christianity specialization concentrates on the Christian Church in the period of its emergence: approximately 200 B.C.E. to approximately 200 C.E. Students explore the Church’s roots in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint, Intertestamental Judaism, and contemporary Jewish and Greco-Roman history and culture.
Theological Pedagogy
Since teaching is frequently a significant part of our graduates’ professional goals, we offer doctoral students who have completed their course work an opportunity to take a non-credit course in Theological Pedagogy, as well as the opportunity to serve as teaching assistants. The course is offered each spring and provides mentoring, self-videotaping, assistance in the development of syllabi, and opportunities for students to reflect on their philosophy of teaching. Participants create a professional file to parallel their academic CV.
