PhD in Theology

Requirements | Scholarships | Mentoring

Residential and Hybrid | Community| Curriculum

School of Mission and Theology

The PhD in Theology at Fuller Seminary is a multidisciplinary program (New Testament, Old Testament, Theological Studies) that forms scholars and leaders for the church and the world.

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Cutting-edge Research

Center for Advanced Theological Studies

Cohorts

8–15 new students per year

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Global Community of Learning

Watch the Recent Missiology Lectures

Watch the Recent Payton Lectures

Mentoring

At the time of admission, each student is assigned to a mentor who becomes the primary consultant on the feasibility and scholarly credibility of the project.

Faculty mentors work with PhD students in three primary concentration areas, New Testament, Old Testament, and Theological Studies (Christian ethics, church history and historical theology, public theology, political theology, practical theology, Pentecostal studies, systematic theology, and theology and culture).

Peter Altmann

Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Pentateuch
Economics and Justice in the Biblical World
Animals and Food in the Biblical World

Steve Argue

Adolescence
Emerging Adulthood
Parachurch Ministry
Young People and the Church
Faith Formation of Young People
Congregational Approaches to Advocating for Youth
Families, Parenting
Teaching and Learning (Pedagogy, Andragogy, Transformative Learning)

Chris Blumhofer

Gospel of John
Theological Interpretation of Scripture
Old Testament in the New Testament

Kutter Callaway

Theology and Popular Culture
Theology and Technology
Theology in Post-Secular Societies
Psychologically Informed Approaches to Theology

Scott Cormode

Christian Leadership
Organizational Change
Practical Theology
Faith and Finances
Spiritual Formation of Leaders
Faith, Work, and Economics
Christian Practices

Collin Cornell

Psalms
Tabernacle
Ancient Israelite Religion
Old Testament missiology
Theological Interpretation of Scripture

Oscar García-Johnson

Systematic Theology
Ethnic Studies
Decolonialism
Latin American Studies
US Latino/a Theologies

Erin Dufault-Hunter

Narrative theology and virtue ethics
Embodiment and Ethics (medical, mental health, sex/uality)
Ethics and creation care

G. Tommy Givens

New Testament
Theological Ethics
Christian Nonviolence
Political Theory
Scriptural Reasoning for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations

Christopher Hays

Old Testament
Prophets
Ancient Near Eastern Context and Languages

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen

Systematic (Doctrinal) Theology and Constructive Theology
Comparative Theology
Science-Theology Dialogue

Jeffrey Keuss

Cultural Hermeneutics
English Literature and Theology
Continental Philosophy and Theology

Sebastian Chang Hwan Kim

Public theology
Korean Christianity
Indian Christianity (Theology)
World Christianity
Asian Theologies
Theology and Peacebuilding
Theology, Politics, and Society

Daniel Lee

Asian American Theology
Systematic Theology
Theology of Trauma
Theology and Culture

Kyong-Jin Lee

Political, Social and Ecological Readings of the Old Testament
Inner-Biblical Exegesis
Biblical Literature in the Persian and Hellenistic Periods
Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Ethics

Hak Joon Lee

Christian Theological Ethics
Globalization
Martin Luther King Jr.
Asian American Ethics
Community Organizing

Janette H. Ok

1 Peter
Letters of John
Asian American Hermeneutics
Feminist Interpretation of New Testament
Social-Scientific Approaches in New Testament Studies

Kara E. Powell

Youth Ministry
Family Ministry
Young Adult Ministry

Soong-Chan Rah

Evangelism
Cross-Cultural Ministry
Social Ethics
American Religious History

Chloe Sun

Old Testament Theology
Megilloth
Old Testament and Spiritual Formation
Chinese Diaspora

David Taylor

Liturgical Theology
Theological Aesthetics
Liturgical/Worship Arts
Theological Anthropology

Amos Yong

Intercultural Theology
Buddhist-Christian Dialogue
Theology and Disability
Pentecostalism and Pentecostal Theology
Theology of Religions
Theological Education

Requirements

To be considered for a PhD in Theology, applicants will have achieved a master’s degree and have completed graduate-level coursework of a theological nature that includes some ancient languages (more are required for Old and New Testament than certain theological disciplines).
The PhD program starts for new students in the fall quarter (late September).

All Applicants

- 1. Completed and signed Application for Admission, including:
    - Religious Autobiography, parts A and B
    - A $75 nonrefundable application fee
  2. Submission of official transcripts from all postsecondary schools attended, including a transcript demonstrating superior academic ability in a first theological degree
    - either an MDiv or Fuller's MA in Theological Studies, or its equivalent from an ATS-accredited school
    - with a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.5 or above.
  3. Three academic reference forms
  4. A 7,000-10,000 word sample research paper written in English and related to the discipline for which the applicant is pursuing further study
  5. Applicants whose first language is not English must provide an official record of scores earned on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. Only test scores earned within two years preceding the submission date of the applicant's current application will be acceptable. TOEFL overall scores of at least 100 (internet-based) or 600 (paper), or IELTS overall scores of 7.0 meet the minimum English language entrance requirements.
  6. Applicants should be competent in the biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew. Language competency is demonstrated through the successful completion of at least 8 quarter units (6 semester units) of accredited coursework in each language.
    - Applicants to the Theological Studies concentration planning to pursue research relating to theology and culture, Christian ethics, and practical theology may fulfill the biblical language prerequisite requirement through successful completion of at least 8 quarter units of accredited coursework in either Greek or Hebrew.
    - If PhD applicants have not yet reached this level, they must demonstrate competence within the first year of the PhD program.
  7. Applicants who want to specialize in practical theology must have
    - a first theology degree that includes at least 16 quarter units (or 12 semester units) of courses in ministry/praxis, not including internships
    - three years full-time ministry experience. In order to demonstrate ministry experience, these applicants must submit an executive summary of paid and volunteer positions held – including church and parachurch, part-time and full-time – sketching primary responsibilities and accomplishments.
  8. Interviews: At the Admissions Committee's discretion, applicants may be required to interview with Center for Advanced Theological Studies representatives through an online platform.

U.S. Permanent Residents and International Applicants

If you are a Permanent Resident of the United States, you must submit a copy of your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) to the Office of Admissions. No Declaration of Financial Support is required.
If you are not a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, you must verify your immigration status with the International Services Office. Those seeking a F-1 or J-1 visa from Fuller must submit a satisfactory Declaration of Financial Support prior to beginning residential coursework. Please click here for additional information.

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"I came to Fuller in a season of personal and ministry turmoil. Having served 15 years in the church and working in various countries throughout the Middle East and Asia, I often witnessed the injustices and violence of our world and felt my faith of 40 years unable to rightly engage human trauma. I came to Fuller with questions about God, about the church, and about myself, asking the age-old questions of where God was in the midst of suffering and if God cared. Fuller was instrumental in the deeper work of formation that God was doing in my life, and my work, I hope, is the fruit of a genuine struggle to personally become and help others to walk into the image and likeness of God in our suffering world."

– Debi Yu, PhD Theology, 2026

Become a Student

Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships are available each year to eligible incoming PhD Theology students on the basis of an outstanding application. These CATS Scholarships generally cover 100 percent of the cost of tuition for up to five years. In addition, students may apply for other scholarships through the universal scholarship application.

Tuition Costs and Financial Aid

Residence and Study Process

The PhD in Theology program is designed to be completed in 4–5 years. Students complete four residency courses in the first two years of the program, each one requiring a week on campus, one in the fall and one in the spring quarter. After that, students customize their own program including readings, seminars, library research, and in some cases, fieldwork. Half-time study may also be an option depending on the student’s circumstances.

PhD Theology students may opt to complete the program in residency on or near the campus in Pasadena, California, or primarily from a distance. Those who choose to pursue the program primarily from a distance are required to attend a minimum of two intensive sessions, each at least one week long, on campus during their first two years of PhD study. These intensives will include one week in the Fall Quarter and one week in the Spring Quarter.

International students must obtain a valid student visa for any time spent in the US for PhD ICS study, whether they are making short-term visits to the US for intensive coursework or relocating for an extended period of residency in the Pasadena area.

Upcoming Events

Payton Lectures

Fuller's annual Payton Lectures bring in the top scholars from around the world to interact with the Fuller academic community.

Curriculum

THE PHD IS AWARDED UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE FOLLOWING:

Research languages (requirements differ concentration to concentration)
Coursework consisting of 58, 800-level units through seminars or directed readings
Comprehensive examinations
A scholarly dissertation based on research in the area of the student’s academic focus

STAGE ONE
Stage One of the PhD program consists of 46 units of seminars and directed readings, including the vocation and formation requirements, langauges (if Old or New Testament), seminars, and methods. After 46 units have been completed, students will take four comprehensive examinations (6 units). Students who pass the comprehensive examinations will become candidates and move into Stage Two.

STAGE TWO
Stage Two of the PhD program contains 6 units of dissertation research and writing. In this phase, one unit is considered full-time and the student will register 6 times over two years.

Community

PhD in Theology students are encouraged to participate as fully as possible in the life of the Center. In addition to building relationships with the cohort, students hopefully communicate and generate ideas with the students who share their fields of research. There are quarterly colloquia, lecture series available fully online (both the Missiology Lectures and the Payton Lectures), and resources through the Fuller Studio. PhD work can be lonely and the more students participate in the various options to connect, the more likely they are to be successful in their program.

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