APPENDIX B: PHD PROGRAM SUPERVISION I. Admissions
a. Complete transcript evaluation for applicants.
b. Faculty members agree to serve as major and minor supervisors for each applicant recommended for admission. If no faculty member agrees to serve as supervisor, the applicant will not receive an invitation to enter the PhD program.
c. At matriculation, the student’s major and minor supervisors sign the Supervisory Committee form.
d. Both major and minor supervisors approve the seminars their student takes and sign the annual registration form.
II. Seminar Stage Supervision
a. Supervisors must help their supervisees plan their entire seminar stage course of study, including granting formal approval for all seminar selections and Focused Field Studies.
b. Supervisors review their supervisees’ unofficial transcripts through WebAdvisor each semester to help monitor academic progress.
c. Supervisors may determine that a student lacks doctoral level competence in English, the Biblical languages, or other areas of such significance that the student’s academic progress is in jeopardy. In such cases the supervisor, in consultation with the Associate Dean for the PhD Program, will require the student to complete remedial studies in the area(s) of weakness.
d. Supervisors may slightly modify the official bibliography for each supervisee on the basis of individual research goals.
i. Supervisors notify the PhD office in writing of all changes made to the bibliography and for whom the changes apply.
ii. Supervisors may modify the comprehensive bibliography up to five months prior to the student’s comprehensive exam.
e. Supervisors monitor their student’s preparation for their comprehensive exams.
f. Supervisors consult with their students regarding possible dissertation topics.
g. Supervisors evaluate student requests for a leave of absence (subject to final approval by the Associate Dean for the PhD Program).
III. Comprehensive Exams
a. Supervisors guide their student’s final preparation for their comprehensive exams.
b. Supervisors prepare comprehensive exams, in consultation with the Associate Dean for the PhD program, drawing all comprehensive examination questions from the field bibliographies.
i. The student notifies the Supervisory Committee and the PhD office in writing of readiness to take the major and minor comprehensive exams.
ii. The Supervisory Committee grants written approval for the PhD office to schedule the comprehensive exams.
iii. The major and minor supervisors prepare the comprehensive exams. The Associate Dean for the PhD Program evaluates the comprehensive exams to ensure equity in terms of the comprehensive bibliography upon which it is based and equity compared to comprehensive exams in other fields.
APPENDIX B: PHD PROGRAM SUPERVISION
iv. The comprehensive exams for the major and minor require four hours each. The PhD office schedules the times and locations of the exams.
v. Students may not use study aids, but the PhD office makes available reference tools (such as Hebrew and Greek texts) as specified by the supervisors.
vi. The PhD office provides paper and administers the exams. Computer-based examinations may be available with approval.
vii. The supervisors evaluate the comprehensive exams and assign a grade.
viii. The supervisor determines whether an oral examination is required to address weakness identified in the written exam. If warranted, the supervisor works with the PhD office to schedule the oral exam.
IV. Submission of the Prospectus
a. The student submits his prospectus to his Dissertation Stage Supervisor.
b. When the supervisor determines that the prospectus is acceptable, the student submits the prospectus to the PhD office.
i. The student submits 5 copies of the prospectus to the PhD office, along with a signed copy of the Prospectus Supervisor Approval form.
ii. The PhD office attaches the necessary forms and sends 4 copies of the prospectus and forms to the Department Chair over the student’s major field.
iii. After the departmental faculty make their recommendations, the Division Chair returns the evaluation forms and the Division Action Form to the PhD office. The PhD office sends an official letter to the student stating the results of the departmental meeting.
1. If the prospectus is denied, the student consults with his supervisor, makes the required revisions, and resubmits the prospectus for departmental review.
2. If the prospectus if approved with amendments, the student consults with his supervisor, makes the required revisions, and resubmits the prospectus to his supervisor. No further
administrative action is required.
a. If the supervisor approves the required revisions, the supervisor sends the completed forms to the PhD office.
b. The department recommends the second reader for the student’s dissertation.
APPENDIX B: PHD PROGRAM SUPERVISION
ii. If declined, the supervisor returns the dissertation draft to the student with instructions for revision. Once corrected, the student again submits the draft to his Dissertation Supervisory Committee. For review.
c. Once approved for formal evaluation, the student submits four copies of the dissertation draft to the PhD office.
VI. Evaluation of Dissertation Draft
a. The supervisor and second reader comprise the Dissertation Supervisory Committee, plus one additional reader assigned by the Associate Dean for the PhD Program in consultation with the supervisor.
b. The PhD office provides each reader with one copy of the dissertation draft and an evaluation form, including the deadline for submitting the completed
evaluation to the PhD office.
c. The Associate Dean for the PhD Program compiles the grades for review and confirmation.
i. If the dissertation draft passes, the PhD office contacts the supervisors to confirm the Oral Defense.
ii. If the dissertation draft fails, two options exist:
1. Fail with revisions permitted: The supervisor provides the student with the required revisions. The student completes the revisions and resubmits the dissertation draft the following semester, following the procedures outlines previously.
2. Fail without revisions permitted: The PhD office notifies the student in writing of the failure and that they will be awarded a ThM degree.
VII. Oral Defense a. Scheduling
i. When the student submits the dissertation draft to the PhD office with the approval of the Dissertation Supervisory Committee, the office sets a tentative oral defense date.
ii. When the dissertation draft is approved, the oral defense date is confirmed.
b. Presentation of Oral Defense i. Active Participants
1. The Associate Dean for the PhD Program chairs the oral defense.
The Dissertation Supervisory Committee, plus the third reader, actively participate in examining the student.
2. Other faculty and students are invited to the oral defense and may participate in the defense as time permits.
ii. Evaluation
1. At the conclusion of the oral defense, the Associate Dean for the PhD program briefly dismisses the student and other attendees.
2. The Dissertation Supervisory Committee and the third reader evaluate the dissertation and the defense, and assign the final grade to the dissertation.
APPENDIX B: PHD PROGRAM SUPERVISION
3. The student returns to learn the outcome of the oral defense.
a. A Passing Grade
i. The faculty evaluating the dissertation notify the student of any required revisions which must be completed within three weeks.
1. The student must obtain the supervisor’s written approval that the necessary revisions have been made.
2. The student submits four (4) copies (on 24 lb, 100% cotton paper) of the defended and revised dissertation to the PhD office no later than two (2) weeks prior to the next scheduled commencement.
ii. The student completes all necessary paperwork for graduation.
iii. The student submits the forms and copies of the dissertation to the library by the published deadline.
b. A Failing Grade
i. The faculty evaluating the dissertation notify the student of the failure and instruct the student to rewrite and resubmit the defense draft with a deadline set by the Dissertation Supervisory Committee.
ii. A second oral defense is scheduled upon the recommendation of the Dissertation Supervisory Committee.