Post Graduate Courses

Students must complete work in church ministries, legal issues, general counseling, ministry training, evaluation, economics, philosophy of Christian education, church integral relationships, and other areas as assigned. Research paper required.       Some residency required along with intense self-study, thorough research and writing, though most course requirements are completed off campus in the ministry setting.

All post graduate students will complete field education.

•Doctor of Religious Education and the Doctor of Ministry degrees require a 40,000 word (approximately 150 pages) dissertation in standard thesis format.

•Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy degrees require a 60,000 word (approximately 200 pages) dissertation in standard thesis format.

The procedure for all doctoral candidates is:

1. The doctoral oral examination - is the candidate's educational studies defense, and is to be accomplished as the beginning part of the requirements for earning a doctorate. The Oral is an examination of the candidate by the Doctoral Primary Supervisor which must be passed before being considered a doctoral candidate then proceeding to write their dissertation.
   
   Our Oral is typically based on post-graduate specific preparatory reading from a reading list agreed upon by the student and the dissertation Primary Supervisor. The Primary Supervisor may appoint a committee of advisors staffed by academic and/or pastoral individuals and professors at Great Plains Baptist Divinity School. This reading list may comprise multiple books and other laboratory work, research data and conclusions to be completed prior to being accepted as a doctoral candidate.       The Oral examination consists of the candidate's Primary Supervisor questioning them either in person or by a conference call on several topics that are strongly related to their major academic area of focus.  As the name suggests, both the questions and answers are given orally. The Primary Supervisor is the interviewing official. The candidate will be expected to answer the questions or work out problems. After the Orals, the Primary Supervisor will decide whether or not to accept the candidate into the doctoral program. The candidate learns their verdict immediately.
   
   
   
2. The doctoral dissertation proposal- once the oral argument is completed, they will be expected to present a professional draft of their chosen dissertation subject, the validity thereof, and present the thesis goal and proofs for their position held and conclusion of the dissertation. Their  Primary Supervisor may quiz extensively the thesis subject, its need in an academic arena, how the writer plans to prove this thesis, and the value of said subject to a prospective readership.
   
   The candidate must convince their Primary Supervisor of the need of such thesis in the area for which it shall be presented. They must be convinced that it is necessary to shape or correct a doctrine, subject, science, position, etc., that is either lacking, needs specific clarification, or has an essential detail left untouched, etc., and that it is being written with substantial documentation to accomplish its goal. They will also assess the reliability and validity of the thesis construction, analyze the data presented, etc. The doctoral dissertation is to be very specifically focused on a narrower selected area of specialty within one of the disciplines ministry, theology or bibliocentric education. This dissertation is to be very specific, thoroughly written and a well researched academic presentation. The doctoral dissertation is finely focused on a pointed area within the Ministry, or on a specific area of a doctrine the writer feels needs detailed clarification about, or a pointed area within Bibliocentric education which has caused problems that needs the problem presented and with a workable solution.
   
   If the subject is not suitable to the divinity school's mission, or not being written thorough enough to reach the desired length in the body alone, or not in the desired academic form, or the material is deemed unnecessary to a readership, or the reason for writing the thesis is not properly communicated to the Primary Supervisor or proper documented and footnoted authenticity is not forth coming, they will elect not to accept that dissertation.
   
   
   
3. The doctoral dissertation - after the professional proposal, along with a list of the books and other laboratory work, research data and conclusions required as a pre-doctoral candidate, the actual writing may begin.       The dissertation should be the culmination of years of a final long trek of the doctoral journey. It becomes a primary piece of scholarly evidence demonstrating a doctoral candidate's ability to fruitfully construct a critical argument of independent knowledge and understanding in the form of the written dissertation. The dissertation, in this case, makes claims based on evidential argument, which is a cornerstone of academic scholarship.
   
   The dissertation addresses a complex problem that has either not been addressed or has been partially or unclearly addressed prior; comes to conclusions that are adequately supported in the final outcome of the study.
   
   
   
4. The doctoral dissertation format - is to follow the format as presented in APA (American Psychological Association manual) The paper is to be written using a 10 or 12 size font of a basic serif type. Be aware of using Scripture verses--use the reference site only rather than quote the entire verse, especially in Doctor of Philosophy or Education dissertations. Follow the APA clearly as to margins, paging, citations and bibliography documentation.       Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Religious Education dissertations are to be 150 pages in the body alone, not to include the introductory pages, blank pages, section or chapter title pages or bibliography.
   
   Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education dissertations are to be 200 pages in the body alone, not to include the introductory pages, blank pages, section or chapter title pages or bibliography.
   
   
   
5. The doctoral dissertation completion date - dissertations are to be presented to the Divinity School candidate's Primary Supervisor  no later than 1 March of the year the candidate is planning on graduating, or have express approval prior for a later date.

Doctorates may be earned in the following disciplines:

•Theological Issues & Trends

Theological issues which are cause to non-Biblical movements in society such as the Charismatic movement, Ecumenicalism, Christian Reconstructionism, Identityism, etc., are studied. A thorough study of specific books of the Bible to be studied topically, exegetically, historically, or all three mixed. The teaching must be applied usefully to a modern generation.       Teaching Dogmatic Theology  as a Òstudent teachingÓ project in which the graduate student is given a certain theology to develop an outline, course syllabus, charts, maps, etc., and teaches the course at a graduate/seminary level. The completed syllabus and all appendixes will be required for grading at completion.

Critical doctrinal issues as an intensive study of various dogmas critical to Christianity such as the charismatic movement, modern tongues, ecumenicalism, the new age movement, blood atonement, the necessity of repentance, etc., analysis and conclusive papers will be completed.       Specific issues theology where specific theological issues will be studied, both in classroom setting and by outside special study assignment with research papers due at the end of the course.

•Pastoral Ministry & Administration

Courses in theology, Bible and education histories, Biblical exposition and exegesis, church ministries and legal issues, church organizing and administration, general counseling, ministry training, evaluation, economics, philosophy of Christian education, church integral relationships, social issues, evangelism, Biblical missions, and other areas as assigned. Study and application of preaching from various Old Testament contexts, styles, and applications. Research notes and outlines required. Study and application of preaching from various New Testament contexts, styles, and applications. Research notes and outlines required. A thorough study of specific books of the Bible to be studied topically, exegetically, historically, or all three mixed. The teaching must be applied usefully to a modern generation.       Application of desktop publishing learning current publishing programs and applications on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems that included graphics, text and colorization is required as a final work for this course. Encourages  writing and publishing of flyers, booklets, pamphlets and books.

Application of specialized pastoral counseling which deals with the pastor's office as a clinical setting, with proper ethics, legal issues, basic human psychology, and much more.       Emphasis on the Ministry and Mission of Preaching as a thorough study of the ministry of preaching as laid out in Scripture and its purpose, affect, administration to hearers.   

Urban Ministry taking the student into ministering situations outside the local church including county jail, state penitentiary, reformatory facilities, etc.

•Counseling Philosophy

Courses on pulpit counseling as preventive and Biblical dealing with preaching as God's prescribed method of meeting all human problems and the Biblical ramifications of not heeding this Divine method. Legal issues in counseling that focuses on ministers and possible litigation, minister privilege, minister malpractice, ministers  medical/health related issues and doctrinal issues involved in counseling.

•Curriculum & Teaching Methodology

Courses in school administration, Christian school legal issues, general counseling, Day School discipline, faculty training and evaluation, curriculum development, school economics, philosophy of Christian education, philosophy of church/school integral relationships, and other areas as assigned.       

•School Administration

Courses in organizing church day schools, administration, school legal issues, general counseling, school discipline, staff and faculty training and evaluation, school economics, philosophy & history of Christian education, philosophy of church/school integral relationships, the educator, and other areas as assigned. 

Studies in Instructional Strategies which is an examination of styles of learning and instructional strategies for meeting the needs of individual students. Emphasis will be on diagnostics and the principle approach to teaching.       Required administrative in-service which is an intensive in-service in administration where graduate students will be exposed to practical administrative and supervisory activities under the direction of present and former principals of church schools.  

Continuing Education Laboratory Credit will be determined at completion of each laboratory - Professional development under professionals, textbooks, video, seminars, field research, and Bibliocentric supervision.

•Church Ministry

Courses in organizing ministries, church administration, legal issues, specific counseling, church discipline, staff training and evaluation, ministries within the church parameter and outreach ministries inside institutions outside the church, summer youth ministry programs, the Minister, and curriculum, church economics, philosophy of Christian education, philosophy of church/school integral relationships, and other areas as assigned. Issues in evangelism examining methods, issues and doctrines of modern evangelism. Also studies fruitful evangelism. Religious freedom issues, a study of doctrinal issues become social in importance, with surrounding complications now placed through social/political correctness pressures. Moral, legal and Biblical implications are studied.

•Baptist History & Distinctives Research

The history of Baptists is long and bloody with martyrdom. This is study of selected writings of historians about the suffering of our Baptist forefathers.

•America's Christian History

The founding father's thoughts and ideas behind government, with awareness of modern revisionist interpretation of the original intent of the United States Republican form of government.