

Ph.D. in Theology and Education
The Ph.D. in Theology and Education prepares future leaders and scholars with a focus on religious education that branches out into practical and pastoral theology and such academic disciplines as religion and society, moral development, and leadership in Catholic education. It has also been effective in preparing undergraduate theology teachers.
The program combines resources from STM, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, and the Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. Participants take courses in theology, education, religious education and other subjects as germane to one’s area of research and dissertation topic (philosophy, sociology, etc.). One’s PhD committee, serving for both comprehensive exams and dissertation, is made up of a DREPM faculty person with expertise in religious education, and then one from another area of theology and from the Lynch School.
Department of Theology Faculty
Lynch School of Education Faculty
Most students complete the program over four or five years.
The program typically includes 50 credits of coursework beyond the master’s degree.
The minimum residency requirement is two years of full-time study.
All Ph.D. students receive a four-year stipend of $20,500/year,
plus a full tuition scholarship.
The application to STM must be completed online.
Application Form
Please note you can submit your application form once it is completed; you do not need to wait for all of your supplemental materials to arrive. We are able to schedule your interview once we have received your submitted application form, resume, and personal statement.
Additional requirements for international applicants
Additional requirements for religious applicants
A non-refundable fee of $75 is required for every degree and non-degree application submitted.
Please note: The application fee cannot be refunded for any reason. If you qualify for a fee waiver, you should not pay the fee when you submit the application form. Fee waivers are automatically granted to the following applicants: Jesuits, veterans, applicants currently completing a year of service, and current STM students. We do not waive the application fee for other reasons.
GRE scores
The GRE is optional but preferred for spring 2021, summer 2021, and fall 2021 applications. We review all applications holistically. Applicants who choose not to submit GRE scores will not be penalized in the admissions process.
Applicants who do send GRE scores should have them sent directly from ETS. Our GRE code is 2508.
TOEFL scores
All applicants for whom English is not their native language must also provide TOEFL or IELTS test score results. An acceptable TOEFL score is 85 or above on the internet-based test. When taking the exam, include STM’s institutional code – 3971 – so that your scores may be sent directly to the school.
Read more about special instructions for international applicants here.
To request a TOEFL waiver, you must email stmadm@bc.edu.
One copy of each transcript is required from all colleges, universities, seminaries, or theological schools that you have attended. Each transcript should contain a list of all coursework taken, grades/marks received, and, if applicable, degree granted and date of degree confirmation. If your college or university will send official transcripts electronically, they can be emailed to stmadm@bc.edu. Otherwise, transcripts must be mailed and be contained in a sealed, signed envelope. If the official transcript is not English, a translation should be provided with the official document. Please alert us if your transcript will be arriving with a different name than the one you are using on your application (e.g. your maiden name).
Mailing Addresses
For applicants using the U.S. Postal Service:
Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Simboli Hall
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
For applicants using FedEx or UPS, please use this address:
Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Simboli Hall
9 Lake Street
Brighton, MA 02135-3841
Ph.D. applicants are required to submit three recommendations using the online application system.
Each recommender should be familiar with the applicant’s academic competence. For applicants who have been out of school for a significant amount of time, the recommenders should be familiar with the applicant's professional competence. Applicants to our certificate programs are required to submit one letter of recommendation. Please be sure that your recommenders are aware of the application deadlines and online process, and choose them carefully to ensure that they can write on your behalf in a timely manner.
The writing sample must be uploaded as part of the application. The sample should be an academic paper of around 25 pages.
The resume must be uploaded as part of the application. It is helpful if you highlight relevant teaching, research, ministry, service, and leadership positions you have held.
The personal statement must be uploaded as part of the application. The personal statement should be three pages in length, double-spaced.
Your statement should address the following: