Boston University

“To pursue knowledge of God, To cultivate leaders for communities of faith, To enrich the academy, and To seek peace with justice in a diverse and interconnected world.”
Description of PhD Program

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program is offered to students wishing to enhance their knowledge and competence in teaching and research and to contribute to scholarship in a specialized area of theological studies. As the PhD is a research doctorate, it provides five years of funding for full-time study, and requires students to give evidence of the highest standards of scholarship at every stage of the degree program. Boston University School of Theology PhD degrees are to be distinguished from other PhD degrees by their focus on theological approaches to the histories, communities, practices, beliefs, and ethical values of Christian institutions and traditions, and by their intention to prepare students for scholarship and teaching in a broad range of institutions, including seminaries, schools of theology, divinity schools, and religiously affiliated colleges. The PhD degree program offers concentration in 3 areas: Biblical and Historical Studies, Theology, Ethics and Philosophy, Practical Theology.  Deep faculty support and mentoring is embedded in the program and extends beyond the classroom. Our PhD alumni have an average placement rate of 83% within one year of graduation.

Tuition & Housing Costs

Cost of full tuition plus university fees, health insurance, and annual stipend of $24,521 for five years of study is awarded upon admission. Housing costs are market rates in Boston, Massachusetts, and are the students’ responsibility.

 

Boston University offers studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom apartments as well as furnished rooms – all in a variety of price ranges to suit most living needs or budgets ($1,000-$2500 monthly).

Peabody Hall is a dormitory-style residence is specifically for Boston University graduate students. All rooms are single occupancy only. Monthly varies from $725-$925 per month. 

Tuition Assistance

All students admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy program are awarded full tuition fellowships plus a generous stipend for the first five years of study. The Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan program is also open to students in the Doctor of Philosophy program.

All fellowship recipients must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.3 and comply with all requirements detailed in their fellowship award letter.

The purpose of BU doctoral fellowships is to allow students to devote the time necessary to completing their studies in a timely fashion. For this reason, students receiving doctoral fellowships may not be employed during the five-year period of the fellowship, at least during the eight months of the academic year (outside employment is permitted from May 1 to August 30). Students awarded fellowships or other financial support for their studies from outside Boston University must immediately inform the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of Theology. Those awards can very much be worth pursuing as they may extend funding into the summer months, but they may also affect the funding commitment from the University.

Hispanic/Latine Faculty

Alejandro F. Botta
Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible

Jonathan Calvillo
Assistant Professor of Sociology of Religion

Filipe Maia

Assistant Professor of Theology

Luis Menendez Antuña

Assistant Profes

Cristian De La Rosa
Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology and Practice, Director of Contextual Education and Community Partnerships

Rady Roldán-Figueroa
Associate Professor of the History of Christianity

Hispanic Centers and Programs

HYLA and Raices Latinas Institute.

Raíces Latinas Student Association (RLSA), the STH Hispanic/Latin American Student Association, is an active and engaged student group within the School of Theology. RLSA provides space for students at STH who identify as Hispanic/Latinx. This includes anyone who is from or shares the cultural heritage of any Latin American, Caribbean, or other countries with a history of European colonialism. Our purposes are to support each other, to discuss the needs of our specific community, and to promote Hispanic/Latin Americans cultural diversity & awareness at the School of Theology. 

Library Resources-Special Collections

The Library primarily serves the STH community with graduate level collections to support the courses you will take and several significant research level collections.  STH holdings number over 150,000 volumes including print, audio, video, microfilm and a rapidly growing collection of electronic resources.  The Library’s special collections are concentrated in the areas of historic interest to STH: Methodist history and theology, biblical texts and translations, liturgy, worship and spirituality, missiology and hymnology.  The archives contain historical materials relating to STH and the records of the New England Conference.

The Theology Library’s collections complement those available in the other Boston University libraries.  STH students have full access to all the BU libraries defined by the use policies of each library.  STH students are able to use and borrow materials from the theology libraries in the Boston Theological Institute (BTI).  Before visiting one of these libraries, you should obtain a BTI card from the Theology Library Circulation Desk.  You can also borrow materials from libraries within the Boston Library Consortium.  You can search area catalogs here: https://www.bu.worldcat.org.  Materials will be sent via courier to our library once you have made a request in WorldCat Local.  You may also go to the Circulation Desk at Mugar Library to obtain a BLC card to borrow materials at the libraries themselves.

Other Resources

Hispanic Summer Program. The School of Theology sponsors students and faculty each summer to participate in the Hispanic Summer Program (HSP) – an ecumenical program in theology and religion that seeks to train leaders in the Hispanic Church. More information may be found at https://hispanicsummerprogram.org/whoweare

Students of Color.  The Students of Color is a student organization through which students of color in all degree programs gather together for mutual support, advocacy, networking, and program-sponsorship.

HTI Scholars

Xochitl Alvizo

Jasmin Elise Figueroa

Awilda González

Yara González-Justiniano

Jacob Leal

Roberto Mata

Daniel Montañez

Mónica Isabel Rey

Rady Roldán-Figueroa

Angel Santiago-Vendrell

KMarie Tejeda

Seth Anthony Villegas

Contact Information

The HTI person to contact for information on PhD studies at Boston University is:

Name:     Bryan Stone
Title:        Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism; Co-Director of the Center for Practical Theology
Phone:    617-353-2456
Email:      bpstone@bu.edu