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foodtruck

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  1. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Thoughts on online PHDs in religion/theology   
    Hi DDSDevil,

    That’s a good question. After giving it some thought, I think such programs are usually not going to be as competitive. That’s not so much an indictment of them, as it is recognition of the historic hiring pattern at American evangelical seminaries, which predominantly hire PhD’s from top-ranked residential programs or from programs within their own narrow niche.


    Doing a limited-residency program with a British, Scottish, South African, or Australian research university directly (more on that caveat in a moment), may provide access to the best scholar to supervise your research, although not the immersive experience of being there during the academic year and the access to resources that comes with it. Still, if the scholar who is the best choice to supervise your research and help you produce a terrific thesis does happen to be at one of these universities, then it’s worth your consideration.

    For people not familiar with the UK scene, many of the limited residency opportunities are indirect, via independent schools like London School of Theology that have ‘validation’ arrangements with royally-chartered universities that are able to issue the degrees. While the better of these non-chartered schools are reputable in their own right, graduates will have to explain to a hiring panel the validation arrangement as well as the lack of residency. Unfortunately for prospective students, the concept of validation itself is currently under fire in the UK, due to one entrepreneurial University’s scandalous validation of some bogus foreign schools.
  2. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Your book of the year?   
    Let’s take a break and talk about anything but the admissions process. So what was the best or most challenging book you’ve read in the last academic year?

    I’ll start: For me, the book which most challenged my preconceptions was T. D. Barnes’ Constantine and Eusebius. As a bonus, it had the older smyth-sewn binding and would actually lay open when I set it on the desk.

    Your thoughts?
  3. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in NT Studies School Suggestions   
    There are a number of universities with strong New Testament faculties in the US (Duke, Princeton, UVA, Harvard, etcetera). However, let me suggest that you consider what it is you wish to research, and match that interest to scholars at whose institutions you'd apply to. Your current faculty should be able to point you towards the right people. That approach would make your selection process easier, as well as strengthening your application. Someone can have great grades, test scores, potential, etc., but if they want to become an expert in something that none of the faculty want to supervise, they probably won't get offered admission.

    Best wishes on your search!
  4. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to Balatro in From Medicine to Ministry   
    I don't know anything about Pittsburgh so I'll defer on that one. Boston College is a Jesuit (Catholic) institution so their theology tends to lean in that direction but Jesuits also tend to be fairly liberal (at least by Catholic standards). You may want to look into Boston University - a historically United Methodist Church but they have since officially separated (but a lot of UMC people still make up their MDiv program). BU use to advertise their MDiv more and the fact that MLK did his PhD in systematic theology there but every time they do, it rehashes an old 1980's debacle when it was proven that MLK plagarized a significant portion of his dissertation (odd fact for you).

    PTS (Princeton) is moderate from what I've seen visiting an old college friend who attended there for his MDiv. There are quite a bit of liberals and conservative evangelicals but the issue I noticed is that those two groups were louder and drowned out the more populace moderates.

    Vanderbilt is a great UMC seminary but as pointed out above (by Windfish), they're big on Feminist and Queer Theology but still have a very powerful program. I'd say their graduates, academically, fair better than Candler. If you have the slightest interest in either topic, you'll be hard pressed to find a better faculty anywhere.

    Union Theological Seminary is one of the most liberal seminaries available and also big on Queer Theology. That said, it's a phenomenal school and with its attachment to Columbia University, you have a vast array of resources available to you. There are plenty of moderates, don't get me wrong but my gut feeling says that conservatives who enroll end up transferring out by summer.

    Claremont is a solid school, while I can't speak for their MDiv program, I do know that their financial aid for PhD students is terrible. As far as the spat between Claremont and UMC as pointed out by Windfish, it started over Claremont's desire to become a more secular school and lay the framework to begin training Imams and Rabbis. The UMC wasn't happy with this and feared that UMC students would suffer in their ministerial training due to Claremont spreading themselves too thin. So, the UMC threatened to withhold the $800,000 they give the school every year unless Claremont can show that the UMC students won't suffer as a result of their proposed changes. Claremont peddle-paddled around for months on it but eventually show the UMC how they would handle this proposed change (mainly by creating a separate college for the Muslims and Jews) and the UMC agreed that it was satisfactory and as a result, lifted the sanctions.

    Side note - as of the last talk I hard the Dean of the theology school make, Claremont is moving ahead with its plans to also open up a college(s) to train Buddhist and Hindus, so if they do it (and ALL of the colleges are successful), Claremont could prove to be quite the interesting school in the next decade or two.
  5. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Thoughts on online PHDs in religion/theology   
    I have taken coursework through distance learning, and found it not equal to residential coursework. There are exceptions, but most online schools are either openly for-profit, or are the budget-balancing arm of a non-profit university. In other words, most online programs are run in the same fashion, with predatory admissions and minimal academic standards.

    Even assuming a school is trying to do their best at educating people online (which I think is pretty rare) what does one miss academically by doing it online? No face to face discussion seminars, where one has to internalize the material, articulate one’s thoughts on it, and think quickly to respond to those who disagree. No face to face language classes, where one has an actual speaker who can correct pronunciation and answer questions. No being immersed in a dynamic academic community, where one learns from one’s peers and professors in informal discussions.

    Unfortunately, most people doing the online university thing do not have a degree from a solid residential university for a point of comparison, and get very upset when questions are raised about the quality of such an education. In my experience, it’s not an area where much reasoned discourse takes place. The sad thing is that most online schools that hold some kind of recognised accreditation prey upon US students with access to Federal student loans, and encourage them to max their loans for a degree that may be legal, but is absolutely non-competitive.

    The key to that non-competitiveness isn’t really even the (lame) mode through which the learning is done, but that the programs are not offered by the high-quality schools (and for good reason). Most of the US schools offering online doctorates in religion are either non-accredited, or have accreditation but not much academic respect. There are a number of decent British, Australian, and South African universities that offer their research degrees through a modified format, where one doesn’t live near campus, but usually has to come there every year in the summer. Still, they’re not following the current online model anyway, just allowing you to do your thesis research in other libraries. I am thankful that the US Association of Theological Schools mandates that only a portion (1/3, I think) of one’s degree at an ATS-accredited school can be comprised of non-residential coursework.
  6. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Thoughts on online PHDs in religion/theology   
    Ironically, I just noticed that one of the unaccredited online outfits that offers the PhD (Newburgh Seminary) advertises in the banner ads at the top of on this website.

    I realize that anyone frequenting The Grad Cafe is likely to only apply to competitive programs, but you may come across people considering one of these 'schools.' Since some of them claim home-grown accreditation from unrecognized bodies, a good site to direct potential victims to is the US Department of Education accreditation database: http://ope.ed.gov/ac...ion/Search.aspx.
  7. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Chances at a good theology school in the Northeast?   
    Hi Jon,

    The programs you’re looking at are all generally fine ones. I'm particularly fond of Boston College. However, for any of these you’ll likely need to prove yourself in a master’s program to be competitive. I’d encourage you to focus on quality master’s applications instead although that doesn’t mean you can’t take the long shot and apply to your favorite PhD program as well.

    Read the Princeton Guide to the GRE and take it as soon as you’re ready. That way you may have time to take it again if you feel you need improvement. European universities don’t require the GRE, but all or most American universities will, and if you do well, it’s another form of validation even if it’s not required.

    When you do submit, de-emphasize or perhaps don’t even mention the Bible institute, as they tend to have a very poor academic reputation. However, you can emphasize the skills you learned there, such as ‘I have a reading knowledge of Hebrew and Greek.’

    Likewise, emphasize the teaching experience as a university teaching assistant and at the high school. I wouldn’t mention the Sunday school teaching, to be honest.

    Last but certainly not least, share with us or give some thought to what specifically you’re interested in studying. That not only helps those of us here give more focused advice, but will direct your search for well-suited programs as you track down the experts in your desired subfield that you want to study under.

    Best of luck on the journey!

    Westcott
  8. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Chances at a good theology school in the Northeast?   
    Hi Mathetes,

    I took a theology seminar course there during my Th.M. at Gordon-Conwell, and looked closely at their Ph.D. program. I came away extremely impressed with the caliber of their students and their very talented faculty in my area (Patristics). While I would assume their Bib Studies program is very solid, I don’t have more current and specific knowledge for you.
  9. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in CU Boulder vs. UCI?   
    AP,


    I doubt name cachet matters as much as some people suppose. I would encourage you to think about this not as a comparison between two universities, or even two programs, but between two research supervisors. To get into a competitive PhD program, you will need a superior MA thesis and strong recommendations from specialists in your area. Neither of these are likely to emerge if the program does not have a scholar well fitted to supervise your particular research interests (and take an interest in you). I hope this helps, and wish you the best of luck on your journey!


    W.
  10. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Religion/Theology Academic Job Market   
    I haven’t gotten a faculty position, much less graduated yet, but I have come to understand (says ye wise old ‘mature student’) that it’s best to think about the end game as soon as possible. Consider that you will exit a doctoral program having become a noted expert in something. When you go to interviews seeking a faculty position, your expertise will be what you have to offer, not what your grades were. While the courses you’ve taken in your area will flesh that out somewhat, the biggest differentiator between yourself and someone else from a university of comparable quality will be your dissertation. Therefore, pick a dissertation topic that will be interesting, and make sure you have the best supervision and resources to hit that dissertation out of the park.

    I know many brilliant individuals who landed on an obscure topic simply because it hadn’t been done and was ‘available.’ Imagine trying to convince a hiring panel that you can fill seats because you’ve made yourself an expert on some arcane aspect of Athenian clothing. All the humanities are suffering, and every department would like to bring in students from a broad range of backgrounds. Become an expert in something that will assist in that. Hint: if there are only a handful of people on this planet who care about your diss. topic, it won’t be of much help in that regard. It also might not interest you enough to persevere to the finish line.

    I also know of many individuals who selected a topic just slightly different from someone else’s because they and their doctoral supervisor see the dissertation as a ‘research project’ box to be checked, not something to really advance knowledge and understanding. Imagine how you’ll sell a hiring panel on your ability to continue producing quality research when your dissertation appears to have been cloned off of your supervisors with one different variable that technically qualifies it as independent. You’ll be expected to publish or perish, and such a dissertation telegraphs that you won’t be an asset to your department.

    Hope this proves helpful!
  11. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Religion/Theology Academic Job Market   
    You’re very welcome, SM.

    Certainly the competition for tenured teaching positions in the humanities is fierce, but I think that picture is a little clouded by the large number of people who have been awarded a PhD, but not made themselves a competitive applicant in the process (as well as those who have eliminated themselves by attending non-competitive programs, but that’s another thread altogether). Eight months on towards submission, I feel even more strongly that this aspect need to be better communicated to beginning students by their departments. I’ve tried to put this a little differently to new students this year, with more success.

    Back in the day when I participated in strategic planning we could readily identify a difference between ‘process thinking’ and ‘outcome-based thinking’. If one thinks in terms of checking off all the boxes, that will come to pass, but without really addressing the big question ‘what are we trying to do here?’ It is entirely too easy to wind up your PhD having assumed that the goal was to Phinish the process, when really the goal was to use that process to craft you into a scholar, as demonstrated by your putting forward new knowledge.

    Desired outcome: superior scholarship

    Outcome measurements: ***knowledge-advancing dissertation***, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers published as peer-reviewed proceedings.

    Process outputs (not to be confused with above): completed coursework, high grades on coursework, courses taught on as a T.A., conferences attended, conference papers delivered, conference posters made, books reviewed, completed comprehensive exam, high grades on comprehensive exam, completed dissertation.

    Best wishes,

    W.
  12. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Final results 2011-12   
    Glad you liked the thread. Although two respondents were masters students, that still puts us at 10 of the 12 accepted getting their first choice, and no one striking out. That’s great considering how competitive most of the programs discussed here are, and I think speaks well of both the quality of participants here, and the opportunity existing in the field even amidst the disasters befalling the humanities in general. Hopefully it will encourage those who find the GradCafe.

    Of course, with all that good news said, we don’t have a similar poll for employment after gaining the doctorate. We likely won’t, as people seem to lose interest in the forum after getting accepted, which is understandable I suppose. At any rate, for future use, I had emailed one of the moderators to ask them to make this a sticky for the rest of this admissions cycle.
  13. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Final results 2011-12   
    I know that the board is slow as all those who have been though the wringer of the admissions process are likely focusing on the next academic year. I totally understand, having gone through the ‘move everything and re-start life’ summer myself a few years back myself. By way of encouraging people to participate, I’d like to explain more what I was hoping to accomplish with this very unscientific poll.

    We have a number of application results threads that quickly expanded to an unreadable point as people updated their results (particularly confusing when people got offers from multiple universities). When people start the process for the next admission cycle, it would be nice if they could see a snapshot of what the results really look like. Getting into the competitive PhD program you want involves long odds and an agonizing process, so let’s encourage the ones who come after. So far the few initial results we got paint a fairly positive picture.

    We also have an ongoing discussion regarding priorities in the application process. What matters most: ranking of your alma mater, GPA, language skills, research proposal fit to faculty? Lots of people shared their opinions over this last cycle, but now that the cycle’s complete, are there any hard facts? If you received feedback that highlighted a part of your successful application, please share it with next year’s hopeful doctoral students.

    Anyway, best of luck to everyone in your new challenges!
  14. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Final results 2011-12   
    There are a couple of threads relating to application success. I was wondering if PhD Religion/Theology/etc. applicants for 2011-12 would mind answering a poll for the benefit of next year’s applicants? Also, if you got feedback, what particularly made the difference to your getting in?
  15. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Conference participation?   
    Eigentuemer,

    That is a ludicrous sum of money. I've spoken at two major international conferences, and reading of others I think the highest fee I've seen in my field (Classics) was c. $120. Two this autumn are waiving fees and providing accommodation for speakers to boot, so I'm thinking this is a high-powered *for-profit* enterprise you should be very wary of. Even though we're in different fields, I'm sure you can find another and better opportunity to display your research skills.

    Best of luck,

    W.
  16. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in PhD Acceptance Results, 2011-12   
    There are a couple of threads relating to application success. I was wondering if PhD Classics applicants for 2011-12 would mind answering a poll for the benefit of next year’s applicants? Also, if you got feedback, what particularly made the difference to your getting in?
  17. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in PhD Acceptance Results, 2011-12   
    Thanks to everyone who voted. I know that the board is slow as all those who have been though the wringer of the admissions process are likely focusing on the next academic year. I totally understand, having gone through the ‘move everything and re-start life’ summer myself a few years back myself. By way of encouraging more people to participate, I’d like to explain more what I was hoping to accomplish with this very unscientific poll.

    We have a number of application results threads that quickly expanded to an unreadable point as people updated their results (particularly confusing when people got offers from multiple universities). When people start the process for the next admission cycle, it would be nice if they could see a snapshot of what the results really look like. Getting into the competitive PhD program you want involves long odds and an agonizing process, so let’s encourage the ones who come after.

    We also have an ongoing discussion regarding priorities in the application process. What matters most: ranking of your alma mater, GPA, language skills, research proposal fit to faculty? Lots of people shared their opinions over this last cycle, but now that the cycle’s complete, are there any hard facts? If you received feedback that highlighted a part of your successful application, please share it with next year’s hopeful doctoral students.

    Anyway, best of luck to everyone in your new challenges!
  18. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Fall 2012 Season   
    There’s no real reason why they can’t arrange for your coursework to benefit your research interests. Protocol will vary from university to university, but if you can make a good case to your supervisor I shouldn’t worry overmuch about it. Bureaucratic rules may exist and look forbidding, but in my experience, that’s because universities have to have rules in place. What senior faculty (i.e. the tenured people who would be supervising you) want, senior faculty generally get. If you want a formalized arrangement, I’d suggest approaching your primary supervisor in Classics about arranging for joint supervision with the faculty member in Linguistics.
  19. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in Fall 2012 Season   
    Congratulations! A long wait, but a program worth waiting for. Do you have to/want to accept immediately, or will you hold out and see what Michgan offers?


  20. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to sacklunch in Durham/Chapel Hill   
    Marcone,

    I know we spoke over PM, but I thought I would share. I'm also excited, moving from Boston, looking at the price of housing. However, like you said, there appears to be a lot of lame apartments/gated communities rather than actual houses. Perhaps we are spoiled by Boston?? Anyways, I posted a couple weeks back in the City section of the forum and got some decent advice about what part of town one should live in, ect. I have also heard some of the surrounding areas are suspect (crime) and the 'best' parts of town are the ones farther away from Duke. Old West Durham and Trinity Park area seem to be pretty nice and are fairly close to campus (within a mile or two). I'd like to be able to walk to class, if possible, and keep my car just for weekend errands.
  21. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to sacklunch in Durham/Chapel Hill   
    Also, I posted a 'wanted' add on craigslist for Durham and have already got half a dozen options with other (Duke) students.
    *edit* Also, I contacted the Divinity school and added my name to the list for seeking roommates. I doubt this matters to you, but others might find it useful.
  22. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in PhD applications for 2012-2013 chit chat...   
    Do not assume that non-EU students never get funding. I wish you the best of luck. W.
  23. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to JonathanEdwards in PhD applicants 2012-13, final results poll   
    I was wondering if PhD applicants for 2012-13 would mind answering a poll for the benefit of next year’s applicants? The prospect of pursuing a PhD in Classics with a poor economy and the humanities under attack is pretty daunting. When people start the process for the next admission cycle, it would be nice if they could see a snapshot of what the results really look like. The PhD application thread quickly expanded to an unreadable point as people updated their results (particularly confusing when people got offers from multiple universities).

    Also, please share some anecdotal evidence in your *single* post:
    1) if you got feedback, was there anything in particular that made the difference to your getting in?
    2) what level of funding, if any, came with the offer you accepted?
    3) for those of you who accepted placement in a program that was not your first choice, was it your so-called ‘safety’ program?

    My apologies for starting this thread while a few people haven’t heard yet. I waited too long to ask a similar question last year, and everyone departed to begin packing for their move to their new university, so there was little response. At any rate, congratulations to those of who who made it this year, and for those who didn't, don't give up!

    W.
  24. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to Balatro in From Medicine to Ministry   
    Well, first off -- your decision not to pursue medicine further won't hurt you in the slightest but should you get called before an Admissions Committee (don't count on it, unless you're up for a presitigous scholarship, it's unlikely to happen) it's likely to come up so have something ready for that just in case.

    What classification of liberal are you using here? The political spectrum is considerably different from the theological one. There are theological conservatives who support equal (homosexual) rights and pro-choice and vice versa, so having an idea of what you mean by "Yale/Harvard might be too liberal" would help.

    I graduated from Yale in 2011 and I'd say most of the students were liberal in a Jeffersonian sort of way, while still supporting marriage equality and minority/women's rights (a professor pounded it into a bunch of our heads that it's important for the Church to be pro-life but also pro-women's rights and that it's possible to be both so I always catch myself trying to be careful with word choice here) but realizing the importance of scripture without throwing the baby out with the bathwater (unlike places like Harvard - I kid, sort of).

    Most of the places on your list are solid choices, I would make some alterations though if you're headed down the path with the UMC (especially if your intention really is on mainstream theology) though - drop the following:

    Fuller
    Regent (I assume you mean the one founded by Pat Robertson?)
    Notre Dame (their MDiv, I believe, is Roman Catholic only)
    Gordon-Conwell
    Wheaton (The UMC is moving more and more to an inclusive state with the LGBT community, which Wheaton, as I recall, is considered the most unfriendly college for. I would imagine that despite its Methodist past, Wheaton is to the Methodist what Nashotah is to the Episcopalians)

    Your current background in theology/religious studies is perfectly fine as is - I had several professors and my advisor who suggested I take Intro to OT/NT and change my Religious Studies major to something else. Why? For the sole purpose that you'll still be required to take those courses in seminary. Plenty of my fellow students had little to no background in theology/RS and excelled at Yale and I know my close UG friends reported the same from Vanderbilt and PTS.

    Helping you narrow down the list more will require us knowing where you stand (currently) with regards to your own theology. Now, we don't need a list of positions you support and oppose but we do need more information. All of the schools you have listed (minus Harvard - sorry again) will prepare you for practical ministry and give you a solid base in academic theology to make you a better minister and leave the door open for academic theology should that bug bite.

    Also, the ideal seminary will be one that isn't in your comfort zone. Should you attend a place that is exactly where you theologically, you won't grow and your church (and you) will suffer for it. You need to make sure there is enough balance across the entire theological spectrum.
  25. Downvote
    foodtruck reacted to Balatro in Does real life experience count for anything?   
    While I'd advise mentioning it in your statement, I wouldn't dedicate more than a paragraph (two tops) to it (unless as noted above, it's DIRECTLY related to your research areas).

    Generally speaking, this is how such experience will be handled:

    In a university - the weight it carries will be minimal at best. Some adcoms will skip over it, some look for these kind of things when trying to decide between two identical applications - they're looking for something that says you're passionate about what you want to do (those people are more likely to survive the program).
    In a divinity school - considerably more weight. Div schools look at the whole picture (more so for MA/MDiv, less so for PhDs) and are truly looking to make sure you're a good fit for them and that they're a good fit for you.

    To stress it, it can't hurt anything to mention it in passing but unless it's related to what you want to study, don't expect it to carry much weight.
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