The Doctor of Theology at Duke Divinity School is a research doctorate for students who want to approach theology as careful thought about Christian belief and practice in light of scripture. It is awarded through the Divinity School rather than the university Graduate School.
Students work within areas that include biblical study, church history, doctrine, moral thought, preaching and spiritual formation, and many also connect these with political science, medicine or the arts. The program is deliberately interdisciplinary, and students can use resources at partner institutions in the area, among them UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State.
The curriculum combines twelve courses split between a primary and a secondary concentration, a core seminar in the first fall semester, and full-time residency lasting at least two academic years. After coursework, candidates register continuously while they complete a dissertation of original scholarship. The aim is to prepare scholars, teachers and pastors who work across several theological specialties.
