Program Description

The Ph.D. in Preaching program provides an opportunity for qualified students to engage in graduate work in the discipline of homiletics at the highest level and in a university setting. It provides preparation for research and teaching in undergraduate and graduate theological education and for the development of pastor-scholars. The Baylor program offers a rich study of preaching in relation to exegesis, history, theology, ecclesiology, homiletical structure and practice, and teaching.

Admission Requirements

The following items must be submitted/completed as part of your online application to Truett Theological Seminary and the Baylor University Graduate School:

1. All applications must be completed and submitted with the application fee to the Graduate School by March 1st prior to Fall matriculation of that academic year. For instance, apply by March 1st, 2027 for Fall 2027 matriculation. Applicants will be notified of the committee's decision in the Spring (typically March or April).  
2. Provide a statement of purpose of 4-5 pages (single-space) indicating rationale for pursuing graduate work in preaching. Students will:
   • Explain your motivation for and expectations of doctoral education in preaching
   • Include particular qualities that you bring to the seminary/university and to the profession as well as areas in which you would like to grow academically and professionally
   • Specify your areas of academic and research interests
   • Speak to your scholarly potential
   • Address the integration of doctoral studies to your ministry in the local church
3. Applicants will also be required to submit two sermon recordings of two preaching events (video preferred)—one from the Old Testament and the other from the New Testament.
4. Applicants will provide a sample of scholarly writing, representing the applicant’s best research and writing. One example (a minimum of 15 pages double-spaced but not exceeding 25 pages double-spaced) of a recent work of scholarly writing that provides evidence of one’s capacity to think analytically and critically about homiletics. The following are examples of appropriate submissions:
   • Published article, book chapter, or excerpt from a published work
   • Unpublished research paper
   • A paper written in a graduate level course
   • A 7-10 page paper on a topic (homiletics) of interest to the applicant that is written specifically as the writing sample for the application
5. Applicants will provide a resume or Curriculum Vitae. Include a list of publications and professional presentations.
6. Applicants normally have three to five years of full-time pastoral/preaching ministry.
7. Applicants will submit official transcripts of all degree work: undergraduate, master degrees, and specifically the master of divinity degree (with a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited seminary or university.
8. Applicants are expected on their transcripts to demonstrate fulfillment of the biblical languages requirement by taking courses in the original languages: at least two semesters in Biblical Hebrew, at least two semesters in Biblical Greek, and at least one semester in biblical interpretation/hermeneutics.
9. Applicants will provide three letters of recommendation. Two of the references should come from academic faculty who can attest to the applicant’s superior ability and potential. A third reference should come from the leadership of the congregation in which the applicant is serving, in support of Ph.D. studies. This can be from the board of deacons, elders, or other leadership body of the church. For full time applicants, a letter from a member of the pastoral staff will be acceptable.

Admission to the Ph.D. in Preaching represents a competitive process. The most qualified applicants will receive an invitation to enter the Ph.D. program. Admission to the Ph.D. in Preaching program does not rest on a single factor but on the strength of the entire application portfolio, which demonstrates readiness for research doctoral studies.

 Student Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to become informed of and to observe all regulations and procedures for degree completion required by Truett Seminary. This includes strict attention to all internal deadlines, such as application, degree completion, registration, and graduation as well as satisfying all requirements leading to degree completion.

First Year Review Policy

The first year of studies in the PhD in preaching at Truett Seminary/Baylor University is considered probationary. Upon conclusion of the fifth PhD seminar, students will meet with the PhD director to review the first year of work (in consultation with PhD in preaching faculty colleagues). The purpose of this review is to assess whether the student has done satisfactory work and shows promise to successfully continue in and complete the degree program.

Upon the successful completion of five seminars (September, November, January, March and May), students will meet with the PhD in preaching director during the month of May. This meeting will be conducted over Zoom for distance students or in-person for residential students. Two weeks prior to this meeting, the student will submit one writing sample (a major research paper from one of the five seminars) and a 1.5-2-page, single-spaced dissertation prospectus, including a title, subtitle, and abstract that lays out the research questions, research methods, and bibliography (minimum 2 pages, single-spaced).

If the committee approves of the student’s work, he/she will be given formal permission to continue as a second-year PhD student in the degree program. If the PhD director and faculty deem the student’s performance as unsatisfactory, he/she will not continue for the second year of studies. Advancement to the second year of studies will be based on five primary factors: performance in PhD seminars, critical thinking skills, clarity of thought, writing ability, and promise of the dissertation prospectus.

Admission Information

Ph.D. in Preaching Program 
George W. Truett Theological Seminary
Baylor University One Bear Place #97126
Waco, TX 76798-7126
Phone: 254-710-4677

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. in Preaching program has both residential and distance students. A Ph.D. in Preaching orientation will take place before the first seminar for each entering class. Total hours required for the Ph.D. in Preaching is 57 hours beyond the master’s degree.

Given the hybrid structure of the program, students will enroll in two one-week intensive courses in the fall and two in the spring. Students will take two courses in one summer and one course in the two other summers. All Ph.D. seminars involve pre-seminar and post-seminar work, in addition to the hours in the classroom during the seminar. After three full years of course work, students will take comprehensive exams in the fall of the fourth year and begin work on a prospectus. The remainder of the program will be devoted to the dissertation. Students will satisfactorily complete a dissertation in accordance with guidelines provided by the Ph.D. in Preaching and by the Graduate School.

Students may take up to 9 hours in graduate programs external to Baylor University with the approval of the Director of the Ph.D. in Preaching program.

Other Requirements

1. Prior to completion of their degree, all students will have a minimum of one article and one book review submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.
2. Upon admission, if not already, students will become members of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and must attend the yearly Annual Meeting.

PhD Preaching Courses

Preaching (PHDP)