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Doctor of Education Degree

Trinity offers the Doctor of Education professional degree with 8 different specializations. The EdD degree consists of 48 credits minimum across the areas of Qualifying Core Studies, General Core Studies, Specialization Core Studies, and the Applied Dissertation.

The Doctor of Education at Trinity is a professional degree designed to develop educational leaders through an interdisciplinary curriculum based on a biblical worldview. The Ed.D. consists of 12 credits of common core courses and 24 credits of specialization core courses. After coursework is completed, students write an applied dissertation in the specialization area.

Through core coursework, students explore leading-edge and cutting-edge principles and practices across fields of knowledge such as biblical studies, theology, philosophy, counseling, education, leadership, ministry, etc. Through the analysis of precedent literature and current issues and trends in a specialized area of study, students discern how to interpret and respond to contemporary theories and practices, and how to deploy their knowledge, understanding, and skills to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Some focused area studies include an internship to further enhance requisite skills. Collectively, the core courses and specialized core studies provide students with the opportunity to advance their personal abilities and professional goals.

Purpose of the EdD Degree

To develop educational leaders through an interdisciplinary curriculum based on a biblical worldview.

Learning Competencies

1. Learners will develop, with faculty assistance, a focused program of study in a specific area.
2. Learners will analyze and evaluate the history and philosophy of education.
3. Learners will understand, apply, and evaluate the various theories and practices of education in their ministry context.
4. Learners will interact with the content of the chosen program through analysis, critical evaluation, and synthesis, culminating in an applied dissertation.

Program Structure – 48 Credits Minimum

Prerequisite: Master's degree.

Total Credits Required = 48. A minimum of 39 credits must be earned at Trinity. All courses are 3 semester credit hours unless noted otherwise. Courses may be taken in any order unless otherwise specified.

A maximum of 9 transfer credits may be satisfied via transfer credit. The transfer must be relevant to the student's program of study and equivalent in both content and degree level of doctoral courses. Transfer (grades of "B" or above) must satisfy the requirements of the program. Awarding degree credit for experiential learning is not available at the doctoral level.

• RW 001 Trinity Tutorial – 0 credits
• Qualifying Core Studies – 12 credits
• Specialization Core Studies – 24 credits
• RW 826 Applied Research Dissertation in Ministry Context - 12 credits
• RW 991 Mission Outcomes Assessment – 0 credits

Qualifying Core Courses – 12 Credits

Qualifying Core Studies form 12 credits of the 48 credits minimum for the EdD degree. Qualifying Core Studies are from specific Research and Writing, Biblical Studies, and Christian Education subject areas.

• RW 800 Research Within a Christian Worldview
• BS 718 Contemporary Biblical Hermeneutics
• Choose either course:
– RW 810 Bibliographic Research Methods (Prerequisite: RW 800)
– RW 710 Empirical Research Methods (Prerequisite: RW 800)
• Choose either course:
– CE 813 The Theory and Practice of Education
– CE 799 Exploring the History and Philosophy of Education

Specialization Core Studies – 24 Credits

Specialization Core Studies form 24 credits of the 48 credits minimum for the EdD degree. Details on the courses and subject areas in the desired specialization can be found through the corresponding link below.

• Specialization in Biblical Counseling 
• Specialization in Christian Education 
• Specialization in Christian Management and Leadership 
• Specialization in Christian Theology 
• Specialization in Christian Women's Studies 
• Specialization in Conflict Management 
• Specialization in Pastoral Ministry 
• Specialization in Pulpit Communication and Expository Preaching 

Applied Dissertation – 12 Credits

An Ed.D. student must successfully complete an applied research dissertation under the supervision of a Dissertation Committee. The dissertation will take a minimum of one year to complete, and earns 12 hours toward the program of study. A Dissertation Committee is appointed by the appropriate Trinity Department Chair and the Doctoral Studies Committee.

Applied dissertation research is designed to expand the knowledge of the field in the specialized area of study, and to demonstrate that the degree candidate is capable of conducting independent scholarly analysis and implementation of research findings in ministry context.