Guidelines for the Ph.D. Research Proposal

Guidelines for the Ph.D. Research Proposal

The Purpose of a Research Proposal

The Ph.D. in Biblical and Theological Studies is awarded mainly as the result of the student making a significant contribution to either biblical or theological inquiry. For your application, you will write a research proposal that summarizes your research idea, justifies the need for such a project, and explains how you intend to complete your research within the time frame of the program.

Along with the rest of the application, your research proposal will be used to determine the following: whether you are a suitable candidate for Ph.D. studies, whether your research interest matches the needs and interests of the Program, whether the Program has suitably qualified supervisors, and whether you possess the requisite ability to complete a project of this nature.

Overall, then, the primary objective of your research proposal is to communicate that you are proposing a project that adds to the existing body of knowledge, that you have the necessary academic skills to accomplish the project, and that the project can be achieved in the requisite timeframe. The research proposal should describe the problem/question you plan to address, state why it is important, and outline the method/approach you intend to use.

The Content of a Research Proposal

Although there are many ways to construct an adequate research proposal, every proposal should address the following:

The Format of the Proposal

While content is far more important than the format of your proposal, you should keep in mind the following formatting guidelines:

Assessing Your Research Proposal

After you have written a complete draft of your research proposal, use the following questions to determine whether you have included all of the necessary information.

Additional information about the Ph.D. application process is available here