Doctoral Program

Admission and Financial Support

Admission

Application Deadline: January 2.

Doctoral students are accepted for entrance in the fall semester only and applicants are notified of admission decisions in March.

Only a limited number of applicants, selected competitively, are accepted into each doctoral area.

Generous financial aid is available to qualified doctoral students in the form of graduate student stipends, graduate assistantships, and tuition scholarships.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Master's degree in theology, or the equivalent.

Required Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.

• Prior to 10/02, at least 1800 (cumulative) on versions of the test given prior to October 2002, with the verbal and analytical scores being most significant.
• After 10/02, students should score at least 4.5 on the analytical section, and 1200 cumulative on the other two sections  (once again, the score for the verbal component is more important).

Facility in some of the languages required for study in the department.

Application Documents and Materials

Notre Dame uses an on-line application service, Apply Yourself. Students should follow the following link in order to begin the application process:

https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=nd-grad

A complete application consists of the following materials. For instructions on how to submit the materials please consult the Application Instructions link from within the application itself once you have received your PIN and logged in.

• A statement of intent (300 to 600 words) and a C.V.
• Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. These should be sent to the Graduate School offices and not to the Department of Theology.
• GRE scores and, for all nonnative speakers of English, TOEFL scores.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Waiver of Access form for each letter of recommendation.
• A writing sample is strongly recommended but not required. Writing samples should be between fifteen and twenty pages in length. You may submit a portion of a longer essay. Samples longer than twenty pages will not be read. An applicant should choose a writing sample that highlights his or her strengths for the area to which he or she is applying. In addition to clear writing and ability to frame a theological question, one might, for example, submit a sample that shows facility with primary-text research languages.
• If you have questions about using the admissions software, please contact the Graduate School at (574) 631-7706 .

Financial Support

Some students will hold national scholarships or fellowships. For those who need financial assistance, the Graduate School and Department of Theology offer the following types of grants:

Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships

• Most students receive a departmental graduate fellowship that includes a full-tuition scholarship and an annual stipend (for students starting in 2009-2010 this is $17,000).
• Students are not responsible for any service during their first and fourth years.
• During the second and third years, graduate students work for a member of the faculty (c. twelve hours per week during the academic year).
• In the fifth year, students teach two independent courses.

University Presidential Fellowships

• These five-year fellowships are based on University-wide competition and are awarded to doctoral students of exceptional promise who stand to make a substantial contribution to the scholarship of their discipline.
• Presidential fellowships provide full-tuition scholarships plus an annual stipend (c. $25,000).
• Students have the same responsibilities (in years two, three and five) as students with a departmental fellowship.

Diversity Fellowships

• The University offers fellowships to attract students from underrepresented groups and also has the opportunity to nominate eligible students for fellowships granted by other foundations.
• Graduate school fellowships are offered for the summer prior to matriculation (tuition for two courses and c. $3,000) and the two years of course work (full tuition and an annual stipend c. $20,000).
• Diversity fellows receive the departmental graduate fellowship during their third, fourth, and fifth years. Like students with the other fellowships, they also work for a faculty member during their second and third years and teach two independent courses in their fifth year.

Tuition Scholarships

In cases where students receive extramural support, the University normally covers tuition costs.

Supplementary Support

The Graduate School and the Department also make other types of financial support available.

• Students are given travel grants by the Department after their first two years to help underwrite the expense of attending conferences in order to present papers, network with colleagues, and interview for jobs. There are other sources of funding in the University that help students meet particular needs: traveling internationally to research archives, for example.
• Most students receive summer dissertation stipends in their third, fourth, and fifth years so that they can focus on research and writing.

Employment Opportunities

• Many students find that the departmental stipend is sufficient to meet their expenses. However, with the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies students may take advantage of other employment opportunities, such as working in the summers as a research assistant for a faculty member. In addition, the University employs graduate students as assistant rectors in the student residence halls. These positions give graduate students experience in counseling and administrative duties as well as providing a way to supplement income. Information may be obtained from the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.
• Housing costs in South Bend are far less than those in most urban areas. Apartments are reasonably priced and some students have purchased homes for their years of graduate study.