The Doctor of Philosophy Degree, International Development
The Doctor of Philosophy degree, the coveted PhD, is not necessarily based on the study of Philosophy as we know it; rather the word philosophy must be understood to mean knowledge and skills in a specific area of study and research that qualifies a person to be a professor. In the university tradition, this is the degree that allows the holder to mentor others up to this same level. Normally a teacher should hold a degree at least one step above the level of the degree students he is training will receive, but holders of a PhD can qualify their students to be PhDs. In most university systems, three PhDs must agree that a candidate has reached that level of learning; that he/she, by innovative research and the writing of an acceptable dissertation, has demonstrated the qualifications to be the holder of a PhD degree. In the DKU system, these three persons consist of the Program Director, an outside Reader from America and a Major Advisor, appointed both because his/her specialty is in the same or related area as the research goal of the student, and because they are geographically proximate to each other. The heart of the program is the relationship between the student and his or her Major Advisor who serves in a mentoring role. Students in turn share what they are learning in mentoring relationships of their own as a key component of the program. Each student will mentor a cohort of students through the Master’s Program in Development as a basic requirement for attaining the degree.
The Ph.D. in International Development at DKU provides an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on identifying the needs and solutions to the social, cultural, economic and spiritual development of Africa’s peoples. The program is designed for mid-career professionals seeking to engage in humanitarian service, research, program development and training of personnel in the broad field of International Development.
The Ph.D. requires students to orient their learning and research process within the history and theory of the academic discipline and to become thoroughly conversant with its classic literature, major theorists and schools of thought, sufficiently in depth to assess their own research in relation to (a) previous research, (b) current research and trends in theory, and (c) the University’s basic orientation within the field of international development.
An applicant who meets most of the requirements of admission and who, in the opinion of the PhD Committee, will be able to meet specified conditions, may be granted conditional admission to the DKU program. Upon fulfilling stipulated conditions within the first year, the applicant will be reclassified from conditional to regular status.
The mission of Dale Kietzman University is biblically-centered education, scholarship, and service—equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the benefit of all humanity.