January 01, 2008 by Rick Wood

In this issue of Mission Frontiers we are calling you up higher in your relationship with God and in your service to Him. Part of this is getting an understanding of God’s global purposes and how He has worked throughout history to accomplish these. Programs like Perspectives and World Christian Foundations can provide this to you. If you have gained this new understanding through Perspectives and achieved a Masters degree, it may be time for you to take the next step and get a Ph.D. through William Carey International University. It may be the necessary next step you need to take to be your very best in service to God.

The Ph.D.

A Ph.D. means a doctorate in what once was thought of as the philosophy of a particular subject. Today the word philosophy must be understood to mean professorship knowledge and skills. It is the premier degree of the university tradition, the main degree that allows the holders to mentor another up to their same level. Mentoring is a skill emphasized by WCIU.

The format of the WCIU doctoral program follows the American pattern in requiring advanced studies in a chosen discipline beyond the master’s level, prior to the doctoral qualifying examination and the dissertation (called doctoral thesis in some countries). Unlike older programs, the WCIU doctoral program is primarily field-based, and students are not limited to on-campus or classroom studies.

The Ph.D. requires sufficient study for students to orient their learning and research process within the history and theory of an academic discipline and to become thoroughly conversant with its classic literature, major theorists, and schools of thought sufficiently in depth to assess their findings 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. The doctorate thus demands that students think critically and inter-relate facts within a broad theoretical framework, as well as be able to mentor successfully.Program Purpose

The Ph.D. in International Development is designed for mid-career professionals seeking to engage in humanitarian service, research, program development and direction, or training of personnel in the general field of International Development. Building on the foundational knowledge and skills of the Global Civilization program or its equivalent, the Ph.D. program provides an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on identifying the basic roots of human problems and identifying long-term solutions.

Participants in the program represent diverse nationalities, academic interests, and professional backgrounds, but all are seeking to dedicate their careers to humanitarian service in developing countries and countries in transition, working within foreign assistance agencies, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or other development institutions, most of which are faith-based.

The heart of the Ph.D. program is the relationship between the participants and their mentors. This is a collaborative relationship in which the participants are willing to contribute to the professional and scholarly goals of their mentors as they pursue their own educational program under the supervision and guidance of their mentors. The participants in turn share what they are learning in mentoring relationships of their own.

Getting Started:

If God is leading you to get your Ph.D. and you like the distance based, mentor led approach of the WCIU program, you can get started by reading information about International Development on our website http://www.wciu.edu/. See especially our Academics/Ph.D. link and our Library link where you will find thousands of resources related to the social and cultural aspects of International Development.