Program Overview
Degree abbreviation
Ph.D. in Faith-Based Christian Law, Specialization in Law Ethics
Total program length
120 semester credit hours
Maximum approved transfer credit
Up to 40 semester credit hours
Minimum credits completed through the University after maximum transfer
80 semester credit hours
Normal completion time
Three to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, academic progress, and completion of the doctoral project
Advanced faith-based Christian law and specialization courses
30 credit hours
Leadership, jurisprudence, and professional practice
21 credit hours
Research methods and program evaluation
18 credit hours
Professional application and doctoral residency
15 credit hours
Advanced electives or concentration courses
12 credit hours
Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy
6 credit hours
Applied doctoral project and defense
18 credit hours
Total
120 semester credit hours
The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Christian Law with a specialization in Law Ethics is a rigorous doctoral program designed for scholars and practitioners seeking to examine the intersection of legal theory, normative ethics, and jurisprudence. Through advanced study, students engage in deep inquiry into the philosophical underpinnings of justice, public policy, and the ethical responsibility of legal professionals in a complex global society. The curriculum emphasizes the application of high-level analytical frameworks to real-world legal dilemmas while fostering a commitment to servant leadership and stewardship in public life. Participants are challenged to integrate advanced scholarship with professional conduct, ensuring that their contributions to the field of law are grounded in academic excellence and moral integrity. This program promotes an interdisciplinary approach, combining historical jurisprudence, contemporary legislative analysis, and advanced ethical theory to prepare graduates for leadership roles in legal education, public policy advocacy, and organizational administration. Students will demonstrate mastery in navigating multifaceted legal environments by synthesizing classical principles with modern institutional demands.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Christian Law, Specialization in Law Ethics is an applied professional doctorate emphasizing advanced faith-based Christian law knowledge, organizational leadership, ethical stewardship, program development, community-care systems, higher-education instruction, and evidence-informed professional practice.
Students may receive up to 40 semester credit hours of approved graduate or doctoral transfer credit. Accepted transfer credits are applied toward the 120-credit graduation requirement and may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. A student receiving the maximum transfer-credit award must complete at least 80 semester credit hours through the University.
The applied doctoral project must address a documented faith-based Christian law, educational, organizational, or community-care need. The project must include scholarly research, an implementation model, measurable outcomes, ethical safeguards, an evaluation plan, and a successful oral defense.
DOCTORAL TRANSFER-CREDIT POLICY: The Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy programs each require 120 semester credit hours. Students may transfer up to 40 semester credit hours of eligible graduate or doctoral coursework toward either degree. Transfer credit is not automatically awarded. Each request is evaluated individually according to: The academic level of the previous coursework; The relevance of the coursework to the doctoral curriculum; Course content and learning outcomes; Credit-hour equivalency; Grades earned; The age of the coursework; Official institutional documentation; The University's residency and transfer-credit policies. Accepted transfer credit may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. Students awarded the maximum 40 transfer credits will have 80 semester credit hours remaining in the 120-credit doctoral program. Comprehensive examinations, doctoral candidacy, doctoral residency, the applied doctoral project, dissertation research, and the final oral defense must ordinarily be completed through the University. These requirements may not be satisfied through transfer credit unless expressly permitted under a published University policy.