Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biblical Studies
Gain a Deeper Understanding of the Bible with a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Liberty
Are you passionate about diving into Scripture and learning more about the living and breathing Word of God? Perhaps you are a leader in a church, ministry, college, or university and want to take the next step in your biblical studies education. Regardless of whether you are already immersed in the biblical studies field or just beginning, earning a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biblical Studies from Liberty can help you further your career and prepare for new opportunities or positions of added responsibility.
Our faculty are dedicated to your personal and professional success and are excited to partner with you as you take the next steps in your graduate education.
Pursue Your Degree with Confidence
- Learn from faculty with years of experience in churches and ministries.
- Receive professional training so you can better understand how to work with ministries across the nation and around the world.
- Study at the world’s largest school for religious studies and ministerial training housed within our state-of-the-art Freedom Tower that stands 17 stories tall.
- Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
What Will You Learn?
- Connections between the Old and New Testaments
- Jewish doctrine during the Intertestamental period
- The Dead Sea Scrolls, Old Testament Apocrypha, and Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
- Theology of the New Testament
Potential Career Opportunities for Ph.D. in Biblical Studies Graduates
- Biblical researcher
- Christian apologist
- College administrator
- Lead pastor
- Professor of biblical studies/divinity
Facilities and Resources Available to Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biblical Studies Students
- Explore our scriptorium, which is home to over $1 million worth of rare books and Bibles.
- Study in our world-class, 275-foot-tall Freedom Tower, home to the world’s largest school for religious studies and ministerial training.
- Our faculty members are well-respected authors, speakers, and researchers.
- Our divinity degrees provide hands-on training and learning opportunities within local settings.
Admission Requirements for Our Ph.D. in Biblical Studies Program
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official college transcripts showing a Master of Divinity or Master of Biblical Studies degree (minimum 3.0 GPA)
- Language requirements
- 12 hours of graduate Greek with a B or higher
- 9 hours of graduate Hebrew with a B or higher
- Contact information for 3 approved recommenders (2 academic contacts from graduate degree faculty and 1 pastoral contact)
- Professional vita/résumé (including degrees earned, ministry and/or teaching experience, and career goals)
- Letter of Intent (300-word minimum, specifying purpose and goals for entering Ph.D. program)
- Doctrinal Questionnaire
- Writing sample from master’s degree or recent research (10-12 pages)
- Department/faculty review
Credit Hours
Class Type
Residential
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Next Start Date
Aug 19, 2024
Accreditation
Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC
15,000+
Students
20
NCAA DI Sports
500,000+
Community Service Hours
350+
Undergrad & Grad Programs
The Liberty DNA
Liberty’s promise to you is an education that expertly brings knowledge and faith together. You’ll not only be challenged academically but also pushed spiritually through weekly worship gatherings and community engagement, local service projects, and global mission trips. You can become a Champion for Christ that changes the world with the Gospel.
Convocation
The largest weekly gathering of Christian students in North America cannot happen without a key ingredient: you. Experience life-changing messages from more than 80 nationally acclaimed speakers each year.
Accreditation
In addition to Liberty’s institutional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, many programs are also accredited or recognized by specialized professional agencies, including ABA, ABET, ACBSP, AOA-COCA, ATS Commission on Accrediting, CAAHEP, CAATE, CACREP, CCNE, CEPH, CoARC, NCATE, and NASM.
Career Focused
As a Christian university, we’re committed to helping you every step of the way so you can earn your degree flexibly, affordably, and with excellence — and do the things that matter to you. That’s why our professors and dedicated Career Services department are focused on getting you job ready before you leave the classroom.
Convocation
The largest weekly gathering of Christian students in North America cannot happen without a key ingredient: you. Experience life-changing messages from more than 80 nationally acclaimed speakers each year.
Accreditation
In addition to Liberty’s institutional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, many programs are also accredited or recognized by specialized professional agencies, including ABA, ABET, ACBSP, AOA-COCA, ATS Commission on Accrediting, CAAHEP, CAATE, CACREP, CCNE, CEPH, CoARC, NCATE, and NASM.
Career Focused
As a Christian university, we’re committed to helping you every step of the way so you can earn your degree flexibly, affordably, and with excellence — and do the things that matter to you. That’s why our professors and dedicated Career Services department are focused on getting you job ready before you leave the classroom.
FAFSA and Loan Information
Most graduate students qualify for $20,500 in student loans through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – and even more in certain health fields!
There are two types of federal loan options available to grad students:
- Direct Unsubsidized Loans (Stafford) – loans made to eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, but eligibility is not based on financial need.
- Graduate PLUS Loans – loans made to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required. If you have a bankruptcy, foreclosure, or an account in collections, you may be denied.
Tuition Costs
Liberty University provides master’s programs at just $545* per credit hour. Most courses will be paid by credit hour except the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity block rate of $2,850 per semester for 9-15 credit hours. Most graduate programs average from 35-45 credit hours to complete.
*Some programs differ and may have additional fees that apply.
Amounts are per credit and are based on data published on each institution’s website as of 11/16/20. This information is believed, but not guaranteed, to be accurate. Individual institutions may charge additional fees in addition to the per credit hour rates. Rates are subject to change.
Visit Our Central Virginia Campus
Have you visited Liberty yet? We can’t wait to have you. Watch a robot fetch your books at the Jerry Falwell Library, cheer on the winning touchdown at Williams Stadium, break a sweat at the fitness center, and gaze at the stars at the astronomical observatory.
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank among Niche.com’s Top 3 college campuses in America. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Located directly behind Arthur S. DeMoss Hall, the Montview Student Union is a 4-story, 168,000-square-foot structure that includes a lounge overlooking the Academic Commons, retail dining venues, an art gallery, a ballroom, and a bowling alley. The building also has space for academics, meetings, and offices.
The Liberty Baseball Stadium features the latest turf playing surface, as well as full-length, major league-style dugouts, a fully-equipped media area, two suites, a club room, and a spectator picnic area.
The Center for Medical and Health Sciences (CMHS) is a state-of-the-art modern learning facility for Liberty University's College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) and School of Health Sciences. Sitting on Liberty Mountain, the 140,000 square-foot, four-story facility offers breathtaking views of the valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the north and west.
The Center for Music and the Worship Arts features 124 Steinway pianos and 43 teaching studios complete with piano, songwriting, and music computer labs. Additionally, the center includes a 1,600-seat concert hall.
The Center for Natural Sciences houses classrooms, an auditorium, and more than 30 laboratories designed for hands-on learning, including an advanced anatomy lab and a cell culture lab. The facility has more than $2 million in equipment, including a GC mass spectrometer and a gene sequencer.
As the primary academic building on campus, Arthur S. DeMoss Hall spans 500,000 square feet over four floors and houses computer labs, classrooms and student resource centers, and a rooftop terrace.
Jerry Falwell Library houses an array of study spaces including six learning commons, one technology commons, and 30 group-study rooms. Multiple terraces and balconies provide additional space to relax, and several dining options are available. Taking advantage of the latest technology, the ASRS, a robotic retrieval system, houses the majority of the library’s collections in a state-of-the-art automated on-site retrieval system.
The 275-foot-tall Freedom Tower, home of the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, the nation’s largest center for religious studies and ministerial training, includes classrooms and offices, a conference room, a homiletics lab, and an interactive classroom, as well as observation spaces to take in the spectacular views of campus.
The LaHaye Ice Center is home to Liberty men's and women's hockey teams, as well as the synchronized skating and figure skating teams. Recently renovated, the ice center seats 4,000 fans and includes 10 box suites.
Whichever way you like to break a sweat, you can do it here! The recreation center has weight rooms, cardio lofts, private classrooms, an indoor track, pools, a rock wall, soccer fields, and basketball courts.
The Reber-Thomas Dining Center (Liberty’s dining hall) is a two-story, 120,000-square-foot all-you-care-to-eat buffet that boasts a seating capacity of more than 2,700. It provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers over 20 unique stations to choose from.
The Residential Commons are comprised of three residence halls. The rooms feature a private bath, and every floor provides laundry facilities and a common lounge. Additional residential facilities are also planned for the site.
The three-story structure serves as a home base for the School of Business, which includes 152 programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, as well as centers of excellence focused on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, cybersecurity, and stock trading. On the first floor, a stock trading simulation room, operating in partnership with Truist, features an LED stock ticker that wraps around the top of the room and streams the latest market activity from Wall Street.
The Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre offers students the opportunity to ski, snowboard, and tube year-round with its cutting-edge terrain technology.
Tower Theater is home to Liberty’s Department of Theatre Arts as well as the professional theatre company, Alluvion Stage Company. Tower Theater features a Broadway-style fly tower and professional rigging system and has over 12,000 square feet of backstage and support area.
This auditorium’s 10,000 seats are filled by students at Convocation and Campus Community, concert-goers, and athletic event attendees.
The stadium’s 25,000 seats host the fans of our FBS conference football team. Williams Stadium also boasts a 110-foot viewing tower and houses the Football Operations Center, containing locker rooms, coaches’ offices, equipment, and weight rooms, and a training facility.
The Admission Process
Apply Now, Pay Later
Start the enrollment process by applying online now — the application takes about 10 minutes. Your application fee isn’t due until you enroll!
Get Accepted
Once you’ve submitted all your admission documents, you’ll be updated on the status of your application through text and email. You can also keep track on your Student Checklist.
Act Early
After you apply, you may be eligible for Liberty's Graduate Assistantship program. Each graduate assistant is awarded a tuition scholarship equivalent to a full-time course load in their respective degree.
Contact one of our Admissions Counselors for more information by calling (877) 298-9617.
Hear from Liberty Students — Past and Present
Former SGA President Derek R.
“The whole school and the administration have their mindset on heaven — the Holy Spirit is so active on campus.”
Former SGA Vice President Esther L.
“It was knowing that I could be vulnerable about where I was from or what I was coming from or going through with people that were here and cared was encouraging and helped me with the transition.”
David H.
“Spiritually, I have seen the most growth in my life. …The spiritual atmosphere of the campus here at Liberty is unreal.”
Queenstar B.
“They [professors] see each student as an individual who has the potential to truly impact the world for God’s Namesake.”
Sarah B.
“Here there are authentic people that have really embodied how the Lord cares for each of us.”
Joseph H.
“Once I made it on campus — just the overwhelming amount of love that I received from the student body, the people on my hall, and my RAs just blew me away.”