Part IV · No. 20
The degree certifies academic competence. Any office, mandate or ordination is a separate act.
Theology·Level 8 · Third Cycle·Ecclesiastical degree · no suffix
D.Th.
Doctor of Theology
The highest research degree in theology, requiring an original contribution to theological knowledge.
| CHEQF Level | 8 |
| Qualification type | Third cycle, ecclesiastical-academic research |
| Admission requirements | M.Th. or a recognised equivalent Level 7 theological qualification; a research proposal and the required languages. |
| Normative volume | Research doctorates: at least three years of full-time equivalent study after Level 7; professional doctorates typically 3–5 years. The precise structure is established in the Degree Programme Specification. |
Content · Outcomes
Content is what is taught. Outcomes are what is verified.
01 Required content areas
What the programme must contain
- advanced theological method
- primary-source work
- specialist research languages
- doctoral seminars
- ecclesial and academic hermeneutics
02 Graduate learning outcomes
What the graduate must demonstrate
- demonstrates expert knowledge of the field and its research methodology
- designs and carries out independent original research or a doctoral professional project
- creates new knowledge, a method, model, or demonstrable professional innovation
- publicly defends the results before qualified experts
- is capable of publishing, teaching, providing expert leadership, and upholding standards of academic integrity.
- makes an original contribution to theology capable of withstanding professional academic and ecclesiastical scrutiny
Final · Progression
Final capstone work and dissertations may not be transferred from elsewhere.
03 Final assessment
How the programme closes
An original theological dissertation; at least two internal/external reviewers, including at least one external reviewer; and a public defence. Minimum duration: three years of full-time equivalent study.
04 Academic progression
Where it leads
Preparation for advanced theological research and teaching within CHEQF; specific authority to teach may require an ecclesiastical mandate.
Reached from
M.Th.Master of TheologyStatus
Black is what the degree certifies. This is what it does not.
05 Status and professional limitation
No CHEQF academic degree, by itself, confers a right to ordination, ministry in a particular jurisdiction, or appointment to ecclesiastical office. Such decisions are made by the competent Church authority.
“This is an ecclesiastical academic qualification awarded within the Church system of higher education. It is not represented as a state-awarded or state-accredited academic degree unless such recognition has been separately granted by the competent authority of the relevant jurisdiction.”
Recommended status statement on every diploma, Article 17