This is only a general outline of an idealized route. Details vary by discipline and by your intended goal (e.g. research university, Christian college, part time instructor).

As an Undergraduate

For Your Self-Development

• Develop your worldview. Consider theological coursework.
• Develop your writing skills.
• Learn a second language.
• Improve your study skills.
• Earn a high GPA.

For Your Application

• Get to know your professors, so that they can write good letters of reference.
• Prepare well for the GRE, GMAT, or your discipline’s entrance exams.
• Research graduate schools and apply to several.
• Apply for funding. One potential source: The Harvey Fellows Program, sponsored by the Mustard Seed Foundation, offers stipends to Christian students earning doctorates in strategic fields at premier institutions. See http://msfdn.org/harveyfellows/ for details.

The Structure of Grad School

Again, this varies by discipline. For example, some disciplines expect you to earn a masters degree before starting your doctorate, while other discipline view a masters as unnecessary.

• Course Work: 2 or more years
• Know your language requirements!
• Comprehensive exams before starting dissertation.
• Dissertation: 1 to 2 years (but often longer)
• Dissertation Defense
• Research or Teaching Assistantship
• Begin publishing while in graduate school.
• Apply for teaching positions.

Finding a Job

General sources

• Chronicle of Higher Education (www.chronicle.com)
• Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) www.cccu.org
• Discipline-specific, e.g. American Sociological Association
• Denomination-specific, e.g. www.baptistschools.org

Be Intentional and Network!

• Contact schools you like, whether or not they have an opening.
• Most openings (80%) are never advertised.
• Competition for positions varies widely, and is sometimes counter-intuitive (e.g. an “easy” teaching position might attract 10 times as many applications as a prestigious research position).

As a Professor

Faculty positions are either tenure-track (TT) or non-tenure-track (also called contingent). Non-tenure-track positions can be quite fulfilling, depending on your personal goals and situation.

Earning Tenure

• Three categories are assessed for tenure: research, teaching, and service.
• Different kinds of schools have different requirements. A research university will value research above all else. A teaching college might place more emphasis on course evaluations.
• The first year teaching will probably be the most stressful year of your life, so be prepared and seek good counsel.
• It’s possible to get hired “ABD” (“All But Dissertation”) but be very cautious: it’s easy to get caught up in the new job (see above) and never finish your PhD.

Academic Ranks

• Non-tenure track: Instructor, Lecturer, Adjunct
• Tenure-track starts with Assistant Professor.
• After tenure is Associate Professor, then promotion later to Professor or Full Professor. Senior scholars can be awarded endowed Chairs.
• If desired, you can later move into administrative roles: Department Chair, Dean, Provost, etc.