Discerning a Call to Doctoral Studies

February 3 - March 4, 2025 • $50.00

For individuals considering a Ph.D. in Religious/Theological Studies.

Early Enrollment Opens December 2

A desire to lead change for good through pursuing a doctoral degree.

This course supports those pursuing a Ph.D. in Religious/Theological Studies and related disciplines.

Participants will:

  • Discover with a cohort what pursuing a Ph.D./Th.D. entails.
  • Engage mentors, resources, and practices to help prepare for a doctoral program.
  • Explore what it takes to achieve a doctorate.
  • Utilize tools to assist in career exploration.
  • Create goals based on your interests and skills for success.


Through discernment practices, a community of peers, inspiring storytelling, and many other resources, you will have access to the support you need to explore what it takes to achieve a doctorate. You will also utilize tools to assist in career exploration and planning that can help you map out career paths and create goals based on your interests and skills for success. 

For more information or questions, please email Heather Wallace, our Community Engagement Manager.

FTE Course Instructor

Samaria Divine holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Religion with a focus on the Hebrew Bible. At FTE, she directs FTE’s doctoral initiatives and oversees efforts to create an engaged community of diverse scholars and supports doctoral students in completing their programs. Her own experiences applying to and navigating doctoral studies ignited her passion for assisting other upcoming scholars of colors in their academic pursuits. She holds a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

sdivine@fteleaders.org

678-369-6243

Course Mentor and Coach

Ambre Dromgoole is an assistant professor of Africana religions and music in the Africana Studies & Research Center at Cornell University. Dr. Dromgoole received her B.A. in Religion and Musical Studies from Oberlin College and Conservatory, her M.A. from Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music, and her PhD in African American studies and religious studies from Yale University. She has presented work for the Society for Ethnomusicology, the American Studies Association, and the American Academy of Religion and has held fellowships with the Ford Foundation and the Louisville Institute, among others. Her current book project There’s a Heaven Somewhere: A Sonic History of Black Womanhood documents the twentieth-century history of itinerant women gospel musicians as a collective, paying particular attention to their musical trainings as girls in Afro-Protestant contexts as well as their formation in the entertainment industry.

FTE Support Team

Marissa Akery is FTE's community engagement manager who serves the Doctoral initiatives as well as the Co-Create and Discernment Lab initiatives. Previously she served as the Next Generation Pastor at Impact Church, providing leadership, care, and development  for the leaders who serve infants to young adults.  She is a graduate of The University of Georgia and received her Master of Divinity from Emory Candler School of Theology. Marissa has been recognized by Church Women United as an Outstanding Young Woman in Ministry and as a Woman of Courage by St. John AME Church. She is passionate about promoting individuals spiritual and personal growth while ensuring that they are surrounded by an authentic, loving, and supportive community. 



makery@fteleaders.org

678-369-6112

 

Heather B.P. Wallace, since 2014, has managed grants, resource development, and now FTE’s online learning platform. She also supported FTE's events for young adults, such as the regional discernment retreats, Christian Leadership Forum, and supports partners who work with young adults through learning events and consultations. She was raised as a Lutheran on a small farm in East Tennessee by her Brethren/pacifist father and Peruvian descent mother who both instilled in her a love of storytelling. She holds a Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Development from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Lenoir-Rhyne University.

hwallace@fteleaders.org

678-369-6146

Explore the Course

Brainstorm and reflect on the reasons why you are pursuing a Ph.D.

Brainstorm and reflect on the reasons why you are pursuing a Ph.D.

Explore different programs, institution types, and your finances to identify what program best fits your needs and expectations.

Explore different programs, institution types, and your finances to identify what program best fits your needs and expectations.

Revisit your plan and map out a healthy, productive, and meaningful doctoral experience before starting your doctoral journey.

Revisit your plan and map out a healthy, productive, and meaningful doctoral experience before starting your doctoral journey.

Develop a compelling question or project within a specific field to do research that can sustain you for seven years during your study.

Develop a compelling question or project within a specific field to do research that can sustain you for seven years during your study.

Use the learning you acquired during this course to help you prepare and take your next most faithful steps in pursuing a Ph.D.

Use the learning you acquired during this course to help you prepare and take your next most faithful steps in pursuing a Ph.D.

I would highly recommend this course for those considering a Ph.D.! As someone who took this course early on in my discernment, it has given me so much information that I can use as I continue seeking out my path in life. Chantal Branker, course alum
FAQ

The Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) is a leadership incubator that inspires young people to make a difference in the world through Christian communities.  Since its founding in 1954, FTE has provided resources, events, networks, grants, and fellowships to cultivate tomorrow's leaders, pastors, and theological educators, FTE provides a forum through which gifted, purposeful students, young adults, and partners explore their passion, purpose, and call. 

This course is designed for under-resourced and underrepresented master's students and holders of master's degrees who: 1) are considering whether a Ph.D. in Religious/Theological Studies (and related fields) is their next best step and 2) want to learn strategies and tools for discerning what program or institution type is right for them.

FTE created this course to provide underrepresented emerging scholars with salient insights and support from FTE's network, a space for independent and collaborative exploration as they consider pursuing a Ph.D. 

  • Upon completion, you will gain relevant resources to discern and continue your vocational pursuits.

This course is self-paced, you will have 5 weeks to complete the course from your start date. 

Yes, if you meet the course requirements, you will receive a certificate that you can post to your LinkedIn profile and download to share. 

Yes, NovoEd has a mobile app, you can access the course anytime and anywhere you want. 

Yes, you can contact Heather at hwallace@fteleaders.org for pricing or other information.