Southwestern Seminary equips scholar-practitioners in inaugural EdD cohort

Southwestern Seminary is the “preeminent Southern Baptist seminary” for “studying Christian education,” says Bryan Barrineau, student pastor at First Baptist Church in Enterprise, Alabama, and one of the nine students in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s first Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) cohort, which began in October.

Approved by the seminary’s board of trustees at their spring 2020 meeting, the Ed.D. is a 60-hour program designed to equip scholar-practitioners for leadership in various ministry and leadership contexts. The degree requires four weeks of on-campus participation and culminates in the writing of a dissertation focused on an issue in education or leadership.

Cohorts comprise 12-15 students who progress through the program together. Ed.D. program director Josh Rose says this will allow for a better peer learning experience intended to facilitate meaningful relationships that will continue beyond their degree program and into their respective ministries or work.

“Inherent in our design since creation is the need for connection with others in all areas of life,” Rose says. “Journeying through the Ed.D. degree as a cohort is a natural fit as students experience transformation of their head, heart, and will.”

Like many in the cohort, Barrineau has already devoted many years to Christian education. Having served in student ministry for 20 years, Barrineau says he has been prayerfully considering a doctoral degree that would allow him to better serve in ministry while also equipping him to teach should the opportunity arise.

His search led him to Southwestern Seminary’s Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries. The school’s faculty was a particular draw to him, Barrineau says.

“I have always had a love of Southwestern Seminary because the godfather of student ministry, Dr. Richard Ross, teaches there,” Barrineau says.

Now more than a month into the program, Barrineau says the Terry School faculty has not disappointed. “I cannot praise our professors enough for their pastoral heart in the way that they lead our cohort,” he says. “Our cohort is made up of a diverse and incredible group of people that have already bonded.”

Barrineau is just one example of the way in which Southwestern Seminary’s new Ed.D. program is attracting some of the best leaders and teachers already serving in higher education, the local church, and non-profit organizations, says Michael S. Wilder, dean of the Terry School. 

“I could not be more enthused about the direction of the program, under the leadership of Dr. Josh Rose, as we seek to develop our students as published writers, excellent teachers, thought leaders, and problem solvers,” says Wilder. “We are confident that the research these Ed.D. students are engaging in will make direct and significant contributions to the church and academy. This is really what motivates us as we seek to glorify Christ and serve His church with excellence and beauty.” 

Katie Hargrave from Arlington, Texas, is another student in the first Ed.D. cohort. In her ninth year of teaching Bible classes at a Christian school, she says her search for the right doctoral program ultimately led her to Southwestern Seminary. She says the degree program has been a perfect fit for her academically but has also established the necessary community with faculty and her peers.

Students in the Ed.D. program can expect a rigorous and fast-paced program, but students like Hargrave say the nature of the cohort model has proven to be an enriching experience.

“Being a full-time teacher in the midst of navigating COVID-19 has been stressful, and because of this, I knew that to be successful I needed a program that was both highly structured and highly relational,” Hargrave says. “That is exactly how I would describe the Ed.D. program.”

“Every day, my cohort is texting in our group text with encouragement, reminders, or just about our lives,” Hargrave explains. “It has been fun being academically challenged by my peers while also feeling like I can joke with them and share about my life.”

Hargrave says the program and the seminary’s faculty and staff have proven essential in her professional and academic growth, explaining that she has already seen the real-life application of her degree program to how she teaches in Christian education.

“I am trying to convince some of my friends to pray about applying to the program,” Hargrave says. “It has been one of the biggest blessings in this season of life, and I am so grateful that God directed my steps to Southwestern Seminary. He is at work in our school, and it’s exciting to see what He is doing in the Ed.D. program.”

For Heath Woolman, next generation pastor of the First Baptist Church in Kissimmee, Florida, the Ed.D.’s emphasis on the scholar-practitioner was a significant attraction.

“I am called to serve the local church, and I love pastoral ministry, but I also love the academy and higher education,” Woolman says. “I wanted a terminal degree that would benefit my calling and position me to contribute in higher education as well.

“For anyone looking to pursue an advanced doctoral education that will challenge and equip you to fulfill your calling and be better positioned to be used by God in the future, Southwestern Seminary is the place to be.”

Limited spaces are still available for students who want to join the next Ed.D. cohort starting July 2021. The deadline for applications is April 1. Apply at swbts.edu/apply or contact Josh Rose at jrose@swbts.edu for more information.