Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil/PhD)

This colloquium introduces the Omega Graduate School (OGS) philosophy of education. The course orients students to key themes in adult education: the role of adult development in learning, differences between andragogy and pedagogy, the importance of self-directedness in adult learning, and the consistency of transformative learning theory with the OGS mission. This OGS transformative learning study promotes critical reflection for transcending barriers to personal growth and social impact.

This course provides a foundation for the student to integrate the disciplines of developmental psychology, theology, spirituality, and moral development for the transforming of one’s self concept for healthy leader development. A study of the dynamics of this integration of disciplines will provide the necessary perspective to enable students to examine their own self- concept and be aware of its transforming character, with the purpose of pursuing intentional development. This interdisciplinary approach is consistent with the mission of Omega Graduate School. An opportunity will be afforded for each student to explore their own moral development and assess their spirituality, and be intentionally aware of the self-efficacy dimensions in their own graduate education, seeing themselves being successful and achieving their ultimate goal of obtaining a degree for equipping them to be constructive social change agents.

Hermeneutics is the science and methodology of interpretation. This foundational course orients students to the history, major issues, and methodologies of hermeneutics as defined as the science and methodology of interpretation. The scope of the course distinguishes the various uses of hermeneutics as applied to interpreted sacred texts (biblical writings), general hermeneutics (any literary discourse), and cultural hermeneutics (any fabricated production designed with practical or aesthetic purposes which includes the arts). General hermeneutics equips students to understand and interpret texts and written discourse through scholarly reading and applied research principles. Emphasis on scholarly writing is established using guidelines, techniques, and formal writing skills. This course assumes that doctoral students have (a) an understanding of the human communication process and (b) acquired considerable knowledge in interpersonal communication and effective writing and public speaking skills.

Research for 21st Century Scholarship develops student competencies for excellence in 21st- century scholarship. SR-953 orients students to the OGS library resources, how to use information technology for internet and database research, techniques required to produce developmental readings from selected books and journal articles, and using reference management software to collect, organize, and cite resources, document bibliographies, and share research materials.

History of Integration of Religion and Society is a course that provides a historical perspective on and illustrates models/methods of the integration of religion and society. Modern secular historical revisionism is corrected by tracing the social impact of Jesus and Christianity in multiple ways, i.e., advancing human rights, abolishing slavery, improving morality, advancing education, art, science, and democracy, and other areas of social concern. The course challenges students to change their world by integrating their faith with society.

This foundational colloquium builds the case for and surveys approaches to the integration of faith and learning for professional Christian scholarship. The relationship of religious perspectives as a form of disciplinary learning is then applied to the field of interdisciplinary studies as a basis for research in the sociological integration of religion and society.

The essential research and writing skills developed during classroom sessions, online discussion boards, peer and faculty interactions, and assignments provide the foundation for all future writing assignments required for the DPhil/PhD and DSL program courses of study.

This course introduces sociological theory and methods to prepare students for interpreting culture in the area of their social research later in the program. Significant concepts, terms, and procedures used in the critical analysis and interpretation of social contexts develop disciplinary perspectives for sociological thinking and research.

COM 968 is a multi-core course in Cores 3, 4, and 5. COM 968 equips students to communicate through the language of statistics to conduct qualitative and quantitative social research. COM 968 QDA is a separate course offered in Core 5 for students approved to do qualitative research. Students learn to use descriptive and inferential statistics and how to analyze populations through sampling and statistical analysis. The seminar methodology includes instructions on the use of the PSPPTM statistical software package, Microsoft WordTM, and Microsoft ExcelTM. Atlas.ti or Dedoose is introduced in the COM 968 QDA for qualitative data analysis and research courses. COM 968 is presented over three cores and is a companion course to SR 958 Research Design and Methodology and Dissertation Foundations.

SR 958 is a multi-core course offered in Cores 3, 4 and 5. The seminar is designed to teach students scientific research design and methodology leading to the interdisciplinary social research developed to produce a dissertation. SR 958 is presented over three cores and is a companion course to COM 968 Statistics for Social Research and Dissertation Foundations.

This course introduces contextualization for social change as a systematic analytical tool for interpreting social problems within broader social structures. Students employ levels of structural analysis (Macro, Meso, and Micro) to evaluate the context of social problems. The course emphasizes the development of Verstehen and the application of the Thomas Theorem to evaluate how subjective "definitions of the situation" and "conditions of choosing" produce objective social consequences. The course also considers a faith-based perspective on social context that accounts for both divine potential and systemic brokenness. Ultimately, students establish a comprehensive foundation for analyzing complex social problems and synthesizing contextualized, constructive social change.

This colloquy examines the nature, function, and methodologies for understanding and developing orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxis (right practice). Orthopraxis applies a Christian worldview to all of life, culture, and vocation. Within the framework of historic ecumenical (unity among the churches) orthodoxy, the seminar closes the gap between professed and operational beliefs in personal and professional spheres of life. This course is designed to develop interdisciplinary Christian orthodoxy and to improve orthopraxis for transforming personal and vocation growth.

COM 968 is a multi-core course offered in Cores 3, 4, and 5. COM 968 equips students to communicate through the language of statistics for the purpose of conducting both qualitative and quantitative social research. COM 968 QDA is a separate course offered in Core 5 for students who are approved to do qualitative research. Students learn the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics and how to analyze populations through sampling and statistical analysis. COM 968 is presented over three cores and is a companion course to SR 958 Research Design and Methodology, and Dissertation Foundations.

SR 958 is a multi-core course that teaches students scientific research design and methodology, leading to interdisciplinary social research undertaken for a dissertation. SR 958 is a companion course to COM 968 Statistics for Social Research/Qualitative Data Analysis and SR 852 Dissertation Foundations.

A colloquium that analyzes the concept of relationships as it relates to the Christian faith in varied cross-cultural contexts. In a global postmodern society, cross-cultural skills prepare students to professionally analyze and cross barriers within their own and other cultures. Various cultures, religious traditions, cults, and ideologies are critiqued in order to develop a framework for understanding how to be psychologically prepared to enter another cultural system. Orientation to Community Development principles for a pragmatic approach to a cross-cultural strategy will assist the learner in developing a successful strategy for cross-cultural relations, both professionally and personally.

A colloquium presents a philosophical and theological framework for understanding and influencing an organization’s culture, operations, and societal impact through transformational leadership. Various models of organizational dynamics are analyzed in areas such as authority, power, structure, culture, ideology, communication, dysfunction, and change theory.

COM 968 is a multi-core course offered in Cores 3, 4, and 5. COM 968 equips students to communicate through the language of statistics for the purpose of conducting both qualitative and quantitative social research. COM 968 QDA is a separate course offered in Core 5 for students who are approved to do qualitative research. Students learn the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics and how to analyze populations through sampling and statistical analysis. COM 968 is presented over three cores and is a companion course to SR 958 Research Design and Methodology, and Dissertation Foundations.

SR 958 is a multi-core course that teaches students scientific research design and methodology, leading to interdisciplinary social research undertaken for a dissertation. SR 958 is a companion course to COM 968 Statistics for Social Research/Qualitative Data Analysis and SR 852 Prospectus.

In this course, students will compose a dissertation prospectus that includes aligned methodology, design, research questions, hypotheses, instruments, and data analysis plans based on the student’s own proposed dissertation topic. Upon successfully drafting a dissertation prospectus, students will be assigned a dissertation chair and committee member.

An examination of Christian approaches to ethical systems and a survey of ethical theories. Ethics is confronted directly by the challenges posed by a postmodern global society. In order to promote ethical orthopraxis by the student, the student explores the move from ethical theory to ethical practice.

SR 848 provides advanced on-site library research access at the world's most extensive library. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. The LOC experience offers the opportunity to develop library research skills for life-long scholarship. Students obtain and renew LOC Reader Cards to access LOC Researcher Reading Rooms. A week of immersive experience at the LOC includes an orientation, assignment of a Librarian, and access to library facilities during a week-long intensive to collect scholarly academic materials necessary to support their Persuasive Communication and other research papers focusing on resources related to the Dissertation/Action Research Project. Students must attend the LOC at least once to achieve candidacy. Still, students may attend multiple times as desired throughout enrollment in their program.

In this course, students will draft three milestones for the Forum Paper degree program requirement. This is a workspace to address iterative drafts. Students will have successfully completed COM 822-22, the Persuasive Communication course, which is a prerequisite for this course.

The Forum Paper presentation experience is a pre-Candidacy requirement in the doctoral program. The rationale for participating in the Forum Paper process is that the student learns how to develop an argumentative, persuasive paper, presenting both sides of an issue. It allows students to fairly and respectfully present the opposite side of their argument. This provides a model of civil discourse for addressing a controversial issue from a sociological perspective. Finally, it affords the student the opportunity for faith integration related to the constructive social change they are presenting and proposing.

Students will explore the impact and influence of the Arts on the values, thinking,

behavior, and practices of culture and society. Emphasis will be on how the Bible influenced society

through the fine arts, specifically painting, sculpture, ceramics, music, architecture, and photography.

This course provides doctoral students with an opportunity to develop teaching skills through a guided experience under the supervision of a faculty member. Students will develop their teaching skills by answering questions, engaging in tutorial sessions, grading assignments, providing substantive feedback, and improving course syllabi and content if needed. Students will learn how to review student learning outcomes aligned to course assignments and teaching-learning methodology.

This course functions as a directed independent study research project undertaken by the student with the approval of the Chief Academic Officer with the optional feature of review and guidance of an approved subject area expert. Students select a faculty advisor-approved academic field outside a previous or current graduate-level academic concentration, and proposed PhD research, as an alternative reading and research project. Students research the field to compile a “synoptic abstract” (See Appendix A for explanation) that covers pivotal thinkers, major concepts, and current issues in the approved field of study. As the student reads in an alternative field, primary information is gathered that provides a synoptic view of the field. The primary sources in the field of study are identified. A connection with the seminal and formative thinkers is made through assignment number two, developmental readings. Basic ideas, early theories, operational terms, specialized jargon, together with the pivotal movements associated with the field come into view. This reading project is valuable for developing research techniques and orientation required for a literature review. Cross-disciplinary reading enables participants to build a bridge of knowledge from one field to another and assists in the development of historical and theoretical research skills. For example, a teacher may gain from reading sociology, a minister may benefit from reading education theory, or an accountant may learn from

reading psychology.

SR 862 provides access to advanced on-site library research at the University of Oxford Bodleian Libraries group, including the principal University library, the Bodleian Library, and selected libraries from among the 27 other major research and institute libraries across Oxford. Students obtain a library card with access to the Bodleian Library and libraries within Oxford. Students attend scholarly presentations throughout the week and participate in cultural excursions and local community venues. Students must attend the U.K. Reading and Research trip or receive approval for completing an alternative pre-candidacy requirement. Upper core students may attend as many times as desired throughout enrollment in the doctoral programs.

This course is the continuation of SR 852-52 Core 5 Prospectus. This is the first of 6 courses (SR 812-74A, SR 812-74B, SR 912-74A, SR 912-74B, SR 966-74A, and SR 966-74B) that comprise Core 7 of the dissertation process. The purpose of this course is two-fold: to expand and further refine the original SR 852-52 Core 5 Prospectus assignment #4, and to provide in-depth research and information to complete chapters 1, 2, and 3 in the next course SR 812-74B, which will comprise the Proposal proper.

This non-credit course is the final requirement and culmination of a OGS DPhil/ PhD or Doctor of Social Leadership degree. To fulfill this course, students are required* to attend an in-person session the Friday before graduation. This session will include presentations by OGS faculty and staff designed to guide students to reflect on their OGS experience and to prepare for future application of their new advanced degrees. In addition, information about the Society of Scholars will be presented with its related opportunities to support future research.

Graduating students will also share an approved* power point presentation with fellow students faculty, staff and visiting board members. Presentations will include a summary of each student's dissertation research (DPhil/PhD) or action research project (Doctor of Social Leadership) and future research plans or practical application of findings.

During this session, students will be welcomed as new members of the OGS Alumni Relations Society with a celebratory British afternoon tea. The final element of this course is participation in an on campus chapel service in which our new DPhil/PhD students will be inducted into Society of Scholars.

* see Essential Elements for further clarification.