Welcome to the Doctoral Portal!
It is a pleasure to have you as part of one of LBC’s doctoral cohorts! I am the Doctoral Assistant for the Biblical Studies, Leadership and Ministry programs, and I am here to help you with your journey. Below is pertinent information to begin your program.
Diane Palmer, Doctoral Assistant
Email: dpalmer@lbc.edu | Phone: 717.569.7071 ext. 5391 (messages only)
IMPORTANT DEADLINES FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS:
| Task | Deadline |
|---|---|
| International Student VISAs (PhD programs only) | Begin process NOW |
| Scholarship Applications | USA May 31/International May 15 |
| Student Biography | August 1 |
| Orientation Course | August 15 |
| Foundational Literature | The August after completion of the 2nd year of the program. |
STEP ONE:
- CONTACT LIST: This is who to contact with questions regarding registrar, finances, technology and more.
Contact List for Doctoral Students - LBC EMAIL ACCOUNT: This is how LBC will communicate with you and to access your Canvas Dashboard. Please forward your LBC email to your preferred email account. Your LBC credentials will be forwarded to you soon if you have not yet received them.
Email Forwarding Instructions - APPYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS: Using the Scholarship Application to apply for doctoral scholarships. Funds are limited so apply early. Application Deadline: US students May 31 | international students May 15
Scholarship Application - VISA PROCESS (International Students taking hybrid programs):
International Visa
STEP TWO:
- STUDENT BIOGRAPHY: For each new cohort, we collect a short biography from each student to share with your professors and cohorts so you can get to know one another and connect by email. Please provide to us by August 1.
Submit Your Student Biography - ORIENTATION COURSE: During the Summer semester (May through August) you will have access to complete your Orientation course located on your Dashboard in Canvas. This course is online and at your own pace. Orientation has essential information and will help you tremendously in the program and specifically your first course at LBC. It contains information on navigating Canvas, writing expectations, student accounts, financial aid, and key personnel to contact if you have questions. You are required to complete Orientation before classes begin. Orientation typically takes 6-8 hours to complete, and the time invested will help you greatly. Deadline to complete orientation is August 15.
- FALL COURSES/SYLLABI: We will enroll you in 2 courses for the upcoming Fall.
-
- PhD in Leadership: LSP901 Empirical Research I: Critical Inquiry and Design | LSP902 Biblical and Theological Foundation of Leadership
- PhD in Biblical Studies: BIB901 Advanced Biblical Research & Writing | BIB902 Learning & Teaching: Theory & Practice
- Doctor of Ministry: MIN850 Contextual Ministry Praxis Seminar | MIN844 Formational Leadership in the Digital Age
All Syllabi will be available on your Dashboard 10 days prior to the start of the Semester. We will provide Syllabi earlier by email when they become available.
- TEXTBOOKS: All Global students are automatically enrolled in the textbook service Slingshot Choice. Slingshot Choice provides all your required course materials and will be charged to your student account. Please access this video for a demonstration on how to access your Slingshot portal. (LBC on Vimeo). You can opt out of Slingshot Choice at any time, change your address, see what books will be arriving/when and change the type of books you want to receive. We have done some research comparing prices between using Slingshot and purchasing textbooks elsewhere (Amazon) and we believe you will most likely save money if you do not use Slingshot. Therefore, we recommend you opt out of Slingshot to avoid receiving textbooks automatically. However, if you like the convenience of using Slingshot, please feel free to log into your account to make sure you are opted in.
STEP THREE:
- RESIDENCY:
- PhD in Biblical Study residency, first year students only, will take place the 7th week of the Spring, Summer and Fall Semesters in Lancaster, PA.
- PhD in Leadership residency will take place the 8th week of Spring and Fall Semesters in Lancaster, PA.
- Students are responsible to make travel and hotel arrangements. To assist students, we are providing a list of hotels in the Lancaster, PA and Greenbelt, MD areas
- Hotel Discounts – Lancaster To make a reservation you will need to call the hotel directly and ask for the LBC discount. There may be some restrictions if it is a high tourist season.
- Hotel Discounts – Near Greenbelt & DC To make a reservation you will need to call the hotel directly as ask for the LBC discount. There may be some restrictions if it is a high tourist season.
- If you are an international student and need housing, please complete this form, https://lbc.formstack.com/forms/international_housing. If you are an international student, please also review the VISA requirements mentioned above.
- Residency schedules list dates and courses being offered for each semester.
STEP FOUR (PhD in Leadership only)
- REQUIRED READING FOR FOUNDATIONAL LITERATURE:
[required to read by the end of August of your second year]
As you prepare for the program, we are attaching a document that provides some key leadership books you will need to read. Many students begin to read them as they prepare for their first class to get oriented to leadership. When you read these books will be up to you and your schedule. We hope this early notice helps you to prepare accordingly.
Link for Reading List