Cromwell, Connecticut — Holy Apostles College and Seminary will launch its PhD in Theology program in Fall 2026. Accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), the program is the first doctoral program at Holy Apostles and the first faithfully Catholic 100% online PhD in Theology.
Holy Apostles’ PhD. in Theology will be offered through a combination of asynchronous coursework and live synchronous seminars, making advanced theological formation accessible to students regardless of geographic location.
Program Director Dr. Joshua Madden shares, “The PhD in Theology is an innovative program that allows students to plumb the depths of the Christian Tradition for the sake of building up both the Church and the Academy.”
More than a terminal degree, the PhD in Theology is a path toward becoming a teacher of teachers, one who draws from Scripture, the Church Fathers, Doctors of the Church, and the entire breadth of Tradition to illuminate truth for a searching world.
The new doctoral program continues Holy Apostles’ promise to alumni and students to provide opportunities for those who desire not simply to know theology but to hand it on. Dr. Kristina Olsen, VP of Academic Affairs, adds, “Our PhD graduates will contribute meaningfully to theological scholarship to support and promote the love of God, the teaching of the faith, and Catholic evangelization throughout the world.”
Students will earn a PhD in Theology and may specialize in one of four concentrations: Sacred Scripture, Thomistic Studies, Moral and Spiritual Theology, and Dogmatic and Historical Theology. Additionally, students will learn to conduct advanced theological research, engage deeply with primary sources, contribute original scholarship to the Catholic intellectual tradition, and form the next generation of Church leaders. The program will admit a small, select cohort of students, allowing for close faculty mentorship and scholarly collaboration.
For more information or to apply to the PhD in Theology Program, visit holyapostles.edu/phd-in-theology/ or contact the Admissions Office at 860-632-3000 or [email protected].