Masters or PhD in Practical Theology – focus on Organisational Studies / Praxis
A masters or phd degree in practical theology from part taking universities and institutions in South Africa, addresses the following concern that I am hearing increasingly.
Over the past couple of years I had the growing awareness of people in the organisational environment who longed for a more human-friendly, integrated approach in their workplace. These voices came from different levels of the organisation expressing a need for fostering meaning and purpose while not neglecting other important organisational concerns.
Institutional relationship
The programme has two components: the university/institutional component and our consultancy component. There are two models that govern institutional relations. For the discipline of practical theology we value our relationship with North West University (the programme itself is however presented in Pretoria, or following a blended or entirely online approach). Please make contact with us if you are interested to do this study entirely outside of practical theology. Of course we would then still want you to focus on intersections between 1) organisations, and then another theme or discipline.
More about practical theology at North West University, visit our institutional resource page. Also make contact with us if you do not specifically come from the subdiscipline of practical theology (for example, Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Systematic Theology and others).
General note on admissions and applications
The most formal requirement for admission at a university relates to academic background (not experience). For the discipline of theology for instance, prior theological training needs to be in tact. But then experience and other subject field qualifications also relate (B.Com, Psych. MBA). Depending on your discipline, they may not be formal requirements but indeed they serve as evaluation criteria if present and only count after formal prior qualification is in place. It is important to note however that each institution may decide on the number of applications received how many they allow into the programme. Consequently early applications will surely have an advantage.
Two important aspects that deserve early mention if you apply at North West University.
1) It is important to notify us when you apply
2) Your institution-application form should have some pertinent reference where you appoint Dr. Elmo Pienaar as your supervisor. This will effectively mark your application for our programme in Organisational Praxis. Otherwise they will not know since the formal degree descriptions in the year book does not refer to it.
Degrees
The degrees in question are on postgraduate level and include Masters degrees and the PhD doctorate degree. Upon successful completion of the programme the degree is awarded from the partnering university where you applied.
Separate, automatically and in addition to the degree conferred by the university, the consultancy acknowledges your successful completion of the degree (which we see as compulsory to our programme – accept in some instances), and we provide you with the necessary formal documentation contributing to your registration as a coach and for you curriculum vitae or other purposes.
Academic home
If you enroll through theology (others might not) your academic home remains theology, and your research should do justice to that home – even though we venture far beyond that since we are interdisciplinary inclined.
While our area of focus is in organisational praxis that includes matters of for instance leadership, management, and some MBA related subject matter, we are particularly concerned with the intersection between organisational praxis and matters of spirituality, religion, values and more. This would readily be the case even if you formerly enroll through another discipline. The programme has its roots in practical theology and as such it adds further value to the supervision relationship for those situated in theology.
Please note that because of the unique nature of the programme the focus is emphatically not tied to a church centric agenda or related predominantly to the functions of for instance the minister or rabbi (for instance youth ministry, liturgy, and more). The function of ‘pastoral therapy’ is still relevant but as it pertains to the corporate context and the organisation as a diverse community. In these contexts the description ‘pastoral’ and other religious language might well not, and often do not, hold up but the community sees it as its task to direct both critical and appreciative inquiry.
Organisational context
The broad field of Organisational Studies include many areas. To mention a couple, the student’s focus might be directed at Organisational Development, Leadership and Management, Organisational Behaviour, and Organisation Theory, Design, Discourse. In these fields themes such as ‘spirituality at work’ and the ‘spirituality of the organisation’ are encouraged as part of our inquiry. Our understanding of organisations include for profit and not for profit organisations alike. This would for instance include churches but indeed goes far beyond it.
Professionally focused
While the ‘organisation’ forms the a) context of inquiry (the ‘intersection’ between, in this case, Practical Theology and the organisation), and some b) themes are particularly relevant, the aspect of c) ‘interaction’ is also very important. Ways of interacting with and within the organisation include facilitation (also a critical metaphor for our work), coaching, corporate counselling, and research. At times it has been called professional helping or skilled helping. We refer to it as interaction or practice modalities and incorporates something of the idea of praxis wherein our involvement aims to be theoretically sound and practically (and then professionally) useful in the way that we interact with people and organisations.
An epistemological and narrative approach
When speaking about a) our context (organisations), b) important themes (e.g. spirituality), and c) practice modalities (e.g. facilitation) the programme gives a special place to epistemology and specifically a narrative approach wherein the influence of our own stories (culture, religion, spirituality) and those we work with are acknowledged. You may decide however to, in your research not take a narrative approach, since the professional development side of the programme includes it. There is however a great deal of synergy if you do and it counts even more to the amount of hours needed to become a professional narrative coach, counselor, or facilitator at Signo through through our programme.
Nature of studies
Postgraduate studies of this nature is a research-professional approach. Since it takes a research focus the nature of the studies allows for very independent work. The description of full time studies is misleading in the sense that there are no classes scheduled on a daily or weekly basis. Rather, our interaction consists of four group contact meetings during the year wherein we come together as a community of learners and practitioners. While these contact weeks are not compulsory (for the research aspect) in a way they are for the other component of the programme. We cannot endorse you for the professional development side when it gets to registration if you do not set aside these weeks.
Note for instance that some institutions might offer bursaries only on the basis that contact weeks are attended. In addition to, or in special circumstances as substitution, personal meetings, telephonic contact and technological infrastructure are employed to make progress.
Online collaboration will play an increasingly important role in this programme. It is compulsory for all postgraduate students. It involves matters such as post updates on your research where applicable, doing guest posts, online community participation, and dissemination of your research on public forums. This kind of public participation is also aimed at building your credibility as a practitioner related to your chosen research subject matter.
Be advised, to many a postgraduate students’ relief, that a research-orientated degree does not involve formal examinations (except defense of your research or if decided otherwise by your university). Depending on the feedback on your application and the institution you formally study with, some assessment requirements other than your research might apply. This is sometimes referred to as course work. The implication of these kind of studies is also that you should not expect volumes of prescribed material. There are required reading but generally you will be keeping busy with reading on those topics that relate to your research theme.
Due to the nature of the progarmme our contact weeks are semi-structured and conversational in nature so as to benefit from each othes’ areas of interest. The personal contact and agreement with you as a student is one of a coaching or academic mentoring relationship and not as such a traditional teaching relationship. It makes sense to many students but some have become so used to spoon fed teaching that at times they find it difficult.
We would like to learn as much from you as you will from us and the community! We need the right attitude. The last thing and organisation needs, for sustainability and empowerment’s sake, is another all knowing consultant. We work collaboratively.
Nature of degrees
A PhD in particular but also often masters degrees (in our case the MA courses) are regarded as ‘research degrees.’ It involves knowledge-creation. On the other hand ‘professional degrees’ are aimed at a persons’ work life. It mostly involves knowledge-intake.
As per the Higher Education Qualification framework (in South Africa) all postgraduate degrees should eventually be research degrees. Professional degrees therefore, per definition, are intended for undergraduate level. Some specifically postgraduate professional degrees still exist (particularly masters degrees in psychology and engineering). It is the independent nature of research degrees that makes possible the kind of flexibility that many students desire.
Professional degrees that are at this stage still placed on masters level, or will perhaps always, are loaded with a tremendous amount of knowledge that needs to be digested, so to speak. The danger of this is a great deal of knowledge but little learning. While all masters, doctorates or PhD degrees are situated on an advanced level, one way of understanding the difference is that research degrees eventually provide the content that students in professional degree programmes learn about (irrespective of them being undergraduate or postgraduate professional degrees).
I invite you on an epic journey that will situate you as a specialist in your particular research interest in organisational studies, doing so as a practical theologian, or if not in practical theology, broadly (from one of the institutions) within MSc / PhD studies.
A research degree therefore offers the opportunity for a person to not only ‘attain’ in-depth knowledge (thus being and expert), but ‘create’ in-depth knowledge in a particular area of choice in the broader field. In our case, our research degrees are very much so relevant to your professional career because it takes matters of practice into consideration. For us it is important that any professional’s career engagement has a thorough academic research grounding. The degree that will be conferred by one of the universities or institutions is either a MA (MTh or Msc) or if on doctorate level, a PhD The research focus is interdisciplinary in nature and situated in the department of practical theology except in the case of our partnering institution that focus on a trans disciplinary approach and not situated in a specifically defined discipline.
Regards
Dr. Elmo Pienaar
Consultant, Telling Outcomes (Pty) Ltd
Researcher, North West University