Students are required to take twelve courses, and this is normally done during the first two years of study. A minimum quality requirement, set by the Graduate School, must be met. A student must earn a grade of Honors in two graduate courses by the end of the second year of study.
Each fall, students in their first two years of study are required to enroll in the Doctoral Seminar in Theology. Members of the teaching team participate in the seminar, and students in later years of the program are strongly encouraged to attend. The seminar meets every other week. Topics include recent work by teaching group members, developments in contemporary theology, and studies of major historical theological figures.
In addition to taking regular courses offered by the Department of Religious Studies, Yale Divinity School, the Department of Philosophy, and other departments, students may remedy gaps in knowledge through directed readings or by auditing appropriate courses.