Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Shape the ethical future of artificial intelligence — grounded in 160 years of faith and justice.

This program is an interdisciplinary, practice-oriented doctorate for bi-vocational and pastoral leaders who want to bring theological depth to the moral questions artificial intelligence is forcing on every sector of society.who want to bring theological depth to the moral questions artificial intelligence is forcing on every sector of society.

Why This Degree, Why Now

Fairness research has already proven there’s a gap only ethics can fill.

The technical literature on algorithmic fairness has shown, mathematically, that you cannot satisfy every reasonable definition of fairness at once whenever groups have different underlying rates of the outcome being measured. Choosing which definition to prioritize is a values choice — not a technical one. That is exactly the kind of question moral and theological traditions have spent centuries working on.
 

Computer science as a discipline has no native resources for making that choice; it can only show you the tradeoff.

— From the program rationale, EdD in AI & Moral Agency

 
Experts split: Pew Research Center reports experts are divided on whether humans will maintain meaningful control over AI by 2035.

83 million: Estimated jobs displaced by AI-related disruption by 2027, raising urgent questions of agency and dignity in work.

What You’ll Examine

Real institutions. Real harms. Real theological resources.

The program builds its scholarship around documented, contested cases — not abstract debate — where theological reasoning has something concrete to push against.

Healthcare: Risk & Resource Allocation

How cost-based algorithms have under-flagged Black patients for additional care, and what a health system owes patients regardless of past spending.

Criminal Justice: Risk-Assessment & Sentencing

Tools like COMPAS and facial recognition systems, examined through restorative justice and the presumption of dignity.

Child Welfare: Family Screening Tools

How predictive tools can punish visibility-through-poverty, and what the preferential option for the poor demands in response.

Hiring & Labor: Algorithmic Management

From biased hiring tools to gig-economy scheduling systems, examined through the theology of the dignity of labor.

Immigration: Detention & Asylum Systems

Risk-scoring tools affecting people with the fewest legal protections, read against the biblical command to welcome the stranger.

Platforms: Content Moderation

Whose speech gets suppressed or boosted, and what truthful speech and neighbor-love require of platform design.

Program Structure

Three years of residency. One year of dissertation.

Year 1: Theological Ethics Foundation

A foundational unit grounding students in theological ethics before applying it to emerging technology.

Year 2: AI Applications & Human Agency

Core courses examining AI applications across sectors and their implications for human agency and dignity.

Year 3: Methods & Colloquy

A methods and colloquy course completed alongside faculty and a cohort of peers.

6 courses · 36 course credit hours · 9 dissertation research credits · 3.0 minimum passing grade

After the three-year residency, students complete nine credits of doctoral research and dissertation within one year of registering for it as the final course — for a total completion timeline of 3.5 to 4 years.

Faculty & Academic Support

Trained in theology. Prepared for AI.

Theologically Trained Faculty

Faculty members trained in theological disciplines and ministry practice, with additional AI-related certifications from institutions including MIT and Cornell University.

Dedicated Doctoral Leadership

A dedicated Doctoral Program Director, adjunct faculty, and specialists in theological ethics and AI studies support doctoral-level instruction.

Structured Mentorship

Faculty mentors, advisors, and dissertation committees guide students through the program to maintain rigor and promote timely completion.

A Legacy of Firsts

Founded in 1865 by Reverend Henry Martin Tupper, Shaw University was the first Historically Black College and University in the South.

From its earliest days, Shaw has been more than a school — it has been a movement for freedom, dignity, and service to Christ and humanity.

For over 90 years, Shaw University Divinity School has equipped pastors, scholars, activists, and community leaders — not only for pulpits, but for nonprofits, classrooms, hospitals, businesses, and public life.

1865 founded · 90+ years of SUDS · 1st HBCU in the South

Admissions Requirements

Designed for leaders already doing the work.

This program is built for non-traditional adult learners with significant vocational and ministerial experience — not a first graduate degree.

1. An Accredited Graduate Theological Degree
   A Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry, with at least two years of study and a GPA of 3.0 or better — or its equivalent.
2. Five Years of Leadership Experience
   At least five years of leadership experience, or the equivalent, as a bi-vocational ministry leader in the public or private sector.

Don’t have a graduate theological degree yet? Shaw University Divinity School’s Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry, Master of Divinity, and AI Ethics & Moral Agency Certificate are all built to feed directly into this doctorate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Lead Where Theology and Technology Meet

Limited Seats — First Cohort: Spring 2027

Request admissions information and a member of the Divinity School team will walk you through eligibility, the application timeline, and next steps.

Register Your Interest