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Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond
What if you had a guidebook that you could turn to at each stage of your academic journey to help you navigate through the process of getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and succeeding in the academic world? This book is precisely intended to fill that need. From theory to practice, you will find discussions and answers to the most pertinent and pressing questions that prospective and current doctoral students are faced How do I choose a program? How can I gain admission into an elite program? How do I choose a research topic?
Alongside the “big” questions about the process, there are also a host of smaller How do I publish an article? What conferences are out there in my field? Where do I start looking for a job? How do I get teaching experience? How do I write a syllabus?
This guidebook tackles all of these questions and many more in three Prepare focuses on getting into a PhD program; Succeed guides you through the doctoral program, especially the writing of the dissertation; and Advance treats issues that relate to success in the academic world such as conference participation, publishing, employment, and best practices in teaching.
PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION
“Dr. Gupta’s book offered indispensable advice for me as I applied for PhD programs, completed my thesis, and applied for (and secured) tenure-track jobs. I am grateful for his service to the guild!”
—Madison N. Pierce, Assistant Professor in New Testament, TEDS
“Having started seminary about a year after the first edition appeared, I was able to use Gupta's abundance of clear-headed advice to build a path to doctoral study. I can see, as a student in a first-tier PhD program, that this journey would not have been possible had I not been able to learn the many unspoken rules Gupta outlines in this invaluable book.”
—Jonathan Groce, New Testament PhD student at Emory University
“This book should be required for anyone even slightly interested in biblical higher education. I've enjoyed it so much that I've bought it three times, having given it away to two students.”
—Ryan Lytton, Director of Academic Services and Adjunct Professor at Life Pacific University-Virginia
“The world of academic biblical studies can be difficult to navigate, especially for ethnic minorities. This book has prepared me well by making an opaque process clear and straightforward. I recommend it to anyone considering this path.”
—Daniel K. Eng, PhD candidate, University of Cambridge
"Prepare, Succeed, Advance is a tremendously helpful reference tool. As an academic advisor, I will make this the first resource I recommend to colleagues who may not have the advantage of personal experience in a PhD program. As a student, I will regularly return to Gupta’s work for counsel on the next stage of academic life. Doctoral students should rejoice at having such a sure guide to academic success and commend Gupta for his contribution.”
—Samuel Emadi, review in JETS 56/1 (2013) 139–141, (140-141)
“Nijay Gupta’s Prepare, Succeed, A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond is just that, a guidebook. It does not claim to provide a formula on how the entire process works. At the same time, it is more than that in the sense that Gupta’s honesty, attention to detail, and measured optimism throughout the entire book give his voice a level of credibility and warmth that prospective students will find invaluable as they begin thei
Alongside the “big” questions about the process, there are also a host of smaller How do I publish an article? What conferences are out there in my field? Where do I start looking for a job? How do I get teaching experience? How do I write a syllabus?
This guidebook tackles all of these questions and many more in three Prepare focuses on getting into a PhD program; Succeed guides you through the doctoral program, especially the writing of the dissertation; and Advance treats issues that relate to success in the academic world such as conference participation, publishing, employment, and best practices in teaching.
PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION
“Dr. Gupta’s book offered indispensable advice for me as I applied for PhD programs, completed my thesis, and applied for (and secured) tenure-track jobs. I am grateful for his service to the guild!”
—Madison N. Pierce, Assistant Professor in New Testament, TEDS
“Having started seminary about a year after the first edition appeared, I was able to use Gupta's abundance of clear-headed advice to build a path to doctoral study. I can see, as a student in a first-tier PhD program, that this journey would not have been possible had I not been able to learn the many unspoken rules Gupta outlines in this invaluable book.”
—Jonathan Groce, New Testament PhD student at Emory University
“This book should be required for anyone even slightly interested in biblical higher education. I've enjoyed it so much that I've bought it three times, having given it away to two students.”
—Ryan Lytton, Director of Academic Services and Adjunct Professor at Life Pacific University-Virginia
“The world of academic biblical studies can be difficult to navigate, especially for ethnic minorities. This book has prepared me well by making an opaque process clear and straightforward. I recommend it to anyone considering this path.”
—Daniel K. Eng, PhD candidate, University of Cambridge
"Prepare, Succeed, Advance is a tremendously helpful reference tool. As an academic advisor, I will make this the first resource I recommend to colleagues who may not have the advantage of personal experience in a PhD program. As a student, I will regularly return to Gupta’s work for counsel on the next stage of academic life. Doctoral students should rejoice at having such a sure guide to academic success and commend Gupta for his contribution.”
—Samuel Emadi, review in JETS 56/1 (2013) 139–141, (140-141)
“Nijay Gupta’s Prepare, Succeed, A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond is just that, a guidebook. It does not claim to provide a formula on how the entire process works. At the same time, it is more than that in the sense that Gupta’s honesty, attention to detail, and measured optimism throughout the entire book give his voice a level of credibility and warmth that prospective students will find invaluable as they begin thei
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2022
5 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Nijay K. Gupta
47 books200 followersNijay K. Gupta is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He has written or edited more than twenty books and has published dozens of academic articles. He is an award-winning researcher and a member of the Society of New Testament Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 23, 2025
I found this to be helpful in two major ways: 1) It answered (or provided a framework for answering) some of my questions about doctoral programs as a current masters student and 2) it offered a general roadmap for how to approach a career in biblical studies.
If I ever actually apply and get into a program someday, I might come back and update this.
If I ever actually apply and get into a program someday, I might come back and update this.
March 13, 2025
Excellent book. Not only for those seeking a PhD in biblical studies, but also for those who want to become active in that field academically in general.
It gives specific advice on preparing for, enduring in, and surviving a PhD program, but also on the process of publishing an article in an academic journal, as well as specific advice for approaching the job market.
It gives specific advice on preparing for, enduring in, and surviving a PhD program, but also on the process of publishing an article in an academic journal, as well as specific advice for approaching the job market.
September 3, 2024
This was an incredibly helpful book as I am about to start my masters. It definitely calmed some fears and gave me some practical advice for such a wide variety of things that I will be doing. I read this as an e-book on hoopla, but I will probably buy a physical copy of it just for the reference of advice on writing papers and presenting at conferences etc.
February 5, 2025
Excellent and practical book on navigating graduate and doctor level studies in the Bible.
March 10, 2023
Essential Reading
As a current doctoral student at a seminary, I found this book to be everything no one tells you. Dr Gupta’s gem of a handbook is genuine, kind, and practical.
As a current doctoral student at a seminary, I found this book to be everything no one tells you. Dr Gupta’s gem of a handbook is genuine, kind, and practical.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews