Supporting your theological research

Union Scholars is a year-long course to serve PhD students, recent PhD graduates, and those considering a PhD in the near future.

Programme Overview

Led by the Dean of Union Scholars, Professor Donald Fairbairn, participants meet monthly in doctoral cohorts (by Zoom). Cohorts are small and intentionally selective, allowing for rigorous discussion and mentoring by Professor Fairbairn.

We serve students from various institutions, including Union School of Theology, Oxford, Cambridge, and many others.

Union Scholars is…

We serve scholars from all over the world, including Africa, Asia, N. & S. America, and Europe.
The cohorts promote conversations between scholars in different fields: systematic theology, historical theology, church history, and biblical studies.
Because our subject is so vital, our dialogue is robust, critical, and disruptive.
Good theology always leads to doxology, transforming heart and affections.
We aim to do and promote scholarship that has voice not only in the academy but also in the broader Christian church.

Spaces are limited. If you aim to be a distinctly evangelical scholar who serves the global church—either as a professor or pastor-theologian—with great theology and a warm heart, we welcome your application.

Applications for September 2025 are now open, and close at the end of July.

“It was a great pleasure to meet such different theologians from different parts of the world and to join together in conversation and discussion.”

Matt Studer - Switzerland

“Having a scholarly discussion in an Evangelical setting is a rare treat for me and I always crave for those. This has been a real blessing.”

Marie J. Fortin, Canada

Structure and content

Each monthly session features carefully chosen short pre-readings designed to surface a key issue for evangelical scholars today, providing the basis for rigorous discussion. Participants also have opportunities to present their own research and invite conversation about the broader significance of their work, both for the academy and the church. There are no lectures, but instead robust and significant discussions.

Key themes include The Scholar and Worship, The Scholar and Theology, The Scholar and the Soul, The Scholar and Scripture, and The Scholar and the Church. Sessions also feature occasional material from other senior leaders in Union Scholars, including Union President Michael Reeves and Union Scholars Director Rob Trenckmann. (listen to Professor Fairbairn’s featured teaching here. )

We have designed this course to equip and shape you in three ways:

Convictions

We help you orient your research in conversation with critical issues for evangelical scholars today.

Character

Your life should be an outflow of your theology, featuring delightful participation in the love of the Trinity and deep gospel integrity.

Competencies

We equip you with the skills and experiences needed to succeed as an evangelical scholar—teaching, marking, writing, etc. Cohort members can apply for experience at Union School of Theology, as well as receive mentored feedback from the Union Scholars Dean.

Costs

Union Scholars is free to current students or recent graduates of the UST PhD program and current UST MTh students considering a PhD. For participants from other schools, the special cost is £150. (We offer a discounted rate of £50 for scholars from the majority world.)

Application instructions

Create a Classter Account through our UST page, using your email address, via the button below. Check your emails for a message with a subject of “Welcome to Classter”, and follow the instructions in the email. Please note this will take you to the UST website.
In the application type section, select ‘Non-accredited’, then ‘Unions Scholars’; ‘Level 8’; ‘Scholars - online’ as your programme.
Include the required documentation: CV; PhD Research Proposal or a 1-page summary of your current research interests.
Submit and pay for your application.

Applications for September 2025 close at the end of July.

Applicants should receive a response from the team by the end of August.

Apply now

Stay up to date with Union Scholars

Union Scholars is a program of Union, which also includes Union School of Theology, Union Publishing, and Union Mission. Read our values and doctrinal statement here.