Andrews University holds a unique place in the development of Adventism. As Battle Creek College it was the denomination’s first institution of higher learning; a century later it pioneered again as the first Adventist institution to offer doctoral degrees in religion and education.

One of the latest developments in its doctoral curricula has been the opening of a Ph.D. program in Adventist studies, the only program of its kind in the world. Housed in the church history department, the program helps students prepare for examinations in general Adventist history, the development of Adventist theology, and the development of Adventist lifestyle. In addition, students prepare for examinations in one major field of church history and in one additional cognate field in religion.

The Adventist studies program provides opportunities to expand the frontiers of knowledge regarding Adventism through the preparation of doctoral dissertations.

Dissertation studies currently sponsored by the program involve topics as “ancient” as the role of the three angels’ messages and the sanctuary in the structuring of early sabbatarian theology, and topics as modern as an analysis of the current controversy in Adventism over celebration worship. Other studies currently underway examine the relationship of W. C. White to the work and writing of Ellen White, analyze the lifestyle and theological contributions of Joseph Bates, and study the development of Adventism in Scandinavia.

The past 20 years have witnessed the development of massive archival holdings on Adventism that make a program in Adventist studies a practical possibility. Before the early 1970’s the only major source collection open to students was housed in the White Estate, but during the last two decades valuable and extensive collections have developed in several locations; foremost are the heritage centers of Andrews and Loma Linda Universities, and the General Conference Archive in Silver Spring, Maryland.