Religious & Theological Studies
The Graduate Program
The Division of Religious & Theological Studies offers MA and PhD degrees. When applying for admission to the program, graduate students will choose an area of specialization within one of four tracks. The guidelines for each track are meant to ensure that students are well-prepared to produce high-quality academic work in their chosen areas of specialization while also remaining fully engaged in the broader trends in the study of religion most relevant to their work. Each track is guided by a group of faculty that includes, among others, members of the GRS Religion Department and the School of Theology. These tracks, therefore, represent the ways in which the Division faculty members work together, in groups, to provide a meaningfully collaborative and collegial educational environment, and to foster excellence in religious and theological studies.
- Texts and Traditions: This program guides students to develop skills in historical, cultural, and textual analysis, combined with relevant linguistic proficiency, to illumine texts, traditions, artifacts, phenomena, or events of particular significance for the understanding of religion. Students in this program will typically develop mastery in the history, literature, and language(s) of a specific religious tradition, or a particularly significant body of religious writing. Current areas of strength within this track include: Ancient Christianity and Christian Origins, Greco-Roman Religions, Hebrew Bible, History of Christianity, Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, Religions of China, Religions of India, and Religions of Japan.
- Religious Thought: This program guides students to develop skills in analytic thought and expertise in one of the following disciplines: philosophy of religion, systematic theology, comparative religious thought, and religious ethics. Specialized research programs within this track include: (i) historical study of religious thought in one of these disciplines, (ii) constructive development of interpretations of religious subject matters within the domain of religious ideas, and (iii) the interdisciplinary study of religious thought in relation to cognate fields in the humanities, literary studies, fine arts, and social sciences.
- Religion and Society: This interdisciplinary program seeks to examine the relation of religion and society in modern or traditional cultures. This program guides students to develop generalized skills in the social sciences and specialized expertise in sociology, anthropology, social ethics, or social history. Research programs within this track involve the application of one or more of these disciplines to one or more particular geographic area(s) or historic period(s), as chosen by the student, in close consultation with the advisor.
- Religion and Science: This interdisciplinary program pursues religious and theological studies in relation to the physical, biological, and psychological sciences. Students will develop skills in relevant scientific methods, and gain knowledge in the history and philosophy of science. In consultation with the advisor, the student will develop a program that, among other types of research, involves (i) studying issues at the intersection of religion and science; or (ii) making religion the object of study by means of the physical, biological, and psychological sciences.
When it is beneficial to their academic program, students in the Division may take courses in other schools and departments, including but not limited to the following: Anthropology, Art History, Classics, English, History, Modern Languages & Comparative Literature, Religion, Romance Studies, Sociology, and the School of Theology. Core and affiliated faculty of the DRTS may serve as major professors, assisting in the design of programs of study and in the evaluation of qualifying examinations, theses, and dissertations.
Through the Boston Theological Institute, Division students may register for courses in the consortium that includes Andover-Newton Theological School, Boston College, Episcopal Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell School of Theology, Harvard Divinity School, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, St. John’s Seminary, and Weston School of Theology. All Division PhD students, regardless of whether they are enrolled in Institute courses, have access to member libraries.
The Division adheres to all Graduate School of Arts & Sciences policies and requirements as outlined in the opening pages of this website.
Application and Admission
January 5 is the application deadline for September admission. Applicants must submit the following items to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences: (1) application forms; (2) transcripts of all college or university work; (3) three letters of reference; (4) a statement of purpose; (5) an academic writing sample; (6) GRE scores from a test taken within the last five years. International applicants must also submit TOEFL scores from a test taken within the last five years. There is no spring admission.
An applicant must indicate the track into which he or she seeks admission, as well as the proposed area of specialization within that track. The Division of Religious & Theological Studies does not offer ThD and DMin degrees. These are offered through the School of Theology.
Financial Assistance
The Division awards a limited number of tuition scholarships and stipends to entering PhD students based on academic merit. PhD students entering the second and third years of study may apply for research or teaching assistantships. These assistantships provide a stipend and also carry a merit-based tuition award.
Applicants who wish to request financial assistance should (1) mark yes in the space provided on the application form for Divisional financial assistance; (2) contact the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Financial Assistance Office (617-353-2696) for information on other sources of aid; (3) file the FAFSA form with the Graduate School Financial Assistance Office. Continuing students should file a financial aid request in the Division office by January 30 of the academic year prior to the one for which they are requesting aid.
Prerequisites
An applicant to the MA or MA/PhD (post-bachelor’s PhD) program should hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in an area related to the proposed area of specialization. An applicant to the post-master’s PhD program should hold an accredited Master of Arts, Master of Divinity, or equivalent degree in an area related to the area of specialization. The master’s degree program must have included at least four courses in the proposed field.
All entering students should show transcript evidence of having studied at least one religious tradition at the advanced bachelor’s or master’s level. Students should also show transcript evidence of having studied a variety of religious traditions at the introductory level. If this prerequisite has not been met before admission, it may be met during the course of study by taking courses approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. This prerequisite may also be met by successfully completing the Core Texts and Motifs sequence (RN 723–724). Any courses used to satisfy this prerequisite (other than Core Texts and Motifs) will not be counted toward the minimum course requirement for the PhD degree.
In addition to the above:
Students entering the Texts and Traditions track should show transcript evidence of a strong background in their chosen area of specialization, including advanced knowledge of the languages relevant to such study. Further background in the humanities, literary studies, fine arts, or social sciences is strongly encouraged.
Students entering the Religious Thought track should show transcript evidence of knowledge of the religious thought of at least two distinct traditions. Students should also demonstrate a strong background in one or more of the following areas: philosophy, theology, or ethics. Further background in the humanities, literary studies, fine arts, social sciences, or natural sciences is strongly encouraged, and required where relevant to a student’s proposed program of research.
Students entering the Religion and Society track should show transcript evidence of knowledge in their proposed area of specialization. Students must also have a strong background in one or more of the following areas: sociology, anthropology, social ethics or social history. Further background in the humanities or social sciences is strongly encouraged and required where relevant to a student’s proposed program of research.
Students in the Religion and Science track should have strong background in (1) religious studies, theological studies, or philosophy of religion, and (2) natural sciences, the psychological sciences, or philosophy and history of science. Further background in natural science, humanities, or social sciences is strongly encouraged, and required where relevant to a student’s proposed program of research.
Time Frame for Completion
Master’s students have three years to complete their degree. Post-master’s doctoral students have seven years to complete their degree, while post-bachelor’s students have eight. After this time limit has been reached, students will need to petition the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences for an extension.
Students whose continuation in the program extends to seven years beyond the completion of their comprehensive examinations may be required to retake one or more of their comprehensive examinations, in order to insure that they remain well informed of current issues in the field.
French, German, or another relevant modern foreign language is required of all MA candidates. This requirement may be satisfied by transcript evidence of having passed two years of undergraduate study of the language, by Division examination, or by passing GRS LG 621 (German) or GRS LF 621 (French). These are non-credit courses offered by the Department of Modern Languages & Comparative Literature (German) and Romance Studies (French). Additional languages may be required at the discretion of the advisor, in consultation with the director.
Comprehensive Examination or Thesis
After fulfilling course requirements, an MA candidate must write and defend a thesis or pass a comprehensive examination in the student’s area of specialization. The contours of the exam or thesis will be determined in the first case by the student’s advisor, in consultation with related faculty, and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Study.
