Graduate study addresses the concept of religion and several religious traditions.  It examines the way religions have formed,  developed, and interacted with each other over time.  Students learn to identify and use multiple methods for the study of religion, including historical, philosophical, ethical, literary, linguistic, psychological, ethnographic, and digital approaches.

Graduate study is flexible.  Students create individualized programs of study in consultation with their advisors and core committee members, in light of faculty expertise in the department and the university. Programs are often developed in relation to one of four areas of concentration:

Religions in the Middle East, Ancient Near-East and Mediterranean

• Religion, law, and politics in the Islamic world; the history of interpretation of the texts and traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Greco-Roman and Egyptian religion and culture; digital humanities

Religions in Asia

• Religions of India, China, and Japan; Hinduism and Buddhism

Religions of Europe and the Americas

• The Reformation; the Reformed tradition; Christianity and Islam in the U.S.; Native American, African American, and Latino/a American religions

Religion, Ethics, and Society

• Religion and morality; human rights; religion, gender, and ethnicity; the uses of digital technology in the study and practice of religions

Programs of study can be developed in other areas as well, where supported by faculty resources. Students are encouraged to work across areas of concentration with respect to the departmental focus on religion and public life, including religion's impact on the construction of identities and the dynamics of social change.

Click here for requirements of the Master of Arts Degree

Click here for requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy Degree.

Click here for faculty profiles.

For specific inquiries about graduate study, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies:  Professor Diana Cates.