PhD in Religious Studies

New applications for the PhD in Religious Studies are not being accepted at this time. Students interested in graduate study in this field may wish to consider the PhD program in Religion described here. Requirements for students currently enrolled in the PhD program are listed below.

The purpose of the PhD in Religious Studies program is to train scholars of religion who will distinguish themselves through research, teaching, and service to universities, colleges, seminaries, and the world at large. All students will choose an area of specialization within one of the program’s four tracks:

Track 1: Texts and Traditions
Track 2: Religious Thought
Track 3: Religion and Society
Track 4: Religion and Science

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 Religion Department, the School of Theology, and faculty from other schools and departments related to the focus of the track. For more information on each of these tracks and the requirements for the PhD in Religious Studies, see the Graduate Division of Religious Studies (GDRS) page.

Students entering the PhD program will have majored in religious studies (or a related discipline) or otherwise show transcript evidence of advanced coursework in a single religious tradition and introductory coursework in multiple religious traditions.

Learning Outcomes

• Produce an original and substantial contribution to knowledge in the field of religious studies, utilizing appropriate skills of research.
• Demonstrate a rich, generalized mastery of the field’s subject matter and the variety of methods employed by its practitioners.
• Obtain the necessary knowledge for future research and to teach broad introductory undergraduate courses in religious studies.
• Comport oneself according to the highest ethical standards of the academy, exhibiting collegiality and fairness in treatment of teachers, peers, students, and subjects of study.

Course Requirements

In addition to any prerequisites required upon admission, sixteen 4-unit courses (64 units) are required as a minimum for the PhD. This includes at least two 4-unit courses in Approaches to Religious Studies:

• CAS RN 795 Humanities Approaches to Religion
• CAS RN 796 Social Science Approaches to Religion
• CAS RN 797 Philosophical and Theological Approaches to Religion
• CAS RN 798 Scientific Approaches to Religion

Course requirements by track:

Track 1: Texts and Traditions

• CAS RN 795 Humanities Approaches to Religion

Track 2: Religious Thought

• CAS RN 723 Core Texts and Motifs of World Religions: West
• CAS RN 724 Core Texts and Motifs of World Religions: East
• CAS RN 797 Philosophical and Theological Approaches to Religion

Track 3: Religion and Society

• CAS RN 796 Social Scientific Approaches to Religion

Track 4: Religion and Science

• CAS RN 723 Core Texts and Motifs of World Religions: West
• CAS RN 724 Core Texts and Motifs of World Religions: East
• Two terms of science literacy and scientific boundary questions

Additional courses may be required at the discretion of the advisor or track coordinator.

Language Requirements

All students pursuing a PhD degree in Religious Studies are required to demonstrate graduate-level reading proficiency in two modern foreign languages during the first two years of graduate study, one of which will usually be French or German. The second language, if not French or German, should be a modern foreign language clearly related to the dissertation research. Additional language competencies may be required, depending on a student’s research and track specialization. Language proficiency can be demonstrated either through a language examination or successful completion of a noncredit graduate-level foreign language reading course offered by Boston University.

Students in the Religion and Society track may be permitted, with the approval of their advisor, to substitute for the second modern foreign language demonstrated competence in a relevant research methodology (such as statistics, ethnographic fieldwork methods, or other forms of qualitative or quantitative research skills).

Students in the Religion and Science track will be required to substitute, for the second modern foreign language, an exam in a science skill (such as cognitive and neural modeling, ecological modeling, mathematics, computer programming, or statistics for empirical research), depending on the direction of research. For additional lab requirements pertaining to this track see the GDRS Track 4 page.

Qualifying Examinations

PhD candidates, after successful completion of all coursework and language requirements but before proceeding to the dissertation, are required to pass three to five separate qualifying examinations. At least one of these examinations should have an oral component. At least two of these examinations must have a written component. Exams should be completed within the third year of study (normally within one year after completing coursework).

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination

Candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study in a dissertation representing original research or creative scholarship. A prospectus for the dissertation must be completed and approved by the readers, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Department Chair/Program Director. Candidates must undergo a final oral examination in which they defend their dissertation as a valuable contribution to knowledge in their fields and demonstrate a mastery of their fields of specialization in relation to their dissertation. All portions of the dissertation and final oral examination must be completed as outlined in the GRS General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree, and the GDRS student handbook for program-specific advice and procedures.

If a student chooses not to continue in the PhD program and has otherwise fulfilled the course and language requirements for the MA degree, they may apply for the master’s degree. The required thesis or comprehensive examination for the degree will be determined by the student’s advisor, in consultation with related faculty, and with the approval of the Director of the GDRS.