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Ph.D. Program in Religion

For students seeking their Ph.D. in Religion, the Graduate Program in Religion —part of the Duke Graduate School—offers a Ph.D. program. Although this program is not housed with the Department of Religious Studies, it is a collaboration between the Department and Duke Divinity School. The program includes the following 9 fields of study, also called tracks, in which students can concentrate their studies:

American Religion
Asian Religions
Christian Theological Studies
Early Christianity
Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Islamic Studies
New Testament
Religion, Aesthetics, and Society
World Christianity

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The program in religion is one of the leading religion programs in the US with 14 areas of study, 10 methodological approaches, and many research areas. This wide variety enables you to fine-tune your research with the aid of a relevant faculty member. You will have access to a vast array of resources including the Harvard library system and several centers and programs, such as the Center for the Study of World Religions, the Pluralism Project, and the Women’s Studies in Religion Program.

Examples of student theses and dissertations include “Gospel of the 'Orient': Koreans, Race and the Transpacific Rise of American Evangelicalism in the Cold War Era,” “Persisting in the Good: Thomas Aquinas in Conversation with Early Chinese Ethics,” and “Protestants, Politics, and Power: Race, Gender, and Religion in the Post-Emancipation Mississippi River Valley, 1863-1900.”

Graduates have gone on to secure tenure track positions at prestigious institutions in the United States and abroad, such as Emory University, Stanford University, Vassar College, Lahore University in Pakistan, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Boston College, and the University of Virginia. Others have chosen alternate careers in clinical ethics, ministry, publishing, and management and research in various NGOs and nonprofit organizations.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Committee on the Study of Religion and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

I. Areas of Study

Geographical Complexes

II. Methodologies or Approaches

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Committee on the Study of Religion .

Academic Background

While not required, applicants will typically already have a master’s degree and previous preparation in the field of religion and related subjects.

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be no longer than 20 pages.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose must outline the applicant’s proposed project.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Not Accepted

Contacting Faculty

Applicants should review the current areas of study and methodologies. The Committee on the Study of Religion admits students who have clearly defined intellectual interests evidenced in the statement of purpose and completed application. As part of the application, prospective students are asked to indicate the main faculty of interest; applicants are encouraged to contact their faculty of interest prior to submitting their application. (Please note that Emeritus faculty and lecturers are not eligible under Harvard Griffin GSAS policies to serve as primary doctoral advisors.)

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Religion

See list of Religion faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Graduate Department of Religion

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Religion

Areas of study.

Degree programs are offered in:

Critical Studies in Asian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions
Ethics and Society
Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel
Historical Studies
Homiletics and Liturgics
Jewish Studies (M.A.)
New Testament and Early Christianity
Religion, Psychology, and Culture
Theological Studies

Interdisciplinary studies, both within religion and in other areas of knowledge, are encouraged. The study of religion can be pursued at Vanderbilt both as a critical, humanistic discipline, employing a variety of methodological perspectives, and as a theological discipline, interpreting the biblical religions and their historical, theological, and ethical heritage.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two modern languages: A. a modern language of research (normally French, German, Spanish, or Modern Hebrew); and B. one of the following:

another modern language relevant to the field of study;
a biblical or other relevant ancient language;
the student's native language, if not English;
a research method such as statistics when appropriate.

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PhD Program

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Our Outcomes

The PhD program is a rigorous, interdisciplinary course of advanced study that prepares students for careers in research, teaching, and publicly-engaged leadership.

Doctoral students conduct original and advanced research in pursuit of expert knowledge about the human phenomenon of religion. Students study the world's religions using a variety of methods including constructive, historical, social scientific, and modes of literary and visual analysis. Students may focus their work in one of the School's Areas of Study or through a multidisciplinary course of study. Students develop a sophisticated grasp of methods and theories in a chosen Area of Study, gain a broad understanding of religion as a phenomenon, and join others in the creation of new knowledge.

Program Overview

The program consists of coursework, languages, pedagogical training with teaching, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation. All doctoral students work with a faculty advisor and area faculty to progress through the program.

OUR CURRENT PHD STUDENTS

PHD HANDBOOK

Admission Information We offer admission to the doctoral program annually. Applicants to the PhD program must have a Master’s degree in religion or closely related field.

Application Deadline

January 6, 2025

Admission & Funding Information

Students admitted to the PhD program ireceive a fellowship package that includes full tuition coverage, health insurance coverage for the student through the University Health Insurance Plan (U-SHIP), and an annual living stipend. The doctoral student fellowship is renewed annually for the maximum registration period.

Required Application Materials

Applicants to the PhD program must have a Master’s degree in a program of study related to the proposed area of doctoral study.

Required Application Materials

Divinity School Application for Graduate Admission
Candidate Statement
Academic Transcripts
3 Letters of Recommendation
Current Resume or CV
Writing sample, should not exceed 25 pages
Application fee: $75 (waiver available)
International students: TOEFL or IELTS score

Director of Doctoral Studies, Dr. Richard A. Rosengarten is Associate Professor of Religion and Literature; also in the College.

Religious Studies, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

Location: Tempe campus
Additional Program Fee: No
Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Religious Studies

The academic study of religion is a central component of the humanities and has become increasingly recognized as a critical tool in understanding society and politics in a globalized world.

The PhD program in religious studies helps graduate students develop greater expertise regarding the nature and role of religion around the world. The program provides supplementary training that includes history, anthropology, political science, journalism, secondary education and justice studies.

Doctoral focus areas in the study of religion approach the study in a variety of contexts. Specifically offered are areas in:

anthropology of religion
global Christianity
Islam in global contexts
religion in Asia
religion in the Americas

Degree Requirements

Curriculum plan options.

84 credit hours, foreign language exams, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (6 credit hours) REL 501 The Study of Religion I: Genealogies, Disciplines and Power (3) REL 502 The Study of Religion II: Epistemology, Practice and Mediation (3)

Other Requirement (3 credit hours) REL 700 Research Methods (3)

Electives (51 credit hours)

Research (12 credit hours) REL 792 Research (12)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) REL 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Students must choose one of the five focus areas that are listed in the program description, and they select courses for the focus area as part of their electives in consultation with their supervisory committee.

As part of electives, students may include up to three credit hours of REL 690 Reading and Conference. Additionally, students may select up to six credit hours of graduate-level courses from a related discipline that support the student's research.

Other requirement course REL 700 may be substituted with approval of the academic unit.

When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program may allow up to 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this program. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, the remaining coursework will be made up of electives and research.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution. Transcripts must show evidence of having completed the equivalent of 15 credit hours of undergraduate work in the study of religions, including advanced courses in both western and Asian or other nonwestern religions. Applicants who have not met this requirement may be required to take additional coursework beyond program requirements to remedy this deficiency.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. The most competitive applicants have a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

All applicants must submit:

graduate admission application and application fee
official transcripts
statement of purpose
curriculum vitae
writing sample
contact information for three references
proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

The statement of purpose should be approximately 1,000 words describing the applicant's academic background, the reasons for wishing to pursue a doctorate in religious studies, the proposed area of specialization, and specific research topics the student plans to engage in at Arizona State University.

The writing sample should be a work of original scholarly writing, approximately 15 to 30 pages in length. It should represent the student's best academic writing.

Students are required to submit contact information for three academic references who are qualified to provide detailed, accurate evaluations of the applicant's potential as a graduate student in religious studies. Professors, particularly faculty advisors, are preferred. Recommenders are contacted by the Graduate College with a request to complete a reference questionnaire. Letters of recommendation can be submitted in addition to answering these questions online.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

Students will analyze and present theories and methods in the study of religion through in-class discussion, oral presentation and submission of an original written seminar paper.
Students will critically analyze religions by formulating research questions, examining various kinds of qualitative data, and drawing connections to relevant secondary literatures.
Students will conduct original research through a doctoral study drawing connections to relevant secondary literature, collect and analyze primary data, communicate, and defend responses to research questions.

Career Opportunities

Graduates possess training and knowledge relevant to careers in a variety of different roles and in a range of employment sectors. Some typical employers include government agencies, especially the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; nongovernmental organizations; schools, colleges and universities; charities and nonprofit organizations; social services; and churches and other religious organizations.

Career examples include:

book editor
case management director
church administrator
foreign service employee
global affairs writer
nongovernmental organization professional
nonprofit manager
professional researcher and writer
university instructor

Global Experience

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

[email protected]
480/965-5778

Graduate Program

The program’s history.

The Ph.D. program in religion at Harvard dates from 1934, when the Faculty of Arts and Sciences established a degree of Ph.D. in “The History and Philosophy of Religion”. Its purpose, as stated by the Faculty, was “to make possible a course of studies which shall enable the candidate both to lay a broad and sufficient foundation for teaching and study within the field of religion, and to do individual research at some point in that field”. In accordance with that expressed intention, the Faculty voted in 1963 to name the program The Study of Religion. This program as of 2015, is jointly offered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Divinity School. It is administered by the Committee on the Study of Religion in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Faculty from both schools advise Ph.D. students and offer courses in the program. Applicants to the Ph.D. program apply to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University. From 1914 to 2014 students were admitted to the Th.D. program, with the degree conferred by the Harvard Divinity School. The program came to be administered by the Committee on the Study of Religion (FAS) beginning in 1982. In 2015 Harvard Divinity School merged its doctoral designation into the Ph.D. program. Those students previously admitted into the Th.D. program in the Study of Religion continue to be candidates for the Th.D., however no new students will be admitted to earn the Th.D.

Resources for the Study of Religion at Harvard are vast. We offer courses in the range of religious traditions from the ancient Zoroastrian tradition to modern Christian liberation movements, Islamic and Jewish philosophies, Buddhist social movements, and Hindu arts and culture. Some of us work primarily as historians, others as scholars of texts, others as anthropologists, although the boundaries of these methodologies are never firm. Some of us are adherents of a religious tradition; others are not at all religious. The Study of Religion is exciting and challenging precisely because of the conversations that take place across the complexities of disciplines, traditions, and intellectual commitments.

Courses in religion are offered in many departments: Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Anthropology, South Asian Studies, and Medieval Studies, among others. Faculty members in these and other departments are affiliated with the Study of Religion. In addition, Harvard Divinity School has a wide-ranging faculty many of whose courses are available to students for cross-registration.