Dual MA

Apply for the MA in Religious Studies

Program Overview

The Masters of Arts in Religious Studies provides an opportunity to acquire competence in the study of religions, broadly defined, and in areas of special interest. This degree will help students qualify for doctoral programs, teach religious studies subjects in colleges and high schools, or bring cultural and cross-cultural analytical tools to professions such as business, social work, journalism, and government. Course offerings and faculty appointments reflect the department's commitment to providing a balance of various traditions, methods, and theoretical approaches.

Degree Requirements

The Masters degree requires a minimum of 45 hours, including The Study of Religion (RLGS 4000) or its equivalent, one course devoted to the theoretical study of religion (e.g., Psychology of Religion), and one course devoted to the study of religious texts (e.g., The Dead Sea Scrolls). The remaining courses should be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor in such a way as to demonstrate familiarity with Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. (This requirement may be satisfied by presentation of a transcript demonstrating previous course work.) Students are also encouraged to examine other cultural forms of religion.

In order to complete the degree, students must pass a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination will be given during the fourth or fifth week of either the Autumn or Winter quarters and will consist of two exams on successive days. Exam questions will deal respectively with (1) three of the five major religious traditions and (2) the theory of religion. General bibliographies for the exams, on which the student will be tested, are available from either the MA director or the assistant to the chair.

Under certain circumstances and at the discretion of the department, students may substitute a special project for the comprehensive examination. Instead of the exam the student may opt for one of the following:

1. Write a thesis of between 10,000 and 15,000 words in length
2. Carry out a language study project involving the preparation of a scholarly, annotated translation into English of a religious text written in a foreign language, in which the primary or secondary sources of a religious tradition are written, such as Hebrew, Greek, and Sanskrit. (Students electing this option must demonstrate competence in the language they will be using).

The thesis, or translation, option is recommended for students who intend to pursue doctoral work, but it is up to the department to decide whether the student is able to fulfill, or capable of fulfilling, that goal. If the department does not believe the student is capable of admission to a competitive doctoral program, the student will not be granted the thesis option and will be required to take the comprehensive exams instead. Up to 5 hours of independent research may be used to satisfy the thesis or translation option.

Timetable for Fulfillment of Degree Requirements

1^st Year: Fulfill course requirements - minimum 12 credit hours

2^nd Year: During the quarter during which the student anticipates completing 32 units (normally during the fourth quarter), he/she shall begin the process of thesis/exams.(Note: In the notation below this quarter is designated as "quarter 1", the following quarter as "quarter 2", etc. Summer quarters are not counted as part of the sequence. Only under extremely rare and exceptional circumstances will proposals, etc. be reviewed by the department during the summer, or thesis defenses scheduled).

Thesis Students

Quarter 1 (Week 3): Deadline for stating the student's intent to submit a thesis proposal. This application must be in the form of a brief letter to the MA director and given to the assistant to the chair. The letter should indicate (1) the proposed topic of the thesis (2) the expected completion date.

Quarter 1 (Week 7): The department will notify the student in writing whether it has approved his/her intent to submit a proposal.

Quarter 1 (Week 9): If the statement of intent is approved, the student will have chosen a preliminary faculty advisor for the thesis and meet with him/her to discuss the proposal.

Quarter 2 (Week 3): Formal proposal submitted following department guidelines.

Quarter 2 (Week 7): Department approval or disapproval of the formal proposal.

Quarter 3 (Week 5): Brief progress report to the department on the part of the advisor, including when it is expected the thesis will be completed.

Quarter 4 or later: Thesis defense and application for graduation following the guidelines of the graduate school.

Comprehensive Examination

Comprehensive examinations are normally administered during the seventh week of the quarter in which the student is expected to complete 45 hours toward the degree.  Students may take the comprehensive exams during subsequent quarters, but they must first petition to the graduate school for an extension of their program.  The extension may not be granted.   

No later than the end of the quarter before students expect to take the comprehensive exam, they must choose three out of five traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam) in which they wish to be examined.   Their choice must be indicated in the form of a hard copy memorandum addressed to the graduate director of the department and submitted to the assistant to the chair.  Students must prepare for examinations in these three traditions, although they will only be tested on two.  Students will not know until the day of the exam which two of the three traditions proposed they will be examined on.  Students will take a third comprehensive examination on theory.

The following bibliographies should be used to prepare for the examinations:

• Theory
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Christianity
• Judaism
• Islam  

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college, with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Applicants must have an appropriate background in the study of the humanities. Undergraduate courses in Religious Studies are highly desirable, but all work in closely related areas will be taken into consideration.

Applications are due by February 1 for the following academic year.  Applications may be submitted after February 1, but priority will be given to those applicants meeting the deadline.  Students may apply to be admitted at any time of the year, but they will be admitted only if space is available in the program.   Financial aid can only be awarded on an annual basis for students who meet the winter deadline.

Admission to the program is normally announced in mid-March.  Financial aid is normally awarded in early April. 

Required application materials include

• Completed application with application fee
• 2 copies of official college transcripts (Required from all institutions where more than 2 credits completed)
• Official GRE General Test scores
• Official TOEFL scores (550 Paper Based or 213 Computer Based)
• Three (3) letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be written by a person who is qualified to judge your academic work
• A short personal statement, describing your interest in Religious Studies, career goals, and explaining why you believe that DU's Religious Studies program appears to match your interests
• A recent writing sample, such as a research paper (optional but recommended)

To ensure proper and timely processing of your application, all of the above materials should be sent inone package directly to the Office of Graduate Admission (University of Denver, 2197 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208 USA).

The department will not review an application until all required materials have been submitted to the graduate school.  It is the applicant's responsibility to check with the graduate school to ensure that their file is complete.

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General Information

Graduate study is both demanding and expensive. Full-time students typically complete their course work in five or six quarters before working on their thesis or other final project. Most graduate courses in the Department are scheduled for two-hour block classes either on a Monday-Wednesday or a Tuesday-Thursday schedule to allow for work schedules. Some courses are offered in the evening.

Financial Aid Information

Financial Aid awards are made by April 1. To be considered for any form of Financial Aid,

1. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
2. Submit the Institutional Verification form to DU's Office of Financial Aid
3. Fill out and send the Financial Aid Transcript request form(s) to all colleges from which you have received financial aid in the past
4. Write a short note to the Graduate Advisor in Religious Studies, requesting consideration for merit-based financial aid

Please consult Office of Financial Aid for more details regarding financial aid.

Contact Information

If you are able to visit our offices, we are located on the ground floor of Sturm Hall #166. An appointment with one of our faculty would be best.

Graduate Advisor: Dr. Carl Raschke @ 303.871.3206 (craschke@du.edu)
Assistant to the Chair: Consuelo Bennett @ 303.871.2749 (consuelo.bennett@du.edu)