Program Requirements
Advising & Mentoring
All entering students meet with the JDP Assistant Director who is their advisor for the first two years and will help navigate academic requirements. Students may also identify a faculty mentor who has added expertise in their area of interest and who may ultimately become their dissertation advisor.听All students should have their Dissertation Director/Advisor in place by the end of the second year.
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90 Quarter Hours of Academic Credit
The degree requires 82 hours of courses and 8 hours of dissertation credits. The academic year is divided into three quarters of 10 to 11 weeks each. Most classes receive 4 quarter hours of credit, meaning that they meet four hours per week in the classroom and at least double that many hours of work is expected out of the classroom. Most classwork is done in fall, winter and spring quarters. Summer is a separate, optional term but there are limited course offerings in the summer.
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Within the 90 hours, students take 6 required classes (24 quarter hours):听
- RLGN 4000: Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion
- RLGN 5010: Lived Religion Colloquium
- RLGN 5020: Conceptual Approaches to Religion Colloquium
- RLGN 5030: Text, Image, and Artifact Colloquium
- RLGN 5000: Pedagogy and the Teaching of Religion
- RLGN 6000: Dissertation Proposal Seminar
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...and at least 42 quarter hours of electives:
Students may take any graduate-level course that has an RLGN designator and any other graduate-level course approved for which they have met the prerequisites. 听Most relevant courses are listed in the听听under the subjects:听
- Religion
- Religious Studies
- Judaic Studies
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
- Art History
- Communication
- Education
- English
- International Studies
- Media, Film & Journalism Studies
- Social Work
For a sample schedule, click听here.
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Modern Language
Typically French, German, or Spanish, this language allows the student to read scholarship in the field of religious studies. This requirement can be completed through an exam or coursework (outside of the required 90 credits).
Comprehensive Exams (16 Quarter hours)
Comprehensive exams are taken in the third year at the end of the coursework. These written exams and papers are designed to test the student鈥檚 knowledge of foundational concepts, methods, and bibliographies in religious studies as well as the student鈥檚 specific areas of focus.听There are two exams and two papers. 听Together, the exams comprise a major component of the program. Passing them is recognized as a milestone in working toward the degree.听
Dissertation (8 Quarter Hours)
Normally researched and written within 2-5 years after advancement to candidacy under the guidance of the chosen dissertation advisor and committee.
See examples of past dissertation topics
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Residency, Modalities, and Time Limits
All students enrolled are required to maintain full-time residency for the first two academic years.听 All five of the required courses students take in year one and two are in-person and on-campus.听Beginning the third year, students may complete their comps and final core course remotely, if they choose.听
International students must comply with all visa and immigration regulations as determined by U.S. federal law. To ensure compliance, international students are required to work closely with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to maintain their visa status and meet any residency or enrollment requirements associated with their visa classification.
Full-time status requires enrollment in at least eight credit hours per quarter, although some quarters will require ten or twelve credit hours.听 The completion of coursework, including comprehensive exams, is expected within 3 years. The dissertation proposal (year 4), writing, and oral defense are expected in years 4-7. All students have a 7-year time limit from the start of coursework to graduation. 听
The above is an overview of the program. Each incoming class will have a with specific policy details.