| Religion |
Higher Degrees in the Study of ReligionThe doctor of philosophy (PhD) program in religion at Harvard dates from 1934, when the Faculty of Arts and Sciences established a degree of PhD 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. Programs leading to this degree, and also to the bachelor of arts (AB), master of arts (AM), and doctor of theology (ThD) degrees in the same subject, are administered by the Committee on the Study of Religion, a standing committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences with membership from both that Faculty and the Faculty of Divinity.
AdmissionApplicants to the PhD program must, at a minimum, have a bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, with an undergraduate record of outstanding quality. Although a previous master’s degree is not required, it is an advantage in the competition for admission. Similarly, while a previous major in the field of religion is not required, the applicant’s background in this and related subjects is a critical consideration. Please note that GRE scores are required for admission. All doctoral applicants are expected to have foundational language work in the area of specialization (Hebrew, Latin, Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, etc.) at the time of application. In addition, as described in detail further on, admitted students must demonstrate reading competence in two modern languages of secondary scholarship relevant to their course of study. A background in either or both of these languages is also advantageous in the admissions process. Applicants should indicate, on the Proposed Program Sheet, the broader area within the study of religion in which they expect to work and the special interests they would like to pursue, according to the des cription of the PhD program. As described below, the PhD program in the Study of Religion at Harvard is structured in such a way that a context of study and a special field are pursued under one of two program options. Note: At Harvard, advanced programs of study involving religion may be arranged under many auspices. The PhD under this committee, in “The Study of Religion,” is one among various possibilities. Some candidates will find that they can best pursue their interests by becoming a candidate for the PhD in such departments as Anthropology, Classics, History, East Asian or Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Philosophy, or Sanskrit and Indian Studies. The ThD program of Harvard Divinity School, also administered by the Committee on the Study of Religion, offers specialized theological study of the Christian, Jewish, and western humanistic traditions. Some candidates may find the program for the MTS, MDiv, or ThM degree in the Divinity School more suitable for focusing their interests and strengthening their preparation for doctoral studies. The Committee reserves the right to advise the applicant to seek training in one of these alternative programs if, in its judgment, such a course would be in the applicant’s interest. We encourage online submission of the application. See www.gsas.harvard.edu.
The PhD Degree in the Study of Religion
This degree involves both general and specialized work in the study of religion. Students will be expected to identify a specific field of study, with the understanding that their work within this field will be done within the broader context of the interdisciplinary study of religion. Applying students should indicate in their application which field will be their primary specialization. If you indicate one of the fields marked below by an asterisk*, please specify the religious tradition(s) and/or approximate geographical range(s) or temporal period(s) from which the primary sources for your focus of inquiry will be drawn. You may also propose comparative work within any of these fields. African Religions New Testament and Early Christianity Applicants may propose other traditions or historical complexes, e.g., Inner Asian or African religions, for study. Those interested in Iranian or Ancient Near Eastern religions should consult both the Study of Religion and the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations to determine how a program might best be shaped. General Requirements for the PhD in the Study of ReligionStudents admitted to this program will register in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Courses pertinent to their different areas of study are listed in the Courses of Instruction of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and in the Divinity School catalogue. Full-time study is required during the first two years of the PhD program. This means four half-courses during each term, with a minimum average grade of B. For tuition requirements, see the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook or the GSAS Guide to Admission and Financial Aid. Students are expected to complete the PhD in seven years. Only in unusual cases can the program be completed in less than fourand-a-half academic years.
Languages. A high standard of reading proficiency in two modern languages of secondary scholarship relevant to a student’s course of study (in addition to English) is required. This proficiency is to be demonstrated through coursework or by exam after enrollment in the program. A student and his or her adviser will determine the choice of the two modern languages, which should not be confused with primary source languages necessary for the specialization. Typically French and German are selected as modern languages of secondary scholarship, however in certain fields other modern languages are more relevant. For example, a student focusing on Chinese Buddhism would normally study classical Chinese and Japanese as primary source languages, and then might choose modern Japanese and modern Korean as languages of secondary scholarship.
Second Year Review. An oral review (one-anda-half hours) in the second year will assess the student’s progress in the specialty, ability to pursue self-critically an academic study of religion, and probability of completing the doctoral program successfully. The review normally occurs in the third or fourth term of study.
General Examinations. After the satisfactory completion of two years of full-time study, the modern language requirements, the coursework outside the specialization, and the second year review, a student prepares for the General Examinations. PhD students must take their Generals by the end of their third year. All PhD students take a Theory and Methods in the Study of Religion general exam. Three additional exams are arranged according to a student’s context of study and specialization.
The Dissertation. Within 12 months of passing the General Examinations, all candidates must submit a written dissertation prospectus of not more than 2,000 words (plus bibliography), formulating a dissertation project. Upon formal approval of the prospectus, the student commences the writing of the dissertation. The length of the dissertation is limited to 300 pages. Once the dissertation is completed and approved by the adviser, the degree candidate is examined orally by a committee of at least three faculty readers, two of whom must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
The AM DegreeNo one is admitted as a candidate for the AM, only for the PhD. Nevertheless, the requirements for the master’s degree must be satisfied by all students as they move toward the doctorate, and are expected to be completed by the end of the fourth term. The AM degree may be granted when these requirements are fulfilled. For the AM degree a minimum of two full years of coursework (with a minimum average grade of B) is required, the modern language requirements must be met, the requirement of two courses outside the specialization fulfilled, and a satisfactory second-year review completed.
For More InformationFor questions regarding the PhD program in the Study of Religion, please contact the Program Administrator, Committee on the Study of Religion, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; phone: (617) 495-5781; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Applications to the program may be obtained online via the Study of Religion Website: www.fas.harvard.edu/~csrel/. The Website also includes links to many related sites, such as course catalogues, and the masters and ThD degree programs offered through Harvard Divinity School. Applications for admission and financial aid may be obtained from the Admissions Office, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Holyoke Center 350, 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. We encourage online submission of the application. See www.gsas.harvard.edu.
Standing Committee Membership: 2009-2010Eck, Diana L., Frederic Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society (Chair) Abe, Ryuichi, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religion Ahmed, Leila, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Divinity (Divinity School) Ahmed, M. Shahab, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies Asani, Ali, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Culture Carrasco, David, Neil L. Rudenstine Professorfor the Study of Latin America (FAS, Divinity School) Clooney, Francis X., Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology (Divinity School) Cohen, Shaye, Nathan Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy Fiorenza, Francis, Charles Chauncey Stillman Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies (Divinity School) Frederick, Marla, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies and of the Study of Religion (on leave spring 2010) Giron Negron, Luis, Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures and of Comparative Literature Graham, William A., Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies (FAS) and John Lord O’Brian Professor of Divinity (Dean of the Divinity School) Griffith, R. Marie, John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History (Divinity School) Gyatso, Janet, Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies (Divinity School) (Director of PhD Studies) Hallisey, Charles, Senior Lecturer on Buddhist Studies (Divinity School) Hamburger, Jeffrey, Professor of History of Art and Architecture Hardacre, Helen, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society Hollywood, Amy, Elizabeth H. Monrad Professor of Christian Studies (Divinity School) (Director of ThD Studies) Jackson, Michael, Visiting Professor of World Religions (Divinity School) Jones, Tamsin, Lecturer on the Study of Religion, Director of Undergraduate Studies Lamberth, David, Professor of Theology (Divinity School) Nasrallah, Laura, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity (Divinity School) Olupona, Jacob, Professor of African and African American Studies (FAS) and Professor of African Religious Traditions (Divinity School) Patil, Parimal, Associate Professor of the Study of Religion and of Sanskrit and Indian Studies Patton, Kimberley, Professor in the Comparative and Historical Study of Religion (Divinity School) Puett, Michael, Professor of Chinese History
Other Faculty Offering Instruction in the Study of ReligionBeliso-deJesus, Asha, Assistant Professor of African-American Religions (Divinity School) Bovon, Francois, Frothingham Professor of the History of Religion (Divinity School) Braude, Ann, Senior Lecturer in American Religious History (Divinity School) Cesari, Jocelyne, Visiting Associate Professor of Islamic Studies Cox, Harvey, Hollis Professor of Divinity (Divinity School) Duffy, John, Dumbarton Oaks Professor of Byzantine Philology and Literature Dyck, Arthur, Mary B. Saltonstall Professor of Population Ethics (Public Health, Divnity School) Gomes, Peter J., Plummer Professor of Christian Morals (Divinity School) Griffith, R. Marie, John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History(Divinity School) Hall, David D., John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History (Divinity School) Harris, Jay M., Harry Austryn Wolfson Professor of Jewish Studies Hempton, David, Alonzo L. MacDonald Family Professor of Evangelical Theological Studies (Divinity School) Henrichs, Albert, Eliot Professor of Greek Literature Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks, Victor S. Thomas Professor of History and of African and African American Studies Johansen, Baber, Professor of Islamic Religious Studies (Divinity School) (on leave fall 2008) Jones, Tamsin, Lecturer on the Study of Religion, Director of Undergraduate Studies Kienzle, Beverly, Professor of the Practice of Latin and Romance Languages (Divinity School) King, Karen, Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History (Divinity School) (on leave fall 2009) Kleinman, Arthur, Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology (FAS) and Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Anthropology (Medical School) Kloppenberg, James, Harvard College Professor and David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History Koester, Helmut H., John H. Morison Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Winn Research Professor of Ecclesiastical History (Divinity School) Lahiri, Smita, Associate Professor of Anthropology Levenson, Jon D., Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies (Divinity School) Machinist, Peter, Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages Mendelsohn, Everett, Professor of the History of Science Mitten, David G., James C. Loeb Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology Mottahedeh, Roy, Gurney Professor of History Schofer, Jonathan, Assistant Professor of Comparative Ethics (Divinity School) Schüssler, Fiorenza, Elisabeth Krister Stendahl Professor of Divinity (Divinity School) Skjaervo, P. Oktor, Aga Khan Professor of Iranian Stang, Çharles, Assistant Professor of Early Christian Thought (Divinity School) Swearer, Donald, Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies (Divinity School) Thiemann, Ronald, Bussey Professor of Theology and of Religion and Society (Divinity School) Tu, Wei-Ming, Harvard-Yenching Professor of Chinese History and Philosophy and of Confucian Studies Van der Kuijp, Leonard, Professor of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies (on leave fall 2008) Williams, Preston, Houghton Research Professor of Theology and Contemporary Change (Divinity School) |