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Location: Social Sciences Building, Room 558
Program number: 403.220.4831
Fax: 403.210.9191
Email address: relsgrad@ucalgary.ca
Web page URL:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Arts (MA), thesis-based

Specializations:

• Eastern Religions
• Nature of Religion
• Western Religions

Feasibility of areas within these specializations depends on available research resources and faculty expertise; refer to section 15 of this entry for more information.

In addition to the Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department requires:

Master of Arts

a) An admission grade point average of 3.30 or higher on a four-point scale and a minimum of 36 units (6.0 full-course equivalents) in Religious Studies (or their equivalents), usually including at least 6 units (1.0 full-course equivalent) from each of the three streams (Eastern, Western, Nature), as determined by the graduate committee.

b) A reading knowledge of a modern language other than English or of a classical language appropriate to the thesis research. The language requirement normally should be met before admission to the master’s program. If this is not the case, the language requirement should be met during the students’ course of study in the master’s program.

c) Two reference letters.

d) Applicants must include in their application package a sample of written work (e.g. a recent research essay).

Doctor of Philosophy

a) A degree comparable to the Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Religious Studies Master of Arts with a minimum grade point average of 3.50 on a four-point scale.

b) Two reference letters.

c) Applicants must include in their application package a sample of written work (e.g. a recent research essay).

Students with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies, a grade point average of 3.70 or higher, and evidence of competence in the required languages may be admitted directly into the doctoral program or may be considered for transfer to the doctoral program after the first year of the master’s program. Such applicants must include in their application package a detailed statement (10 pages) of the purpose, field, and course of study to be pursued in the program.

Deadline for the submission of complete applications is December 15 for September admission.

Any requests for advanced credit must be made when applying for admission. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring the grade point average to a required level for admission. Graduate course work completed before admission and not counted toward satisfying undergraduate degree requirements will be assessed by the Departmental Graduate Committee to determine course requirements.

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department normally requires:

Master of Arts (thesis-based)

a) Five courses (in addition to individualized requirements that may be set by the Departmental Graduate Committee at the time of admission).

• Religious Studies 601 – Studies in Western Religions
• Religious Studies 603 – Studies in Eastern Religions
• Religious Studies 605 – Studies in the Nature of Religion
• Religious Studies 607 – Supervised Master's Thesis Inquiry
• Religious Studies 609 – Critical Discourses in the Study of Religion
  

b) A thesis proposal to be presented to the Graduate Studies Committee for evaluation and approval before the second annual registration.

Doctor of Philosophy

a) For students with a Master of Arts in Religious Studies, five courses are required (in addition to individualized requirements that may be set by the Departmental Graduate Committee at the time of admission):

• Religious Studies 701 – Studies in Western Religions
• Religious Studies 703 – Studies in Eastern Religions
• Religious Studies 705 – Studies in the Nature of Religion
• Religious Studies 707 – PhD Departmental Colloquium
• Religious Studies 709 – Advanced Critical Discourses in the Study of Religion

b) For students with a BA Honours or for students transferring from the master's program, eight courses are required (in addition to individualized requirements that may be set by the Departmental Graduate Committee at the time of admission):

• Religious Studies 601 – Studies in Western Religions
• Religious Studies 603 – Studies in Eastern Religions
• Religious Studies 605 – Studies in the Nature of Religion
• Religious Studies 701 – Studies in Western Religions
• Religious Studies 703 – Studies in Eastern Religions
• Religious Studies 705 – Studies in the Nature of Religion
• Religious Studies 707 – PhD Departmental Colloquium
• Religious Studies 709 – Advanced Critical Discourses in the Study of Religion

PhD Language Requirements

Before the written candidacy examination, doctoral students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least two languages other than English. At the discretion of the Department and upon recommendation of the Graduate Director, competency in additional languages may be required. The foreign language requirement may be satisfied in two ways:

a) Successful completion (final grade of "B" or higher) at some stage of the student’s university program of at least 12 units (2.0 full-course equivalents) in a first language other than English, and 6 units (1.0 full-course equivalent) in a second language; or

b) Successful completion (grade of "B" or higher) of a language examination administered by the Department of Classics and Religion or by another department on behalf of the Department of Classics and Religion. When the test is administered by another department, it will consist of a passage or passages selected by the supervisor and/or any requirements that the other department may deem necessary; the test will be graded by the examiner(s) of the other department. When members of the Department of Classics and Religion administer the test, the examination questions will be determined, administered, and graded by two members of the Department (one of whom normally will be the supervisor) who have expertise in the language under consideration. In the event that a second person with expertise in the required language is not available, the Department Head may seek an expert from outside the department.

Credit for undergraduate courses will be given only upon approval of the Departmental Graduate Committee.

Expected completion time for full-time students is two years in the master’s program and four years in the PhD program. Maximum completion time is four years in the master’s program and six years in the doctoral program.

The Departmental Graduate Committee assigns an advisor (interim supervisor) when an applicant is recommended for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. A regular supervisor must be assigned by the beginning of the second registration year.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, the Department requires:

Candidacy

The doctoral candidacy examination includes two written components and one oral component. Each written candidacy examination focuses on one aspect of the student’s doctoral research in Religious Studies:

Examination A – theory and method in the study of religion
Examination B – religious beliefs and practices in context

The written examinations are based on a bibliography established by the candidate in consultation with the supervisory committee and must be taken no later than 28 months after admission to the program. The oral examination is based on the bibliography, the written examinations and the thesis proposal.

Revised candidacy requirements will be posted in the 2016-2017 academic year.

Thesis Examination

Final thesis oral examinations are open.

Scheduling of the Examination

All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed the student’s research, including a relevant written sample of the materials related to the thesis, before an examination can be scheduled.

Composition of the Committee

The Internal Examiner must be external to the home program.

The thesis proposal must be approved by each member of the student’s supervisory committee, acknowledged by individual signature and date on the front cover, and by the Departmental Graduate Committee, no later than 24 months after admission to the program with a completed master’s degree. The proposal should be no more than 20 pages in length and must obtain all required approvals before the student is allowed to take the candidacy examination.

An approved thesis proposal is the basis of consensus on a candidate’s research program. When, as sometimes happens in the course of a research project, the research focus or methodology shifts markedly:

a) The candidate will forward a letter to the supervisory committee to document the shift and the reason for the shift. The student also shall compose an addendum, to be appended to the initial proposal, detailing the new direction and supplying any necessary additions to the bibliography.

b) The supervisor, on behalf of the supervisory committee, will reply to the revised proposal indicating acceptability and/or required revisions.

Students should be aware that such shifts may entail revision of the supervisory committee structure.

None.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar or inquire of the Department.

Students applying for scholarships must submit their applications to the Department by February 1.

None.

Details concerning the research areas of individual professors may be obtained from the program website at .