M.A. Programs

 

Master of Arts in Divinity (A.M.) Program

Master of Arts in Religious Studies (A.M.R.S.) Program

Transfer among Programs

 

The Divinity School offers three master’s degrees: the A.M.R.S., the A.M., and the M.Div. The A.M.R.S. requires one year of residence and is designed for students with vocational plans not involving doctoral work in religious studies. The A.M. requires two years of residence and is primarily designed for students preparing for admission to doctoral programs in religious studies. The M.Div. requires three years of residence and is designed for those interested in careers in Christian ministry, including careers in teaching and scholarship. Click the links above for detailed descriptions of the first two degree programs. Go to the section entitled M.Div. Program for information on ministry studies at the Divinity School.

 

Master of Arts in Divinity (A.M.)

The A.M. program in Divinity introduces students to the basic substance and methods of academic religious inquiry. It is designed for those who wish to pursue the doctorate in religion but have not completed a master’s degree program in the study of religion or a relevant related field of study.

The A.M. program is two years in duration. Students in the program may apply by course of study petition for Ph.D. admission in the winter quarter of their second year or in the winter quarter of the year following receipt of the A.M. The program does not require a set number of courses for its completion. Students usually register for three courses in each of the six quarters of residence, and this number is optimal for achieving the program’s dual goal of genuine breadth of acquaintance with the methods of religious inquiry and some depth of knowledge in a specific area of concentration.

Requirements

1. Two years of Scholastic Residence.

2. Proof of competence in French or German.

3. Two years of course work, including at least the following:

a) Satisfactory completion during the first year of study of the three courses that comprise the sequence “The Study of Religion” (see description below).

b) Satisfactory completion of one additional course from each of the three committees of the faculty. Courses elected may be at whatever level is appropriate to the student’s background and ability.

Unless otherwise indicated, satisfactory completion signifies work completed at the level of B- or higher.

The Study of Religion Course Sequence

The academic study of religion(s) is complex not simply by virtue of its diverse subject matter, but because of the many different perspectives from which scholars investigate and define the subject. Scholars of religion throughout the academy engage in research that emphasizes historical, comparative, literary critical, philosophical, social scientific, or ethical methods and questions. The Divinity School faculty believes that the capacity to engage in this interdisciplinary conversation will enrich the student’s scholarly agenda. For that reason, the A.M. program requires enrollment during the first year of the program in the three-course sequence listed below. These courses accomplish three purposes. First, they illustrate the types of questions that are pursued within the three committees of the faculty: the Committee on Religion and the Human Sciences, the Committee on Historical Studies in Religion, and the Committee on Constructive Studies in Religion. Second, they situate these methods and questions in the wider sweep of Western inquiries into the nature of religion. Third, they assist the A.M. student in defining the distinctive character of his or her Ph.D. project, and the group of written examinations that would best enable the student to pursue that project.

Requirements for each course will be determined by the instructors. These courses may not be taken pass/fail. Successful completion requires receipt of a letter grade of B- or higher. The following sequence is specific to the 2007–2008 academic year:

DVSC 30100	Introduction to Religion and the Human Sciences
	Wedemeyer
DVSC 30200	Introduction to Historical Studies in Religion
	Mendes-Flohr
DVSC 30300	Introduction to Constructive Studies in Religion
	Arnold

Elective Course Work

With the exception of the three-course sequence “The Study of Religion,” A.M. students select their course work for the degree (usually a total of fifteen courses over the two years of the program). They consult with faculty about the additional courses that would be most useful in helping them to determine the focus and direction of their work. The following guidelines outline the types of work these students should pursue over the two years of the program:

1. Further courses emphasizing breadth in the study of religion—A.M. students must complete three additional courses beyond the sequence “The Study of Religion,” one from each of the three committees of the faculty.

2. Courses in the area of study in which the student wishes to concentrate Ph.D. study—the A.M. student who applies to the Ph.D. program must have completed three courses in the proposed area of concentration.

3. Language study, further elective course work in the Divinity School, or course work elsewhere in the University.

Application to the Ph.D. Program

The Divinity School’s A.M. program is its primary source of Ph.D. students. While admission to the A.M. does not guarantee admission to the Ph.D., the Divinity School does offer its A.M. students the opportunity to apply to the Ph.D. program by in-house petition, and a student’s performance in the A.M. program constitutes the central criterion for admission to the Ph.D program.

A.M. students apply to the Ph.D. program in the winter quarter of the second year or the winter quarter following receipt of the A.M. (The A.M. residence requirement makes it impossible for the student to complete all A.M. degree requirements before applying to the Ph.D. program; Ph.D. admission is contingent upon successful completion of all A.M. requirements prior to registration as a Ph.D. student.)

To apply to the Ph.D. program, an A.M. student must accomplish the following:

1. Satisfactory completion of three courses, with grades recorded on the transcript, in the area in which the student proposes to concentrate Ph.D. study. These must be completed by the conclusion of the autumn quarter of the year prior to that in which the student makes application to the Ph.D. program.

2. Demonstration of competence in French or German. (This requirement must be completed by the conclusion of the autumn quarter of the year prior to that in which the student makes application to the Ph.D. program.)

3. Submission of an appropriate research paper written for a course offered by the area to which the student is applying. It must be submitted with the grade and original faculty comments.

4. Submission of a course of study petition requesting a faculty adviser, proposing written examinations—listing at least four Divinity School faculty members—and outlining a program of study at the Ph.D. level.

 

Master of Arts in Religious Studies (A.M.R.S.)

The Master of Arts in Religious Studies (A.M.R.S.) program is designed for students who wish to pursue graduate study in religion but do not intend to pursue the Ph.D. degree in religion. It can be completed in one year.

Requirements

1. Registration for, and completion of, a minimum of nine courses during one year of Scholastic Residence.

2. Satisfactory completion of the three courses that comprise the sequence “The Study of Religion” (see description above).

3. Demonstration of competence in French or German.

4. Satisfactory completion (B- or above) of courses in at least three areas of study in at least two of the committees of the faculty. Students should consult with the Dean of Students concerning an appropriate range of course work that meets this requirement.

5. Completion of a one-hour oral examination based on a paper that represents the student’s interests in the study of religion. This document is normally the revised version of a paper the student wrote to complete the requirements of a course. The oral examination is convened by the Dean of Students, and includes the student and three faculty members with whom the student has worked. The examination paper is chosen by the student, but the student’s choice must be approved well in advance by the faculty member under whose direction the paper was originally written. A student scheduling his or her examination should make application to do so no later than the third week of the quarter in which he or she intends to take it.

In consultation with the faculty adviser and the Dean of Students, A.M.R.S. students are free to choose from the course offerings of the various areas of study in the Divinity School and other parts of the University to meet these requirements. In some cases, the consent of the instructor may be required. See Course Descriptions for a complete listing of courses offered in the Divinity School.

 

Transfer among Programs

Students are admitted to only one of the master’s-level degree programs, but the Divinity School recognizes that students may change their educational objectives during their first year of study. For that reason, if students have persuasive reasons for doing so, they may petition to transfer among the programs.

Students in both the A.M.R.S. and the A.M. programs are required to take the three-course “Study of Religion” sequence. In the spring quarter of their first year, all students will meet with the Dean of Students to review their academic progress and goals. Students desiring to transfer among programs may petition to do so.

In the winter quarter of the second year (or in the winter quarter of the year following receipt of the A.M. degree) for those enrolled in the A.M. program and of the third year for those enrolled in the M.Div. program, students may apply to the Ph.D. program by in-house petition. A.M. students who wish to do so must have demonstrated competence in French or German and have completed three courses in the area of study to which they are applying by the end of the autumn quarter.