Department of Religious Studies

*Religious Studies is currently not accepting graduate applications.

The Department of Religious Studies offers the degrees of Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The MA Program in Religious Studies is solely administered by the department; the PhD Program in Religion is in cooperation with the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (Cooperative Program in Religion). The principal purpose of the graduate program is to provide students with the research and teaching tools that may lead to careers in colleges, universities, and other venues in which the academic skills of a religionist are utilized. The department encourages an interdisciplinary approach to the study of religion and works with students to design a course of study to meet intellectual needs within the limits of faculty expertise and available resources.

Major areas of specializations are offered in:

Religious Thought and Language: with emphasis on the history of Christianity, and on philosophy of religion.
East Asian Religion: religion and culture in East Asia
Religion in North America; American religious history and
Jewish History: focused on the medieval and modern periods

Students also can focus in three thematic clusters:

Religion, Ethnicity, and Culture: Religion and the formation of cultural, social, and political identities and difference; ethnic subcultures and minorities.
Text in Context: Interpretative strategies; philosophical, practical, institutional, social and intellectual history; art and architecture.
Religion and Modernity: Impact of modernization of traditional cultures; relationships between religion and politics, nationalism, class, and gender; popular religion and ritual studies.

Students further define themselves in historical and methodological perspective:

Tradition: Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism
Region: America, East Asia, Europe
Period: classical, medieval, early modern, modern
Methodology: anthropology, history, philosophy, sociology

Contact Information

Department Chair: Linda Penkower
Main Office: 2604 Cathedral of Learning
412-624-5990
Fax: 412-624-5994
E-mail: relgst@pitt.edu
www.religiousstudies.pitt.edu

Prospective students should contact Dr. Adam Shear, Director of Graduate Studies, and core graduate faculty in relevant areas of research.

Admissions

Admission to the MA program requires a BA degree. Entrance into the PhD program requires an MA, MDiv, or MTS degree in Religious Studies or a cognate discipline. Students who plan careers in areas in which second language competency is essential should meet minimum language training guidelines at the time of the application. A complete application packet includes an online application form, a career statement, three letters of recommendation from academic referees, a writing sample, transcripts from previously attended institutions, and GRE scores. International applications also include TOEFL or IELST scores and an online international graduate student supplemental application packet. Completed applications must be received by January 15. The department accepts applications for fall matriculation only. Additional information is located in the MA and PhD program sections on the departmental Web site.

Financial Assistance

Teaching assistantships and tuition remission scholarships are available through the department on a competitive basis. Religious studies students are also eligible for fellowships offered through the University, including Provost’s Humanities Fellowships for first-year graduate students, Mellon Predoctoral Fellowships, and FLAS and other awards offered through the University Center for International Studies (UCIS). Entering students are nominated directly by the department.

Degree Requirements

Graduate degree requirements established by the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh are described elsewhere in this bulletin and should be read in conjunction with the departmental requirements outlined below. Departmental rules allow no more than two upper-division (1000 level) courses to count toward graduate degrees and no more than 50 percent of graduate courses to be taken as directed or independent study.

Faculty

http://www.religiousstudies.pitt.edu/faculty/

Programs

Doctoral

Religious Studies, PhD

Courses

Religious Studies

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