Religion

Princeton University has long been committed to the idea that religion, like politics or art, is an important sphere of life and merits systematic attention within the curriculum. The primary responsibility for instruction in this area has, for more than half a century, been entrusted to the Department of Religion, which belongs to the Division of the Humanities. Our charge is to do our best to examine religious life, the diverse forms it has taken in different cultures and historical periods, and the questions it poses for theoretical, ethical, and political reflection. As a humanities department, we appeal to the same standards of historical and philosophical scholarship found in neighboring disciplines.

The major in Religion allows concentrators the opportunity to study diverse cultures, peoples, texts and ideologies. Some examples are African-American religions, the literature of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, the Gnostic gospels, ancient Israel, modern Jewish thought , history and contemporary American religion , philosophy of religion , religious and philosophical ethics, political thought, gender and the body in American religions, and the roles of women in contemporary Muslim societies. Department requirements are designed to introduce the students to at least four major world religious traditions of the past and present and to various approaches to the study of religion.

The Religion Department differs from certain other contexts in which religion is studied, such as a seminary, where fellow inquirers might have reason to take more for granted. The Religion Department does not expect students to abandon their commitments or to pretend that they don’t have any while engaging in the academic study of religion. But we do expect students to reflect on those commitments critically–to become aware of what they are, how they might influence their findings, and why others might see fit to reject them.

The interdisciplinary nature of the Department and of its faculty, whose backgrounds and research interests in the study of religion include history, anthropology, philosophy, literature, politics and ethics, means that we tend to attract majors who are a diverse group. Despite a range of interests and approaches, the Department has a strong sense of community and collegiality that is actively fostered by faculty, staff and students, both undergraduate and graduate.

Normally, each term juniors and seniors will take two courses offered by the department.

Concentrators are required to complete at least eight religion courses taught by department faculty (including visitors to the Department of Religion(link is external)) by the end of their senior year. All students are required to complete Religion 222, which is considered one of the eight religion courses. In addition, students are encouraged, but not required, to take two approved cognate courses in other departments. The cognate courses will be calculated into departmental honors. The departmental representative must approve cognate courses.

Students will select at least one course from each of the following three areas:

1. Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean: Judaism and Christianity from Antiquity to the Middle Ages: 230, 251, 252, 340, 350, 352, 353, and occasional courses
2. Religions of the Americas: 258, 319, 357, 358, 360, 367, and occasional courses
3. Religion and Critical Thought: 242, 261, 311, 312, 313, 317, 346, 347, 363, 364, and occasional courses

Students will select two courses in the following area from two different traditions:

Islam and the Religions of Asia: 225, 226, 228, 229, 235, 236, 240, 322, 326, 328, 334, 335, 336, 338, 382, and occasional courses

Not all courses satisfy area requirements. A course may be counted toward one area requirement only. In any year it is offered, 373 Studies in Religion will be assigned to the appropriate area.

Religion concentrators are required to take Religion courses for a letter grade. However, once senior religion majors have satisfied all departmental and area requirements, they are allowed to P/D/F departmental courses with permission from the departmental representative. Majors must obtain the written approval of the department representative prior to choosing this grading option.

When registering for the first term of senior year, each student will decide upon a focus of study in consultation with the departmental representative. Possible focuses of study include Japanese religions, Chinese religions, Buddhism, Islam, philosophy of religion, modern Jewish thought, religious and philosophical ethics, social criticism, African American religious movements, gender, sexuality, and religion in the Americas, global pentecostalism, new religious movements, religion and American politics, visual, material, and popular culture in American religions, race and religion in the Americas, Biblical studies, ancient Judaism and Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Gnosticism. Senior independent work will be in the student's focus of study, and two courses must be completed in the focus of study by the end of the first term of the senior year. All changes to the focus of study must be approved by the departmental representative.

Independent Work

Junior Year. During the fall term of the junior year, all department juniors will participate in a colloquium (see below for study abroad) with a member or members of the faculty. In addition to short assignments throughout the term that prepare majors to research and write a junior paper (JP), students are expected to produce a five to seven-page JP proposal. The JP proposal and colloquium participation constitute 40 percent of the junior independent grade. During the spring term, juniors will do independent reading and write a 30-40 page junior paper under supervision. The departmental representative, in consultation with the director of the colloquium, will assign advisers. The spring junior paper will constitute 60 percent of the junior independent work. At the end of junior year, students will review their work in the department and discuss with a faculty committee their plans for senior independent work.

Senior Year. Every senior will prepare a 70-90 page thesis under the supervision of a faculty adviser.

Senior Departmental Examination

At the end of the senior year, students will take an oral examination concerning their senior independent work, focus of study, and work in the department generally.

Study Abroad

The Department of Religion welcomes study abroad for departmental majors in their junior year. Those juniors who study abroad in their fall term will be exempt from the colloquium but will be required to write a fall junior paper under the supervision of a religion department faculty member. Juniors who study abroad in the spring term will write the required spring junior paper under the supervision of a religion department faculty member. Normally, students are expected to have junior year independent work completed before the start of the senior year. Students must consult with the departmental representative before leaving for their study abroad program.

1. Submit
   • A Completed Application. You must submit your application online through either the Common Application, Coalition Application or the Universal College Application. 
   • Princeton's Supplement. In addition to the application provided by the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application, all applicants must submit the Princeton Supplement. You should submit the Princeton Supplement online through the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application website. 
   • Application Fee or Fee Waiver. You may submit a fee waiver one of two ways: 1) Select the fee waiver option on the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application. Your college or guidance counselor must approve your fee waiver request online or submit your fee waiver form by mail or fax. 2) Select one of the following fee waiver options on the Princeton Supplement: Princeton-specific, ACT, College Board, NACAC or Realize Your College Potential. All low-income students are eligible for the Princeton-specific fee waiver. Students named QuestBridge Finalists should select the QuestBridge fee waiver. If you use the Princeton-specific fee waiver, you do not need to get approval from your college counselor. Learn more about fee waivers on the How to Apply page.
2. Request
   • Transcript. An official transcript must be sent by a guidance counselor or school official.
   • School Report (SR). The SR form is available from the Common Application and Universal College Application websites. Please ask your guidance counselor or other school official to complete and submit the SR form. If you are using the Coalition Application, the SR and counselor recommendation are uploaded as one item.
   • Counselor Recommendation. If you are using the Common Application online, please note that the SR and the Counselor Recommendation are separate items. Be sure to 'invite' your guidance counselor or academic adviser to complete both items. If you are using the Coalition Application, please invite your counselor to upload the counselor recommendation and school report.
   • Two (2) Teacher Recommendations. Please ask two of your teachers from different academic areas of study to complete and send the teacher recommendation forms, available on the Common Application, Coalition Application and Universal College Application websites. Choose teachers who have taught you in higher-level courses.
   • Mid-year School Report. Please ask your guidance counselor or other school official to complete and submit this form when your mid-year grades are available. The form may be found on the Common Application, Coalition Application and Universal Application websites.
3. Report
   • SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing. Early action applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing test before the Nov. 1 deadline. Regular decision applicants should take the SAT with Essay test by the January test date or take the ACT with Writing by the December date. When registering for the SAT or ACT, use the following codes to ensure your scores are sent to Princeton: SAT: 2672 and ACT: 2588. Learn more about standardized testing for admission.
   • SAT Subject Tests. We recommend, but do not require, the submission of two SAT Subject Tests, which often assist us in the evaluation process. We have no preference for the specific SAT Subject Tests applicants might choose to take. However, if you apply for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, we recommend that you take mathematics Level I or II, and either physics or chemistry. If you decide to submit Subject Tests, early action applicants should take them by the November test date, and regular decision applicants should take them by the January test date. Learn more about standardized testing for admission.
   • TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic scores. If English is not your native language and you are attending a school where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), in addition to the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing. You are not required to take the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic if English is your native language or if you have spent at least three years at a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction. Please have your scores sent directly to Princeton: TOEFL: 2672

Optional Application Components

• Arts Form, if applicable. If you've excelled in architecture, creative writing, dance, music, theater or visual arts, and would like us to consider your talent, consult Princeton's online Optional Arts Form. Early action applicants must submit digital arts materials by Nov. 7; regular decision applicants must submit digital arts materials by Jan. 6. You can only submit your online Optional Arts Form after we have received the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application. If you are unable to submit online, please use the paper Optional Arts Form. For a list of acceptable file formats and submission types, review our Optional Arts Form page. For more information on the optional arts supplement, please visit our FAQs page.
• Interview. Depending on availability, once you have applied, you may be invited to interview with a member of one of our Princeton Alumni Schools Committees. If so, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Interviews take place after the Admission Office has received your application. Many Princeton Alumni Schools Committees have enough volunteers to offer every applicant an interview. As the interview is not a required element of the application, you will not be at a disadvantage if an interview is not available in your area. We do not offer on-campus interviews. Please visit our FAQs page for more information.

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