Religion

The graduate study of religion is a cooperative program among the Departments of Religion at Columbia University, Barnard College, and Union Theological Seminary. The curriculum is designed to provide:

1. In-depth study in a particular area of specialization
2. Understanding of various methodological and theoretical approaches to the study of religion, including comparative approaches
3. Investigation of problems or themes in one or more of the five Zones of Inquiry

Students applying to the program must indicate their area of specialization and specify one or more Zones described in more detail below.

In addition to members of the Religion Department, faculty members from other departments in the University participate in the religion program and students are encouraged to take advantage of the rich curricular and programmatic resource Columbia has to offer. By emphasizing both careful historical and critical analysis as well as creative theoretical and cross-disciplinary investigation, the program prepares students to teach an unusually broad range of courses.

Fields of study: Buddhism, Christianity, East Asian Religions, Islam, Judaism, North American Religions and South Asian Religions.

Focus areas: Time (History, Modernity); Transmission (Tradition, Memory, Institutions); Space (Place, Geography, Virtual Space); Body (Materiality, Mind, Bio-ethics); Media (Transportation, Information, Communication).

Students admitted to the PhD program will receive a fellowship that covers tuition and fees plus a stipend for living expenses for up to five years. This support includes work as a teaching assistant for six semesters. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer financial support to students in the M.A. program

The MA in Religion offers students exposure to cutting edge theoretical approaches to the study of religion while deepening their knowledge of a specific religious tradition or pursuing in-depth the engagement of religion with another related discipline. Students also have the option of pursuing extensive study in languages taught at few other universities, including Sanskrit, Classical Chinese, Hebrew, Arabic, etc., as an important step toward developing scholarly expertise in their chosen field.  This is a flexible program designed to give students training in the basic theories and methods of religious studies and exposure to current research interests within the Department, with special attention paid to the place of religion in public life across various religious traditions. In addition to the core program of three required seminars, students may choose to specialize in several different ways.  They may focus on:

1. a specific religious tradition or field of study (including philosophy of religion, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, East Asian religions, South Asian religions, or North American religions); or
2. one of five zones of inquiry (time, transmission, space, the body, or media); or
3. an interdisciplinary focus (such as religion and the law, religion and art, religion and human rights, etc.), taking advantage of related course offerings available across the university.    

All students must take 30 points of coursework (which does not include elementary or intermediate language study).  The required 30 points includes three required seminars, 1) “Theory and Method,” 2) a research methods course (“Religion Lab” or a similar course in Religion, Anthropology or Sociology), and 3) “Religion and Public Life;” a minimum of 4 electives in the student’s chosen specialization (which may include one independent study); and the capstone paper/thesis course in which students may write either a thesis or an article-length scholarly paper.  Students opting to develop their language skills, including those intending eventually to pursue a PhD in Religion, take additional language coursework and usually choose to complete the MA in 3 to 4 semesters.  Students may begin language study at any level.  Completion of the M.A. does not automatically lead to admission to the Ph.D. program.

Program of Study

To be arranged individually with a faculty advisor who is designated by the departmental director of graduate studies.

Sample program without language study (2 semesters):

Fall semester:

• Theory and Method 
• Religion methods       
• Electives                     

Spring semester:

• Religion and Public Life   
• Electives                               

Capstone paper/thesis course:

Sample program with beginning language study (4 semesters):

Year 1 fall semester:

• Theory and Method           
• Elementary language I          
• Elective                              

Year 1 spring semester:

• Religion and Public Life 
• Elementary language II      
• Elective         

Year 2 fall semester:

• Religion methods 
• Intermediate language I  
• Elective    

Year 2 spring semester:

• Intermediate language II 
• Elective                           
• Capstone thesis course:      

Sample program with intermediate language study (3 semesters):

Year 1 fall semester:

• Theory and Method 
• Intermediate language I   
• Religion methods        
• Elective   

Year 1 spring semester:

• Religion and Public Life 
• Intermediate language II  
• Electives  

Year 2 fall semester:

• Advanced language I   
• Electives                            
• Thesis/paper course (ind. study)

Course and Residence Unit requirements

Students must complete two Residence Units and a minimum of 30 points at the 4000 level or higher. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 (B) to remain in good standing in the program.  At least 30 points must be taken for a letter grade of B or better.

Students must successfully complete the following required courses:

• Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (4 points)
• Religion methods (4 points)
• Religion and Public Life
• Capstone Writing course

Examination

Students must arrange an individual oral examination based on either a thesis or an article-length scholarly paper.  The exam is to be administered by a two-member faculty committee selected by the student and approved by the DGS.

Timetable

Full-time students are expected to complete the program in two to four semesters.  Part-time students must complete the program within eight semesters. The requirements for the part-time M.A. are the same as for the full-time M.A.

Requirements

• The Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam meeting the minimum score of 100 on the online portion or 600 on the written portion. Information about the TOEFL can be found at the ETS TOEFL website.
• Uploading an unofficial transcript to your application showing a degree obtained from an undergraduate or graduate institution where English is the primary language of instruction.
• Uploading an unofficial transcript to your application showing at least one year of full-time advanced study at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction in addition to your unofficial undergraduate transcript. *The School of the Arts reserves the right to verify your English proficiency through an interview*.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

The department may provide partial tuition awards to select students based on academic achievement and potential. M.A. students are eligible to apply for both academic year and summer foreign language and area studies (FLAS) Fellowships, which provide tuition and stipend support.  Applicants must plan to study a relevant foreign language during both terms of their fellowship, and must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.  Students applying to the M.A. program may also be eligible for both federal work-study and loan programs.