Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies
The doctoral program in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies trains students to become advanced practitioners of the study of religion—researchers, scholars, teachers, and facilitators of informed public discourse.
It can prepare a person to become a college professor or to bring a nuanced, critical understanding of religion and its influences to such careers as medicine, nursing, law, diplomacy, ministry, social advocacy, journalism, counseling, and informatics.
It is the expectation that PhD students will complete their studies in six years (five for those who come into the program with an MA and transfer credit).
For additional information on the PhD program, including requirements, see the program book and other documents below.
Graduate study in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies analyzes how diverse religious traditions originate, develop, and interact over time. Students learn to identify and use multiple methods for the study of religion, including historical, philosophical, ethical, literary, linguistic, psychological, ethnographic, and digital approaches.
Students can draw on the expertise of the entire religious studies faculty and are also encouraged to work with faculty members in other UI departments who specialize in their areas of interest. Many religious studies graduate students work, for example, with faculty in Anthropology, English, History, and Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures, as well as Classics and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies.
Graduate study in the department is flexible. It can accommodate individual students’ interests within the limits of existing faculty expertise.
Areas of concentration
Programs of graduate study are often developed in relation to one of the following traditional areas of concentration.
Religions of Southwest Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean
- Religion, law, and politics in the Islamic world
- The history of interpretation of the texts and traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- Greco-Roman and Egyptian religion and culture
- Digital humanities
Religions of East Asia
- Religious traditions of China and the political, social, and economic factors that have shaped them
- Modern religion and culture in Korea, most notably Christianity
- Religion and gender in transnational perspective
- Religion and empire
Religions of the United States and the Transatlantic World
- History and ethnography of religion in the US
- African American religious traditions (Christianity, Islam, and African diaspora religions)
- West African religions
- Religion, media, and the negotiation of technological change
- Latina/o/x Christianity
Religion, ethics, and society
- Religion and morality
- Religion, emotion, and affect
- Human rights
- Religions’ relationships to gender, race, ethnicity, and social justice
- Ethics of medicine and biotechnology
- Religion and health
Programs can also be developed by theme. Common themes include:
- Religious diversity in public life
- Religion and gender
- Religion and race
- Religion and media
- Religion, health, and healing
Departmental documents and forms for the PhD
Documents
- PhD program book
- Mutual expectations
- Benchmarks and guidelines for PhD success
- Guidelines for dissertation prospectus (from Department of Comparative Studies, Ohio State University)
- Guidelines for the doctoral dissertation (from The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
- Graduate College Manual of Rules and Regulations
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Current course list
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