Religion PhD
Program
This degree is offered conjointly with the Département des sciences religieuses of the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Faculté de théologie et de sciences religieuses of the Université Laval. There are five areas of concentration: theories of religion, history of religions, contemporary religious phenomena, Judaic studies, and comparative religion and ethics. A student chooses to register in one of the three universities on the basis of the match between faculty expertise and the student’s specialization, and is subject to that university’s regulations. Each student is graduated by the university of their registration. The joint degree provides a context for collaboration between the three departments, with some exchange of faculty for teaching and direction. There are two required doctoral seminars one of which is common to students at all three universities in alternate years.
The doctoral program in Religion at Concordia places strong emphasis on a comparative approach. The comparative study of religion incorporates a number of different but related inquiries, including: examination of the inter-relations between religious beliefs and practices; analysis of religions as social and cultural phenomena and of cultures and societies insofar as they have been influenced by religious traditions; study of inter-relations between religions and human values; investigation of religious ethics; as well as analysis of social issues from the perspective of religious values. These studies are comparative insofar as particular expressions of religions and ethics are viewed as unique but historically situated realities which often can best be understood by making formal or informal comparisons with other comparable realities.
Although the requirements are fundamentally the same in all three universities, the remainder of this section applies only to students registered at Concordia.
Admission Requirements
- MA in Religion, or equivalent, with high standing from a recognized university.
- Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the English language proficiency page for further information on requirements and exemptions.
Additional Admission Requirements
The Department will consider the application of students to the PhD program for entry without completion of the master's degree if the following requirements are met:
- the student has completed 18 credits of graduate level course work in Religion with high standing;
- the student is recommended by full-time members of the faculty of the Department of Religions and Cultures;
- the student has acquired a breadth of knowledge in the study of Religion through course work or scholarly or professional experience;
- the student has demonstrated her or his ability to do independent graduate-level research in religious studies, and has demonstrated the ability to produce an original analysis of her/his research (in the form of research papers, conference papers, or publications);
- the student has a well-formed and focused research plan that will serve as a basis for her/his doctoral research.
Transfer Credits. See Transfer Credits in Graduate Admissions section.
Degree Requirements
Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 90 credits.
Please see the Religions and Cultures Courses page for course descriptions.
Religion PhD (90 credits)
| 6 | credits:
|
| 6 | credits chosen from the Seminar of Specialization:
Religion PhD students should enrol in either RELI 891 or RELI 892, according to their specialization, in the first or second or equivalent year of the program. |
| 18 | credits of Directed Reading Courses, offered according to the resources of the department and the needs of the students, chosen from the following lists: PhD Topics in Judaic Studies (PhD) Topics in Religions and Cultures (PhD) Note: Some of the courses at the Master of Arts level are open to PhD candidates, with the requirement of additional work and higher standards of performance. |
| 15 | credits:
|
| 45 | credits:
|
Topics in Judaic Studies (PhD)
Topics in Religions and Cultures (PhD)
Additional Degree Requirements
Doctoral Seminars. All candidates must register for RELI 890 in their first or second or equivalent year of study.
In the first or second or equivalent year of the program, the student will register as well for one of the following seminars according to their specialization: RELI 891 or RELI 892 .
Courses. A student is required to register for a minimum of 18 credits of directed reading. These courses are offered according to the resources of the department and the needs of the students. They are grouped into PhD Topics in Religions and Cultures and PhD Topics in Judaic Studies. Some of the courses at the Master of Arts level are open to PhD candidates, with the requirement of additional work and higher standards of performance.
Language Requirement. Students must achieve an acceptable command of the classical and/or modern languages appropriate to their area of specialization. Specific requirements in terms of numbers of years of study and examinations or other demonstrations of competence are established in consultation with the Graduate Program Director and the thesis supervisor. Students are also expected to be proficient in the language or languages of the primary sources relevant to their thesis research. All Canadian students are required to demonstrate a working knowledge of both English and French.Academic Regulations
- Academic Standing. Please refer to the Academic Standing section of the Calendar for a detailed review of the Academic Regulations.
- Residence. The minimum period of residence is two years (6 terms) of full-time graduate study beyond the master’s degree, or the equivalent in part time study, or three years (9 terms) of full-time graduate study beyond the bachelor’s degree.
- Time Limit. Please refer to the Academic Regulations page for further details regarding the Time Limits.
- Graduation Requirement. In order to graduate, students must have satisfied all degree requirements and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.