The master of arts (M.A.) degree in religion is designed for those seeking to advance their knowledge at a graduate level as preparation for top-ranked doctoral-level work in religious studies, or for careers in other fields such as education, publishing, social work, community service, and public affairs. Students, particularly educators and professionals working in religious communities or other fields, may pursue the M.A. part time.

Rutgers' program draws on the strength of its faculty in areas such as religions in America, religion and conflict, and contemplative studies. This innovative program addresses several pressing needs of our post-9/11 world in critically studying core components of religion, from its most sublime aspect--such as contemplation--to its most horrifying aspects--such as violence--across historical and cultural boundaries. We examine the historical genealogies of these components as well as their contemporary reincarnations within the context of religious modernity and secularism.

Students in the M.A. program will be exposed to the primary interpretive models that have developed in the Western study of religion since the Enlightenment, including historical, sociological, political, philosophical, psychological, and scientific perspectives on the phenomenon of religion. In addition, they will study the universe of meaning internal to a particular religious tradition including its primary texts, liturgy, theology, soteriology, ethics, hermeneutics, conceptual framework, and epistemology. Working closely with a world-class faculty, students will attain an in-depth understanding of the indigenous contexts within which the world's major religions arose and appreciate their transformations within the American context.

M.A. students are required to take 10 courses, comprising 30 credits: Theories of the Study of Religion, plus nine courses in at least four of the following seven areas: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, religion and conflict, contemplative studies, and religions in America. M.A. students have two options for final assessment: 1) M.A. thesis: the thesis should not be shorter than 50 pages. It requires the approval of a thesis committee, consisting of the adviser and two readers; 2) A capstone project: the capstone paper, integrating various aspects of the student's academic studies, should not be shorter than 30 pages. Two readers are required to approve the final product.

Although we do not require the acquisition of a foreign language for the M.A. degree, to encourage language study we will allow a maximum of two upper-division language courses (6 credits), relevant to the student's area of study, to be counted toward the degree.

Bachelor's-Master's Dual Degree (4+1) Program

Qualified students in the B.A. program in religious studies at Rutgers can apply to the M.A. program in their junior year, and if accepted they may take up to 12 graduate credits in their senior year, although no courses may be counted toward both degrees.