Master of Arts (MA) Degree in the field of Religion

MA Degree in the field of Religion

Upon completing the MA degree in the field of Religion, students will be able to:

1. Develop and apply critical toolkit to the study of religion and religious traditions, including (inter)disciplinary methodologies and theories at a level of mastery.
   (Critical Skill Study of Religion: Theory, Method and (Inter)Disciplinarity)
2. Understand and interpret religious traditions by examining religion(s) as historical, social, and cultural phenomena. When appropriate, attention is given to the impact of globalism, immigration, colonialism, and other forms of transnational and multi-cultural (non)religious exchange at a level of mastery.
   (Historical, Social, (Multi-)Cultural Dimensions of Religion)
3. Understand and interpret the subjective dimensions of religion(s) through analyses that explore the psychological, philosophical, and cognitive dynamics of religion and religious experience at a level of mastery.
   (Psychological, Philosophical, and Cognitive Dimensions of Religion)
4. Understand and interpret religious traditions by examining the plurality of religious voices and expressions, including currents that have been marginalized, neglected, repressed, and censored in a variety of sociological, psychological, philosophical, and political ways at a level of mastery.
   (Religious Plurality and Marginal Currents)
5. Develop the ability to read and understand relevant scholarly research/literature that has been published in foreign languages. Develop the ability to read religious texts in their original languages and perform translations of texts when appropriate to the student’s course of study at a level of mastery.
   (Foreign Language Skills)

MA Degree in field of Religion

MA degree is a thesis master’s degree. For general university requirements, please see Thesis Master’s Degrees. regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, . Students pursuing MA degree in field of Religion must complete:

• A minimum of 50 courses (30 credit hours) to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at 500-level or above).
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
• A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of full-time graduate study at Rice University.
• A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
• A Graduate Methods Seminar.
• A secondary language reading exam (French or German).
• A comprehensive exam on Method and Theory in study of religion.
• A master’s thesis developed from a paper in a course that represents student’s interests in study of religion.
• An oral defense of thesis with student and three faculty members who have worked with student. Candidacy, defense, and thesis submission will follow guidelines described here. 
• A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
• A minimum program GPA of 3.00 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies thesis master’s degree with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in departmental (RELI) course offerings.

courses listed below satisfy this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of program's academic advisor, or where applicable, department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by department or program's Official Certifier. Additionally, these must be approved by Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document courses to be taken.

The English Language Proficiency Requirement may be waived for an international student who received a degree from an institution in which English is the official language of communication. Contact the admitting program for more information.

The following language proficiency tests are accepted by Rice graduate programs and will be used to assess English language proficiency. Please note the below scores are the minimum requirement, though some program requirements will be higher.

• The TOEFL IBT Home. A minimum score of 90 is required
• IELTS Indicator. A minimum score of 7 is required.
• Duolingo. A minimum score of 115 is required.

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