Princeton University was a pioneer in developing the academic study of religion outside the context of theological seminaries and without formal ties to particular religious traditions. In 1946, Princeton founded the Department of Religion in the division of the humanities, and nine years later began a graduate program in religion.
Graduate students in the department are expected to work full time toward their degrees, normally in residence, and to complete the program within five years. All students work toward the Ph.D.; there is no separate master's program. An M.A. degree may be awarded after students pass the general examination, normally completed by the middle of the third year of graduate work.
The Department of Religion offers broad coverage of materials and issues traditionally treated under such rubrics as history of religion, philosophy of religion, church history, Judaic studies, Buddhist studies, Western religious thought, and religious ethics. It also devotes much attention to subjects that do not fall neatly into any of the standard categories. It offers extensive resources, for example, in the comparative study of popular religions, and most members of the faculty are engaged in serious reflection on methodological and conceptual issues that are not unique to a special field. While the department encourages its graduate students to work out innovative programs of study and to make use of the full range of available resources, it also requires each student to demonstrate mastery within one of the fields of concentration:
(1) Asian religions (religious traditions of China, Japan, India, and Tibet)
(2) Religions of Mediterranean antiquity (Christianity, Judaism, and other religious traditions of the Greco-Roman world)
(3) Religion in America (religious thought, institutions, movements, and cultures in the Americas, including African American religions)
(4) Philosophy and Religion (religious uses of philosophical ideas, philosophical criticisms of religion, philosophical issues in the study of religion)
(5) Religion, ethics, and politics (relations among religious, ethical, and political dimensions of culture)
(6) Islam: this field is devoted to the study of Islamic beliefs, practices, and institutions within the cultural and historical context of Muslim societies.