Bachelor of Religious Studies at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven

University Rank:#21

The Religious Studies at Yale University is a Bachelor program designed for students who want to build the knowledge and skills required for careers in this field. Delivered on campus at the university's main campus in New Haven , United States of America, the program is taught in English and takes 4 years to complete. Students study in a Full Time environment while preparing for future professional opportunities. The next intake starts on August 31, 2027.

About Bachelor of Religious Studies

Director of undergraduate studies: Travis Zadeh, 420 York Street, 432-6532; religiousstudies.yale.edu

Religious Studies offers a curriculum of challenging coursework that explores and critically analyzes religious traditions and systems of value. The many diverse courses delve into the history and meaning of rituals, canonical and non-canonical texts, and theological and social categories and how they have been shaped by and construct institutions, habits, hierarchies, and collectives. The study of religion probes the organization of society, gender roles, global affairs, war, violence, terrorism, and conflicting orthodoxies. Multiple disciplinary lenses and methodological approaches inform and shape the field, including: anthropology, history, philosophy, philology, psychology, and sociology. Courses on religious practices and formations span the globe over the course of history, from antiquity until the present day. The curriculum also addresses competing value systems that circulate in pop culture and politics, with studies of fundamentalism, spirituality, secularism, atheism, and consumerism.

The Department of Religious Studies is particularly known for its promotion of scholarly research by undergraduates. The tight cohort of majors have the unique opportunity to work closely with leading scholars of the field. The curriculum enables majors to acquire the linguistic, philosophical, and historical acumen necessary for in-depth research projects during their senior year. While courses normally have no prerequisites, some advanced seminars may require the permission of the instructor. The multidisciplinary nature of Religious Studies makes it attractive both for students seeking two majors and for those seeking to delve deep into a field of study as it relates broadly to the humanities.

Requirements of the Major

The Religious Studies major requires twelve term courses, to include a core of five courses, a junior seminar (RLST 490), a two-term senior essay (see below) and four electives. Religious Studies majors develop specialized areas of expertise as they plan a coherent program in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) and other members of the faculty.

Core requirement A core of five courses in Religious Studies is required of all majors and should be selected in consultation with the DUS. These courses should originate in the Religious Studies department and carry a RLST subject code. One of the core courses must be an introductory course, numbered 001-199; another must introduce breadth into the student's core area of study; the remaining three courses must form a cohesive cohort of courses leading students to the area of expertise upon which they write their senior essay.

ElectivesThe four elective courses are designed to complement a student's area of expertise. Collectively they should form the basis for advanced work in the major conducted during the senior year. These electives can be taken either within or beyond the Department of Religious Studies. They can comprise language study, topics and methods from other disciplines, or further advanced coursework within the department. Through these electives, students develop expertise in methods, regions, historical periods, or bodies of literature that inform their area of study and their work for the senior essay. Students pursuing a double major or an outside certificate may count up to two courses taken for the fulfillment of their other major or certificate toward the elective requirement in Religious Studies.

Senior Requirement

Students must write a senior essay under the supervision of a faculty adviser in the student's area of concentration. In selecting a senior essay topic, students normally choose a subject on which they have completed coursework before commencing the senior year. The essay counts as two term courses toward the major and is taken in both terms of the senior year. The student should begin choosing a senior essay topic during the second term of the junior year, and early in the first term of the senior year must submit a Statement of Intention approved by a faculty adviser and the DUS. The senior essay courses, RLST 491 and 492, include research and writing assignments as well as colloquia in which seniors present and discuss their research. Students submit at least ten pages of the essay to the DUS by the last day of classes in the first term in order to receive a grade of "satisfactory" for that term.

ADVISING

Students majoring in Religious Studies who plan to do graduate work in the subject are strongly encouraged to study the languages that they will need for their graduate programs.

Courses in the Divinity School Some Divinity School courses may count toward the major, with permission of the DUS. Divinity School faculty are eligible to advise senior essays. Information about courses and faculty may be found in the Divinity School online bulletin.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR

Prerequisites None

Number of courses 12 term courses (incl senior req)

Specific course required RLST 490

Distribution of courses 5 core courses to include: 1 intro course, 1 breadth course, 3 core RLST courses; 4 electives, as described and with DUS permission

Substitution permittedDivinity School courses, with DUS permission

Senior requirement Senior essay (RLST 491, 492)

Disciplines

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Religious Studies at Yale University

Entry Requirements

$80 application fee or fee waiver
Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor
School Report with transcript
Standardized test results (ACT or SAT) - not required for fall 2023 admission. (See below)
English proficiency test results - required for non-native English-speakers (See below)
Mid-Year Report & Final Report

See additional details about these required application components below.

Please note that if your application materials include any documents that are not in English, you must provide an official English translation in addition to the original documents.

$80 application fee or fee waiver

Applicants should pay the $80 application fee via the Common Application or Coalition Application website.

Applicants using the Common Application or Coalition Application may request that the application fee be waived. Learn more on the fee waiver page. The fee waiver scale is based on family size and income in US dollars but is applicable to all international students.

Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor

Request recommendations from two teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects (e.g. English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your final or next-to-final year of secondary school.

Also request a recommendation from your school’s college counselor. If your counselor does not know you well, the recommendation may still provide helpful contextual information about your school and its academic programs. If your school does not have someone serving as a college counselor, please request a recommendation from a school administrator such as a house master, principal, or academic advisor.

School Report with transcript

Your counselor or other school official should submit a School Report with an official transcript that includes all your secondary school courses. If a question on the School Report form is not applicable to your secondary school, leave it blank.

Recommendations and transcripts should be submitted electronically through the Common Application or Coalition Application website. If necessary, teachers and counselors may also submit their recommendations and transcripts via mail or digital upload. Recommendations may be sent before or after you submit your application; materials that arrive before your application will be kept on file. The admissions office will make reasonable allowances for late school documents in situations where it is not possible for teachers and counselors to meet the application deadlines.

Standardized test results

In response to the extraordinary circumstances associated with the pandemic, Yale has temporarily suspended its requirement that first-year and transfer applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT. The change will be in effect during the 2022-23 admissions cycles for applicants who intend to matriculate in fall 2023.

More information on Yale’s test policies is available on the standardized testing page. Standardized tests are just one component of a student’s application and are viewed within the context of the student’s entire file. There is no minimum score required for admission, nor is there a score that will guarantee admission.

English proficiency exams

Yale requires that non-native English-speakers who have not taken at least two years of secondary education where English is the medium of instruction submit the results from any of the proficiency tests listed below.

The TOEFL requires pre-registration for available testing dates. Yale’s most competitive applicants have scores of at least 100 on the internet-based TOEFL.

The IELTS offers proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have IELTS scores of 7 or higher.

Cambridge English exams are available at testing locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have Cambridge English scores of 185 or higher on the C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, or B2 First exams.

Applicants may submit the Duolingo English Test (DET), which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows applicants to complete the test at any time or place with internet access. Yale’s most competitive applicants have DET scores of at least 120.

InitialView provides live, unscripted video interviews that candidates may submit to colleges for consideration with other application materials. Interview times must be reserved in advance. There is no scoring associated with these interviews.

Mid-Year Report & Final Report

Students who do not receive new secondary school grades by February 1, including students who have already completed secondary school, are not required to submit a Mid-Year Report. This includes many international students. Applicants who receive new grades by February 1 should submit a Mid-Year Report.

Only admitted students are required to submit the Final Report, which provides final secondary school grades and examination marks. Admitted students submit the Final Report in the summer before fall matriculation.

If your secondary school provides predicted results for external exams such as A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, and other international or national testing organizations, they should be submitted by your school alongside your transcript or Mid-Year Report.

Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Religious Studies at Yale University

Application Fee 80

How to Apply for Bachelor of Religious Studies at Yale University

All applicants for first-year admission must submit one of the following:

The Coalition Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The Common Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The QuestBridge National College Match Application

Yale will accept any one of these applications, without preference for one over another. Students should submit one—and only one—application per admissions cycle.

Bachelor of Religious Studies at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven