Religion

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department for the Study of Religion's additional admission requirements stated below.

Normally, an appropriate bachelor's degree with specialization in religion or a cognate discipline from a recognized university, broadly equivalent to the University of Toronto's BA Specialist degree in religion, with at least A– standing in the final year. Students without appropriate preparation may be required to take additional work either before admission or during an extended master's program.

Courses. Students must complete 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) including:

• RLG2000Y Major Research Paper.

• RLG1200H MA Method and Theory Workshop.

• One Gateway Seminar (0.5 FCE).

• One additional Religion course (0.5 FCE).

• In some cases, students may be required to take additional courses, some of which may be at the undergraduate level. Students may be required to take more than 4.0 FCEs if their preparation is considered deficient in a subject required for their program.

• Satisfactory performance requires the completion of all coursework taken for graduate credit with an average grade of at least A–.

Language(s). Reading knowledge of at least one language, in addition to English, selected from languages of modern scholarship and/or necessary source languages, as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department for the Study of Religion's additional admission requirements stated below.

Normally, completion of all requirements of the department's MA program, or a comparable program at another university, with an average of at least A– in coursework and with no individual course falling below B.

Courses. Students must complete a minimum of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs), including the following:

• RLG1000Y Method and Theory in the Study of Religion.

• One Gateway Seminar (0.5 FCE).

• Two additional Religion courses (1.0 FCE).

• Students may be required to take more than 4.0 FCEs if their preparation is considered deficient in a subject required for their program.

• Satisfactory performance requires the completion of all coursework taken for graduate credit with an average grade of at least A–.

Languages. Reading knowledge of at least two languages in addition to English, selected from languages of scholarship and necessary source languages, as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Classical and modern forms of the same language are not permitted. The language requirements must be fulfilled before writing the general examinations. Students who complete a language requirement in the department’s MA program with a grade of B+ or higher are exempt from having to repeat this language in the PhD program.

Professionalization seminar. Doctoral students must complete SRD4444Y Doctoral Seminar Series. This seminar consists of a series of workshops which must be completed to fulfil the requirement.

General examinations. Upon completion of coursework and language requirements, the student's supervisory committee will set General Examinations to assess the student's readiness for thesis research. There are three components in the General Examinations:

• A four-hour written examination will cover the student’s broad area or subfield;

• A four-hour written examination will cover material pertinent to the student's dissertation topic; and

• A two-hour oral examination on all materials assigned for the General Examinations.

A student who fails any portion of the General Examinations may be re-examined once, no later than nine months after the date of the first examination. The General Examinations must be completed before the end of the third year of doctoral study.

Thesis proposal. Within three months of successful completion of the General Examinations, the student must submit a thesis proposal for approval by the student's supervisory committee.

Thesis. Upon approval of the thesis proposal by the student's supervisory committee, the candidate proceeds to research and write a doctoral thesis which must be defended successfully at a Doctoral Final Oral Examination.

Colloquium presentation. Once general examinations are completed, PhD candidates are required to present at least once in the Department for the Study of Religion's colloquium before undertaking their Doctoral Final Oral Examination.

Doctoral Final Oral Examination. The supervisory committee must approve the completed thesis before it is submitted for examination.

Residence. Students are required to spend at least two Fall and Winter sessions on campus in full-time study, normally in Years 1 and 2.