The doctoral program in Religious Studies enrolls about thirty students. The department typically admits four or five doctoral students each year, all of whom receive a five-year funding package of fellowships, teaching assistantships, and tuition for the academic year. In addition we offer summer support for three summers.

The majority of current students in the doctoral program work in the three fields of Buddhist Studies, Judaism, and Modern Western Religious Thought and Practice, with others engaged in individually designed fields, such as Chinese religions and religious ethics. With the recent addition of professors, Bashir and Sadeghi, Islamic Studies is our newest field of strength in the department. Within these broad fields, students are expected to declare an area of specialization in a particular period, topic, or corpus of materials.

The field of Buddhist Studies, directed by Carl Bielefeldt and Paul Harrison, encompasses Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese Buddhism in their historical and cultural contexts. Training emphasizes research in primary sources and requires reading knowledge of the languages relevant to the area of specialization, which may include Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan. The field recognizes a wide range of approaches to the understanding of Buddhism, and students are encouraged to design their own course of study, to explore a variety of academic disciplines, and to undertake independent research. The department's program works closely with the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies, which provides library and study facilities, research support, and extracurricular activities. Students may also draw on the curricular and library resources of the nearby University of California, Berkeley, and participate in Stanford's graduate student exchange program with other universities.

Jewish Studies faculty in the Department of Religious Studies specialize in Jewish Antiquity, a period that extends from the biblical age to the rise of Islam. The program is designed to encourage both breath and depth, grounding its students in the history and culture(s) of the entire period while also developing their ability to interpret specific literary corpora--either the Hebrew Bible, Second Temple period literature, and/or rabbinic literature.

Our approach, whatever the student's specific concentration, is not defined by rigid methodological or historiographical boundaries and we are decidedly inter-disciplinary, drawing on cultural and literary theory, ritual studies, gender studies and other approaches to sharpen the questions we ask and stimulate new approaches to the literary evidence. As with other fields in Religious Studies, it is possible for students in the Judaism field to design a concentration outside Jewish Studies, in fields such as classics, history, anthropology, and philosophy. While we are a small program, our students benefit from resources both within Stanford and from without, including a steady flow of outstanding visiting scholars, collaborative relationships with other institutions, and opportunities to study abroad.

The field of Modern Religious Thought, Ethics, and Philosophy comprises the critical study of European and North American religious thought, the philosophy of religion, religious ethics, post-Enlightenment theology, and related literature in light of the intellectual, cultural, and social challenges posed by modernity and post-modernity. Students will normally specialize in one or two of these areas, but will be expected to gain broad competence in the key texts, problematics, and perspectives of these normative modes of inquiry in the study of religion. They are encouraged to take graduate level courses in relevant programs throughout the university, such as Philosophy, History, German Studies and other departments in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages; and Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities. Successful applicants will possess an outstanding academic record and demonstrate a good fit with the research interests of the core faculty working in this field. Thomas Sheehan works in contemporary continental philosophy (especially Heidegger) and contemporary Catholic thought (Karl Rahner, Bernard Lonergan) as well as in classical metaphysics (Aristotle, Plotinus, Aquinas) and first-century Christianity. Brent Sockness teaches a variety of thinkers and movements in the history of modern European religious thought since the Enlightenment. His research focuses on German Protestant theology and ethics in the 19th century, most recently the theology, philosophy, and ethics of Schleiermacher. Lee Yearley specializes in comparative religious ethics and poetics with a focus on selected subjects in China and the West. Hester Gelber works in late medieval theology and philosophy, providing background necessary for understanding the continuities and discontinuities of modern religious thought with its medieval antecedents. Barbara Pitkin specializes in early modern European religious thought and the religious reforms of the sixteenth century that formed the immediate context for the development of modern worldviews and societies.

The field of Islamic Studies is concerned with religious thought as well as the intellectual and social history of Muslim societies. Although open to all sub-fields of Islamic studies, the program is particularly appropriate for students whose interests coincide with the work of Professors Behnam Sadeki (Islamic origins, Quran and hadith, Islamic law) and Shahzad Bashir (Sufism, Shi’ism, religious history of Iran, Central Asia, and India). Students are expected to acquire competence in two Islamic languages (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, etc.) along with fulfilling departmental requirements for languages necessary for a mastery of modern scholarship. The program aims to prepare students to work extensively with primary sources in conjunction with paying self-conscious attention to research methodologies in religious studies and related fields. Departmental offerings in religious studies are an integral part of the Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies at Stanford and students are expected to work with faculty in other departments, such as history, history of art, comparative literature, and anthropology. Along with building research competence, the program trains students to teach broadly in Islamic Studies.

The doctoral program involves three years of course work, followed by a qualifying examination in the field and area of specialization, and writing the dissertation. Total time to degree varies considerably, but most students take at least six years. (To fund extra years, many students apply for outside fellowships.)

Although course requirements may vary according to field, in general, the doctoral program encourages students to design their own curriculum, including work outside the department. All students take two seminars in theories and methods, a reading course on recent scholarship in religious studies, and two courses in a field outside their own, and a pedagogy seminar.

Reading competency in two modern foreign languages (one of which must be French or German) is required of all students. Additional languages, both modern and classical, may be required by particular fields and areas of specialization.

The program emphasizes preparation for both scholarship and teaching. During the third year, students work with the faculty to prepare a publishable paper in their area of specialization. In addition to TAing, they will also at some point serve as a Teaching Intern for a course in their field.

A number of opportunities are available for extracurricular participation in the life of the department. Students run a graduate association, which organizes events, including an annual colloquium and the pedagogy seminar for teaching assistants. The association elects a representative who attends faculty meetings and works on student issues with the chair and graduate director. Students serve on admissions, faculty search, and other committees of the department.

Beyond Stanford: Doctoral students in the department may make arrangements to study for limited periods at other universities. The university maintains a cross-registration policy with the University of California, Berkeley, that enables students to receive Stanford credit for courses taken at Berkeley. For information, contact the registrar's office.

Stanford also participates in an Exchange Scholar Program, which facilitates arrangements for visits of up to one year to selected U.S. universities. The current list of institutions includes: University of California, Berkeley, Brown University, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

Students considering extended study at another institution should consult with their advisor, the Graduate Director, and faculty at the host institution. To apply for an exchange, please contact your home institution's Office of the Registrar.

For more specific information regarding courses offered, steps to degree, and admission requirements, please download the Stanford Bulletin.

The MA in Religious Studies is a one-year program that seeks to introduce students to the advanced study of religion. It is open both to students who intend to continue on to pursue a doctorate in the discipline and to those for whom it will be a terminal degree in religious studies.

The department's masters program is by intention a small one. Admission is limited by space available in any given year. Stanford undergraduates may apply for the university's coterminal MA program.

There is no department funding for masters students.

Unlike doctoral students, masters candidates need not declare a field of study. Rather, they are encouraged to work with their advisor to design a coherent course of study tailored to their specific goals.

The MA program does not require a thesis. Students may, however, choose to write a substantial research essay as a part of their program. The essay may count for a maximum of nine of the total 45 academic units required for the degree.

In addition to their elective course work, masters students are expected to enroll in either RELIGST 290, the Majors Seminar, or one quarter of the department's doctoral seminar in Theories and Methods (304A or 304B), the latter by consent of the instructor. Student's working toward their M.A. must also demonstrate reading knowledge of one modern foreign language.

Students in the department's doctoral program may apply for the MA degree en passant once they have completed the equivalent requirements.

Enrollment in the MA program is neither a prerequisite for, nor a preferred gateway to, admission into the department's PhD program.

To submit your online application, see Stanford's Graduate Admissions website.

Each year, the Department of Religious Studies admits a small number of students to graduate study. Although numbers vary considerably from year to year, the department typically receives some fifty to sixty applications, from which it selects four or five for the doctoral program and a smaller number for the masters program.

Application files are screened by a department admissions committee, which recommends a limited number of files for the deliberation and decision of the entire professoriate. Notification of the result of the selection process normally occurs in late February. Students receiving offers of admission have until April 15 to respond. They may apply to the department for funds to visit Stanford before making their decision on the offer.

Two principal factors play a role in the selection process: the qualifications of the applicant, and the match between the applicant's interests and the department's resources.

The professoriate judges applicants on a combination of talent, preparation, and scholarly promise. Primary considerations include significant academic background in religious studies and in the languages necessary for research; strong letters of support from academic references; clarity and maturity in the statement of purpose; and evidence of intellectual gift in the writing sample. While the MA program is more flexible in this regard, admission to the PhD program is generally limited to applicants planning an academic career in religious studies.

Considerable weight is given in the selection process to the question of whether the department's resources are appropriate for the candidate. Generally speaking, only those applicants whose intellectual agenda matches well with the department's faculty resources are likely to be selected. Applications to the PhD program in particular are judged in relation to the fields of doctoral study offered by the department.

Given that the chances of admission (and of subsequent success in the program) are strongly influenced by the fit between student and faculty interests, applicants are well advised to become as familiar as possible with the department's intellectual profile before applying.

Prospective applicants to the PhD program will want to determine whether their interests would fit comfortably into a field of study offered in the department or could be adequately supported as an individually designed field by department faculty. To this end, they should familiarize themselves with the expectations of the relevant field and the type of work being done by faculty and doctoral students in the department. Direct consultation with faculty and doctoral students is recommended.

The deadline for application is January 5, 2010 for consideration for admission in the following autumn. The application process is the same for both PhD and MA candidates.

There is no separate application for financial aid. Candidates admitted into the PhD program automatically receive full funding by requesting it on the application form. There is no funding available for MA students.

All applications should include the following:

• Completed application form (including, for PhD applications, indication of intended field of study in the department)
• Application fee
• Statement of purpose (in application)
• 2 copies of each transcript (sent directly to the department)
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (no more than 5 years old)
• Three letters of recommendation (via online application or sent directly to the department)
• Writing sample of recent work on a religious studies topic (sent directly to the department)

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
• Test of Spoken English (TSE)