Our Ph.D. program mentors future scholar-teachers who stand at the forefront of the contemporary study of religion. Our doctoral program combines the personal attention and flexibility of a smaller program with the resources of a large, public research university, including opportunities for language study, interdisciplinary collaboration, and teaching experience. We emphasize doctoral work that combines guided and individualized research, and so we look for creative, self-driven students who will work closely with our faculty.
Religious Studies Ph.D.
Your first contact for information about requirements, financial aid, and other aspects of our program is our Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
Requirements
In order to receive a Ph.D.at Indiana University, you must complete the following:
- 90 credits of coursework.
- Two revised research papers.
- Show proficiency in two modern languages of scholarship (French and German) and any necessary primary source languages required by the field. Other modern languages may be substituted for French or German with the approval of the director of graduate studies and your advisors.
- Successful completion of qualifying exams.
- Submission of a dissertation.
If you have conducted graduate work elsewhere, you may transfer all or part of that work and receive credit at Indiana University with the approval of the director of graduate studies. Up to 30 hours may be transferred and counted toward the 90 hours required for the Ph.D. However, graduate work done elsewhere is not automatically transferable.
Learn about our fields of study Learn more in our Student Portal
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