Religious Studies Advisement

TRANSFER CREDIT FOR COURSES TAKEN AT OTHER SCHOOLS

Students may apply to be given credit by ETSU for courses taken in religious studies at other schools. Courses will generally be accepted for credit if: (1) the school at which they were taken is accredited by the appropriate regional accredited body, and (2) clearly parallel courses offered by ETSU in contents and level (i.e. at what level the course is numbered, relative to numbers assigned to ETSU courses with comparable content.) Where courses have been taken at an accredited institution, but do not clearly parallel the content of any identifiable ETSU courses, students may still apply for credit. But such courses are not routinely accepted as an equivalence for ETSU courses that may be prerequisites for other higher-level courses, and do not automatically count toward fulfillment of major and minor requirements. Students applying for credit may be asked to provide syllabi and other appropriate evidence of equivalent content to the advisor for religious studies. For any questions, feel free to e-mail the religious studies advisor. (see "Contact" on this site.)

    • Introductory-level courses in Old and New Testament are not regarded as equivalent to, or substitutable for, ETSU's 3000-level (intermediate to advanced) courses in Hebrew and Greek Scriptures (RELI 3240 and RELI 3250, respectively). Nor are they equivalent to ETSU's introductory-level course (RELI 2210), and may not be substituted for it as a prerequisite for courses at the 3000+level. ETSU may, nonetheless, award credit hours for such courses toward the 120 credit hours required to earn at degree at ETSU. And they may be credited as an elective toward the total number of credit hours for courses at or below the 2000-level for the minor in religious studies.
    • Students requesting transfer credits for courses taken at other institutions should be prepared to present course syllabi and other documentation to the Director of the Religious Studies program (see above) as directed by the Registrar's Office.
    • Students requesting credit for ETSU's RELI 2210: Introduction to the Study of Religion must be prepared to show, by presenting course syllabi or other appropriate evidence, that the course they took at another institution (1) addresses questions about the nature of religion and the challenge of defining it, (2) surveys diverse religious traditions from around the world, and (3) surveys different approaches to the academic study of religion.

PREPARATION FOR PROFESSIONAL GRADUATE STUDY IN THEOLOGY--Includes Seminary or Divinity School

Many students major in philosophy with a religious studies concentration or minor in religious studies as a way to prepare for seminary or divinity school. The American Association of Theological Schools advises students to major in any humanities or social science field. While previous study in the area of religious studies and philosophy is recommended, it is not required for admission to programs of professional study leading to the MDiv. (The MDiv—Master of Divinity—is the standard professional degree for students preparing for a career requiring ordination to the ministry or rabbinate.) RELI-3240 (Hebrew Scriptures) and RELI 3250 (Greek Scriptures) are relevant for students interested in the Christian and Jewish traditions. Students aiming to apply to university divinity schools, or whose interest in the study of religions is primarily academic (as opposed to vocational) are strongly advised to earn a B.A. degree with at least a minor in religious studies, including SOAA 3800 (Religion, Society, and Culture). It is also important to complete at least 6 hours in German, French, or in a classical language at the 3000 level.

Note: Students seeking preparation for ordination to the ministry, priesthood, or rabbinate in a specific church traditions should ask their minister or rabbi to contact denominational officers who advise and guide candidates for ordination

The Association of Theological Schools
This is the accrediting agency for schools and programs of professional graduate education in ministry and theology. Its website (listed above) lists all accredited theological seminaries and other programs of professional graduate study in theology and ministry in the United States and Canada. Schools are broken down by region and tradition.

PREPARATION FOR PhD PROGRAMS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES OR RELATED FIELDS

NOTE: It is critical for students to read the discussion of religious studies as a field under HOME above!

  1. Choose an undergraduate major in a field or discipline that contributes to the academic study of religion. At ETSU, this would include philosophy with a religious studies concentration, or history, anthropology, sociology, or English, with a minor in religious studies, including, in either case, SOAA 3800: Religion, Culture, and Society.
  2. Earn a BACHELOR OF ARTS (BA) degree
  3. Select either German or French to fulfill BA degree requirements, or other languages that will be necessary to do primary research in the area or tradition that is of primary interest to the student. Keep in mind that religious studies PhD programs typically require students to demonstrate a reading knowledge in German and French, and in addition, any other languages required for the purpose of research in a particular area or tradition.
    • For Buddhism, this would include Chinese or Japanese, but especially Sanskrit, Pali, or Tibetan through ETSU's exchange agreement with The Institute of Buddhist Studies at the University of Katmandu in Nepal.
    • For Christianity or Judaism, this would include Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. Instruction through the 4th semester in Latin and Greek is, or will shortly be, available to students at ETSU on campus. Further instruction in Koine Greek, Hebrew, and other ancient middle eastern languages is available at the Emmanuel School of Religion through exchange agreement between Emmanuel and ETSU.
    • See or e-mail the Director of the Religious Studies program/minor about finding instruction in languages not mentioned here, or the applicability or transfer of courses taken through study-abroad programs.
  4. Remember that admission to PhD programs is highly competitive. The better the program, and the better its record of placing graduates in university teaching positions, the more competitive admission to the program is likely to be. Students should make every effort to maintain a high GPA, and to earn as high a percentile-ranking as possible on the Graduate Record Examination, which must be taken by November in the year that students are applying for programs. Admission deadlines are typically in December or January 15, at the latest. And announcements of decisions and awards usually occurs around March 1. All supporting documents for an application must be completed and submitted by the admission deadline. This typically includes:
    • letters of recommendation from 2 or 3 faculty who have taught students at the upper-level (at ETSU, in courses at the 3000-level or above in their major field of study)
    • a personal essay outlining one's scholarly interests and goals, and explaining students' decision to apply to the program in question, and possibly,
    • a sample of academic or scholarly writing.
  5. Select graduate programs in universities that are members of the Council on Graduate Study of Religion of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) ( http://www.aarweb.org/)
    the primary professional organization for scholars in the study of religion in the United States and Canada.. (See list below) These are programs in leading universities and seminaries with strong academic traditions that agree to standards of professional excellence. Students should make an exception to this rule only if they are interested in a particular confessional theological tradition, and do not intend to seek an academic placement at an institution not a part of, or otherwise related to, that tradition. (See "Theology Programs not related to the Council on Graduate Study in Religion" below. ) Some schools of this sort offer a Doctor of Theology Degree (Th.D). Keep in mind that a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) is NOT a degree that qualifies one to each in an academic program.

Council on Graduate Study in Religion: Member Institutions

  • Boston University
  • McMaster University
  • Brown University
  • Northwestern University
  • University of California, Santa Barbara
  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Notre Dame
  • Claremont Graduate School
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Columbia University
  • Princeton University
  • Drew University
  • Princeton Theological Seminary
  • Duke University
  • University of Southern California
  • Emory University Southern Methodist University
  • Fordham University
  • Stanford University
  • Graduate Theological Union
  • Syracuse University
  • Harvard University
  • Temple University
  • Hebrew Union College
  • University of Toronto
  • Indiana University
  • Union Theological Seminary, NY
  • University of Iowa
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Jewish Theological Seminary
  • University of Virginia
  • McGill University
  • Yale University

Select Theology Doctoral Programs not participating in the Council on Graduate School in Religion:

  • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY)
  • Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC)
  • Fuller Theological Seminary (Fullerton, CA) Broadly Evangelical and Reformed, not affiliated with a specific denomination
  • Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Michigan) Seventh-Day Adventists
  • Biola University/Talbot Theological Seminary (La Mirada, CA) Conservative Evangelical Christian, non-denominational
  • Westminister Theological Seminary (Th. D programs) (Philadelphia, PA) Conservative Calvinist/Reformed
  • Asbury Theological Seminary (Th. D programs) Conservative Evangelical Wesleyan/Methodist
  • Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX) Conservative Evangelical Christian, non-denominational
  • University of Dallas (Dallas, TX) Roman Catholic traditionalist
  • Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) Roman Catholic, with pontifical affiliation and endorsement