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Dear Applicant, Thank you for your inquiry about our doctoral program in Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. A recently updated description is included below. The most commonly pursued areas of study are listed there; if your area of interest is not included, please contact me to discuss whether our program is appropriate for your needs. The program attempts to enroll students of superior quality based on four primary areas of evaluation: academic training and records, recommendations, "fit" (compatibility of academic interest in relation to our resources), and GRE scores. If you decide to apply, please keep the following in mind: (1) It is extremely important to include in your personal statement an explanation as to why our doctoral program is appropriate for your interest and level of preparation (the "fit" criterion). (2) Be sure to meet the December 15 deadline if you want to be considered for financial aid, which is highly competitive and relatively scarce here. (3) It is essential that you submit recent (within 5 years) GRE scores. For GRE registration forms, contact the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08514-0001. (4) We encourage serious applicants to visit the campus to meet with us personally if at all possible. Normally Thursday afternoon, when faculty and graduate students gather for a weekly colloquium, is the best time for a visit. Appointments with me and with faculty (and students) who work in your area should be arranged in advance (e.g. by email). If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me on the Internet (sdunning@sas.upenn.edu) or at the Department address, or by telephone (215) 898-5441. The Department URL is http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/. Electronic applications are encouraged, https://sentry.isc.upenn.edu/ws/expressapp/. Sincerely, Stephen N. Dunning, Chair
The
Graduate Program in 
The graduate program in Religious Studies at the University of
Pennsylvania offers unique opportunities to those who wish to
become scholars and teachers in the field. The program is
situated within one of the largest research universities in the
country, and provides resources -- a fine library complex, a
major archaeological/anthropological museum, courses in many
ancient and non-western languages and cultures, outstanding
faculties in related fields, and strong computer support -- that
are not usually available in smaller institutions. At the same
time, the Department of Religious Studies is a small body in
which students receive a great deal of individual attention from
faculty members and the opportunity to interact with students
from diverse subfields. Within this context of extensive
resources and personalized guidance, each student works with an
advisor to design his or her own course of study. The dual
character of the program is evidenced by the existence of two
official bodies: the Department of Religious Studies, with about
a dozen members (including several members whose primary
appointments are in other departments), from which the committee
that administers the graduate program is chosen; and the Graduate
Group in Religious Studies, comprising an additional thirty or so
scholars at Penn whose research and teaching significantly
involves the study of religion, and who have agreed to
participate in the training of graduate students in the religious
studies program. It is also possible for students to work with
scholars at neighboring institutions, and all of the area
programs in religious studies participate in the Philadelphia
Consortium on the Study of Religion, which facilitates sharing
information about courses and other events of interest. Other
resources are the University's Center for Judaic Studies, the
Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins, the Delaware Valley
Medieval Association, and the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy
Consortium.
The primary emphasis of the program is upon understanding
through interpretation. Interpretation is broadly construed to
include: appreciation of the ways in which geographically
diverse cultures from ancient times to the present have
interpreted their own religious symbols and actions;
sophistication with regard to the methodological difficulties
confronting those trained in modern, western scholarship as they
attempt to interpret other traditions; understanding of the
challenges that face the historian who attempts to establish the
text, context, and authorship of a document or event for which
evidence is scanty or conflicting; and awareness of the variety
of theories that are employed by modern interpreters of religion
and the philosophical presuppositions and scholarly ramifications
that are implied by them. Thus the focus of the program is upon
the descriptive, historical, critical and theoretical work that
engages every interpreter of religion. Constructive ("sectarian")
participation in those theological and philosophical tasks that
are specific to particular religious traditions is not considered
part of the Penn program.
The Graduate Group in Religious Studies offers a PhD program
consisting in four stages. At present, the MA degree is awarded
only to fully matriculated PhD students and Penn undergraduates
who successfully complete the submatriculation program (a joint
BA/MA). The four stages are:
I. Application, Admission, and Matriculation Materials and instructions for application are now available through the internet by contacting Applications are welcome from students from various academic backgrounds. Usually, about half of the entering students have already done extensive work in Religious Studies, either as undergraduates or in post-baccalaureate programs elsewhere. Other applicants often will have majored in classics, philosophy, history, a modern language and literature, or area studies. Those students who enter the program with graduate level credits at other comparable institutions may petition (after completing one year at Penn) to receive transfer credit for up to a maximum of eight courses. Applicants are asked in their application to indicate what field of specialization they intend to pursue within Religious Studies. The Department especially encourages graduate applications in the following areas: Judaism in late antiquity, the classical period, and the modern period; Christian origins; medieval and modern Christianity; Islamic history and thought; religions of South and East Asia; modern western religious thought; and methodology. Applications from students with other primary interests will be considered, with regard to both extra- departmental resources in the Graduate Group and the flexibility of the applicant's projected plan. Applications from those who wish to do comparative studies on the basis of solid linguistic and historical foundations in the traditions to be compared will also be given serious consideration. In evaluating applications, the greatest weight is given to the student's academic achievement, as attested by transcripts and letters of recommendation; maturity and clarity in the articulation of professional goals, as demonstrated in the applicant's Personal Statement; and general intellectual aptitude, as demonstrated by the Graduate Record Examinations. Preparation in the following areas is also desirable: world religions, methods for the study of religion, modern philosophy, and the language(s) relevant to the tradition the applicant plans to study -- both the languages of that tradition and those employed in scholarly literature about it. Applicants for submatriculation (i.e. undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania) are expected to have completed several courses in Religious Studies before application. Of these, at least one must be in their intended special area (see below) and one must be in methodology. A 3.5 average in department courses and a 3.0 general GPA will normally be the minimum expected of applicants for submatriculation. All candidates in the program must demonstrate the ability to read modern scholarly literature (with the aid of a dictionary) in at least two languages other than English -- ordinarily German and French. This requirement must be satisfied before the Qualifications Evaluation can be certified. Submatriculants and those switching from the PhD to an MA program may fulfill the language requirement by passing the examination in either French or German. For submatriculants, the College language requirement will be accepted in lieu of the reading exam. Non-credit courses designed to prepare students for these language examinations are offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences periodically at no cost to registered PhD students. The examination given with such a course may be supplemented by a reading comprehension exam stipulated by the Religious Studies Graduate Group. When necessary, re-examination is possible, up to a maximum of three attempts.
II. Course Work and Qualifications Evaluation
The first two or three years in the program are devoted to
course work. Courses should be selected in order to facilitate
completion of requirements for the Qualifications Evaluation,
which is prerequisite to formal admission to PhD candidacy.
Students should meet at least once each term to discuss their
course programs with both the Chair of the Graduate Group and
that member of the Graduate Group with whom they plan to work
most closely. Course programs vary enormously, and can be
determined only on an individual basis. For some students, the
majority of courses may be in the languages necessary to their
dissertation research. For others, extensive work in philosophy
or the social sciences may be more appropriate. There are,
however, five aspects of this phase of the program which are
expected of all students: (1) regular participation in the
weekly Religious Studies Colloquium; (2) successful completion
of the methodology and diversity course requirements; (3)
student teaching at some time during residency; (4) facility in
the use of computers for writing and research; and (5) the
Qualifications Evaluation (including certification of modern
language competency).
(1) The Religious Studies Colloquium is a weekly meeting of
the available Departmental faculty members and graduate students
who are currently in residence. The schedule for the Colloquium
is determined by the Department Chair, often in consultation with
a steering committee that includes graduate students. Although
it is not a course and does not carry academic credit, it is
considered a vital part of every student's program. The
Colloquium is an opportunity for the entire Department to gather
to learn about the work being done by faculty both within and
from outside the Department, recent graduates and advanced
graduate students, and guests from other institutions. It is a
forum in which each doctoral student is expected to offer at
least two presentations during his or her graduate program. In
particular, all second year PhD students must formally present
one paper (usually based on a course term paper) and advanced
students are expected to present their Dissertation Proposals.
The Colloquium is also a working group in which recent scholarly
books and periodical literature may be reviewed. Upon occasion,
it is a time for faculty and graduate students to discuss the
program and to exchange ideas upon a wide range of matters of
concern to the Department and the University.
(2) The methodology and diversity course requirements are
intended to insure that all students achieve a thorough grasp of
both the scholarly difficulties and debates involved in the study
of religion and the variety of traditions that are studied within
the field.
Methodological sophistication entails both a critical
understanding of modern scholarly approaches to the study of
religion and an ability to reflect critically upon assumptions
and methods employed in one's own academic work. Entering PhD
students without equivalent training should enroll in RelS 400,
"Approaches to the Study of Religion," a seminar on major
twentieth century understandings of religion offered each fall
semester for senior undergraduates majoring in Religious Studies.
All students are required to take two graduate level (500 and
above) seminars on methodology. One of these must be chosen from
among those listed as Religious Studies courses, while the other
may be selected from among the variety of appropriate courses
offered by other departments (with prior approval by the Graduate
Chair). Submatriculants are expected to take RelS 400 plus one
Religious Studies graduate level seminar on methodology.
The diversity course requirement is satisfied by demonstrating
competence in the material covered in the two introductory
history of religions courses offered by the Department (RelS 001
and 002). Competence will be certified either by the Graduate
Chair on the basis of work done elsewhere or by the respective
faculty members in charge of each course at Penn. In addition,
each student must take at least one course at the 400 level or
above that deals with a tradition other than those that overlap
significantly with his or her area of specialization. For
purposes of this requirement, the possible areas are: Tribal
Religions, Ancient Middle Eastern Religions, Ancient Egyptian
Religion, Ancient Greek & Roman Religions, Judaism, Christianity,
Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Religions of
Japan.
(3) All doctoral students are expected to engage in student
teaching at some time during their residency at the University.
For most, this will take the form of assisting a faculty member
in the instruction of an introductory course for undergraduates.
Frequently more advanced doctoral students are invited to offer a
course on their own, normally in the University's summer or
evening programs.
(4) The Department has had a long-standing involvement in
developing the use of computers for humanistic research and
scholarship. This originated with a focus upon ancient Jewish
and Christian texts, and will certainly be central to all
students who specialize in those areas. Other graduate students
are urged to take advantage of the opportunity to learn to use
the computer to help them in their own research projects. At the
very least, all students are expected to be able to utilize the
word/text processing capabilities of computers and to use
internet resources to advantage.
(5) The purpose of the Qualifications Evaluation is to
determine whether a student should continue on to formal PhD
candidacy. The student must demonstrate a solid foundation in a
field of specialization and be able to relate issues arising in
that field to matters studied in courses on methodology and other
traditions. The Qualifications Evaluation is a two hour oral
conducted by not less than three members of the faculty. It is
the student's responsibility to arrange for the Qualifications
Evaluation with the faculty who will participate, and to insure
that it will take place by the end of the second year of course
work. The place, date, and time are to be reported to the
Graduate Chair at least one month before it is to take place. At
that time the student must also present to the Graduate Chair all
required written work for several courses: a course taken at
Penn in the student's proposed area of specialization; a course
on another tradition; and two courses in methodology (one of
which must have been a Penn Religious Studies course). If the
paper presented by the student in the Colloquium is not among
these, it should also be included. Papers are to be those on
which the final grade was based, without further editing. In the
case of courses that require oral exams, a brief note from the
instructor indicating the content of the exam and the student's
performance on it will suffice. The Qualifications Evaluation
may be taken at any time during the second year of course work,
but it will not be officially recorded before the modern language
requirements have been certified.
III. Preliminary Examination in a Special Area
The Preliminary (or "Field") Examination is designed to
demonstrate that a student is ready to begin work on a dissertation.
It is taken when the candidate has identified a dissertation topic
and begun to research it, normally by the end of the third year in
residence. All course and general language requirements must be
satisfied before the Preliminary Examination may be taken.
Candidates are to sit for four examinations within a period of
two weeks, according to a schedule approved by the Graduate
Chair. Each set of exams is tailored to the student's individual
area of specialization. A proposal for examination areas
(including issues and bibliography) must be approved by the
student's advisor(s) three months prior to taking the exams.
This proposal should be accompanied by a dissertation preproposal
of 3-5 pages, outlining a topic for original research within the
area of specialization covered by the other exams. Both the
preproposal and the examination proposals are normally worked out
in close consultation with those members of the faculty who will
be setting the exams. One examination must focus directly upon
the subject matter and methodological problems of the
dissertation. Students often choose to take this dissertation
exam orally, in order to be able to engage in discussion with the
examiner/advisors at the same time about the best ways to pursue
the project. (Others may be taken orally also, upon petition to
the Graduate Chair.) The Preliminary Examination is the
appropriate context for testing the student's competency in any
special language and computer skills deemed necessary to complete
the research for the proposed dissertation. In the event that
the student decides to change the subject of the dissertation
after the Preliminary Examination has been passed, one or more
of the examinations may have to be redefined and taken over
again.
IV. Dissertation and Oral Defense
There are three criteria by which dissertations are evaluated:
the originality and significance of the contribution to
scholarship; the thoroughness and accuracy of the independent
research done by the candidate and reported in the dissertation;
and the clarity and fluency of English prose used throughout the
dissertation. The subject and methods of the dissertation are to
be outlined in some detail in a formal dissertation proposal
(normally 7-10 pages, including bibliography), which should be
submitted to the faculty for approval not more than one year
after passing the Preliminary Examination. The remaining work on
the dissertation usually requires one additional year. Students
should be aware that extensive revisions of drafts submitted may
be required, and plan their schedules accordingly. The
dissertation must be submitted to all readers in its final form
(in accordance with the University of Pennsylvania Dissertation
Writer's Manual, available from the Graduate Office) at least one
month before the Oral Defense, which is open to the public.
Certification for graduation cannot be processed until after a
successful Oral Defense, which should therefore occur a few weeks
before the student hopes to receive the PhD degree.
Information about the specific deadlines pertaining to the
granting of degrees in May, August, and December can be obtained
from the Graduate Office.
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Last Updated June 20, 2003
Marie Hudson, rstudies@sas.upenn.edu