The Master of Arts Degree Admission Requirements
Making Application
Admission requirements are set forth in the General Regulations governing the Degree of Master of Arts. To be considered for admission an applicant shall hold a Bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, in Religious Studies from an institution recognized by the Senate of Memorial University. Applicants should have completed a minimum of 45 credit hours in Religious Studies courses at the undergraduate level with at least a grade of B in each. Moreover, as admission is limited and competitive, preference will normally be given to applicants who hold an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
An applicant who does not hold an Honours degree or its equivalent shall be required to complete such additional undergraduate courses as the Department may deem necessary. These courses may be required as prerequisites to admission to the programme, or as an additional constituent part of the programme, at the discretion of the Department. An applicant's overall undergraduate programme must represent, to the satisfaction of the Department, a solid groundwork for graduate studies.
Anyone interested in our graduate programme should also read about our faculty and visit Memorial University's School of Graduate Studies. Memorial University also offers the option of applying to the programme through a Web Application.
The Programme
Upon acceptance into the programme, each candidate will be assigned a supervisor who shall assist the candidate. Normally, the Master of Arts programme should take two years to complete, the first of which is spent primarily on course work and the preparation of a thesis proposal. The second year of the programme is typically spent on the preparation of a thesis. A student accepted on a part-time basis would normally be expected to take three to five years to complete the programme. Students shall normally complete a thesis and a minimum of 12 credit hours in course work.
The Courses
Students must complete four courses: three required courses and one reading course chosen from the Religious Studies graduate course list. The reading course is individually designed with the specific research interests of the student in mind, typically in the area of the student's thesis. The three required courses are:
- RS 6100: Interpretations of Religion
- RS 6120: Studies in Religious Texts
- RS 6130: Studies in Religious Movements and Institutions
The Thesis
Before students begin writing their thesis, they must submit a thesis proposal to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department for approval. Students may write a thesis in any of the following areas:
- Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
- New Testament
- Judaism
- East Asian religious traditions
- the history of Christianity
- the religious history of Canada
- the religious history of Newfoundland and Labrador
- medieval religious thought
- religion and culture
- New Age religious movements
- Christian ethics
- the philosophy of religion.
Students will be required to satisfy the Department as to proficiency in any language or technical facility deemed necessary by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department for successful completion of the thesis.
Further Information
If you are interested in further detail about the Master of Arts degree, please contact the Department. For more information about the Master of Arts degree programme, see the Memorial University Calender for this current year, as made available by the Registrar's Office.
