The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.
The Ph.D. program in the study of religion offers courses in the whole range of religious traditions from the ancient Zoroastrian tradition to modern Christian liberation movements, Islamic and Jewish philosophies, Buddhist social movements, and Hindu arts and culture. Some faculty work primarily as historians, others as scholars of texts, others as anthropologists, although the boundaries of these methodologies are never firm. Some are adherents of a religious tradition; others are not at all religious.
Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in Religion will explore the history, texts, and functions of religion within different societies and cultures, gaining a deeper understanding of the historical and contemporary issues around religion.
The Master of Religion and Public Life degree is a one-year graduate degree program designed for experienced professionals who wish to develop in-depth knowledge of the complex ways religion influences public life related to their career areas. The M.R.P.L. degree provides an opportunity for mid-career journalists, government officials, humanitarian aid workers, educators, artists, health care professionals, lawyers, and other practitioners to become leaders in their fields who can help foster a better public understanding of religion and address the religious dimensions of some of the most difficult issues of our time.