MA Religious Studies
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MA Religious Studies
Home to one of the first graduate programs in Religious Studies in Canada (established in 1964), McMaster University has been a leading centre for the scholarly study of religion for more than four decades.
We have three broad areas of study at the graduate level, including Asian religions, the study of Judaism and Christianity in antiquity, and Western religious traditions. Research is conducted in a range of topics and traditions, time periods and cultures, employing a wide variety of approaches: textual, ethnographic, historical, philosophical, theological, philological.
In 2023, the Department of Religious Studies introduced a one-year Master of Arts. This option will allow students to pursue further studies within Religious Studies beyond the BA, earn an advanced degree, and prepare students to enter into a variety of careers within a one-year timeframe.
The two-year MA continues to provide additional time for those students who wish to pursue more in-depth research and language training, particularly for the purpose of pursuing a doctorate. Please see below requirements and timelines for each respective MA program.
Program Information
A candidate for the MA degree will be required to spend at least one calendar year in full-time graduate study or the equivalent in part-time study. There are three routes to the MA: the two-year thesis route, the two-year project route, and the one-year major research paper route. In consultation with a supervisor, an MA student must choose among these options by January 30 of the year of initial registration as a graduate student.
The application deadline for September intake is January 15.
1-Year Master of Arts
Master of Arts with Major Research Paper (MRP)
The MRP route entails the following requirements:
- Completion of five half-courses with at least B- standing;
- Completion of RELIG ST 701 Issues in the Study of Religions;
- Completion of a Major Research Paper (between 7,500 and 10,000 words). Guidelines for fulfilling this requirement are specified in the Departmental Handbook.
2-Year Master of Arts
Master of Arts with Project
The project route entails the following requirements:
- The candidate must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a language other than English appropriate to work on the project. Guidelines for fulfilling this requirement are specified in the Departmental Handbook.
- Supervisors may recommend additional language training.
- Completion of six half courses as defined above.
- The completion of RELIG ST 701 Issues in the Study of Religions;
- Completion of a project and the passing of an oral or written examination on the substance of the project. A “project” is defined by the faculty members of a departmental field. Normally a project will cover broad areas of learning. Projects will permit students to move into new areas, to read large and unfamiliar bodies of texts, and to deal comprehensively with large questions in central areas of concern.
Master of Arts with Thesis
The thesis route entails the following requirements:
- The candidate must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a language other than English which is most useful in the area in which the thesis is written. Guidelines for fulfilling this requirement are specified in the Departmental Handbook. Additional languages may be required; Supervisors may recommend additional language training.
- A minimum of six half-courses must be completed with at least B- standing, four half courses must be at the graduate level and must be taken in the major area of study; the other two half courses must be in the minor area of study; three of these courses should be in an area of concentration.
- The completion of RELIG ST 701 Issues in the Study of Religions;
- A thesis must be completed; the thesis should show an ability to deal with first-hand material in a limited problem in Religious Studies; the thesis must be defended in an oral examination; all MA degree candidates who have completed their oral defence must submit their revised thesis to both the Department and the School of Graduate Studies by the deadline dates specified for the second convocation following their defence. (Note: Text-critical studies or translation with commentary are acceptable, with the approval of the advisory/supervisory committee, as the functional equivalent of a thesis.)
The application portal opens in late September and closes on January 15. If the date falls on the weekend, the portal will close on the following business day.
Learn more about the graduate studies application process and how to apply.
The normal minimum requirement for admission to MA study is graduation with B+ standing (in the final two years) in an Honours program or equivalent in Religious Studies, or in a related discipline with significant emphasis on the study of religion. Related disciplines include Anthropology, Sociology, History, Philosophy, Theology, Political Science, Classics, and Near Eastern, South Asian, and East Asian studies. Graduates with preparation in related fields may be required to take a certain amount of undergraduate work in Religious Studies.
Admission is competitive; applicants who meet minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission.
All applications for admission must be completed online. Please visit the School of Graduate Studies website for detailed how to apply information:
The following items are required before your online application will be considered complete:
- Statement of Interest. Please include in your statement of interest (500-700 words) a description of your intended area of research, as well as information on your academic background and proficiency in foreign languages, detailing the relevant courses you have taken, levels at which they were taken, and the grades that you received for them
- Two academic references
- Official Transcripts
- English Language Proficiency
- Writing Sample (an essay or thesis chapter)
- See all awards and funding on the School of Graduate Studies website.
- BDK Canada Graduate Scholarship: Scholarship for graduate students in Buddhist Studies to spend a year in Japan
Resources
Information Box Group
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Graduate Supervisors Learn More
Find a graduate supervisor in your area of interest.
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Research in Religious Studies Learn More
Learn about our recent and ongoing research projects.
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Graduate Courses Learn More
View our graduate courses and course outlines.
Contact Us
Doreen Drew
Graduate Administrative Assistant
Phone: (905) 525-9140 ext. 23399
Email: relstud@mcmaster.ca
Office Location
Department of Religious Studies
University Hall (UH), 126B
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
L8S 4M4
Office Hours
Monday – Friday:
9:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 4:00PM