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Graduate Programs

The Master of Arts in Comparative Religion is designed to provide students with a strong foundation of knowledge of at least two religious traditions, the principal classical works in the field of Comparative Religion, and the central issues of theory and method that underlie the discipline of the study of religion.

Master of Arts in Comparative Religion

Admission Requirements

Students must satisfy all the criteria in the Graduate College Catalog. In addition, the Department of Comparative Religion will require:

• a substantial statement discussing the reasons for wishing to undertake the proposed program of study in comparative religion, the religions the student wishes to study, and the language study the student wishes to pursue;
• two substantial papers from prior course work;
• two letters of reference from persons in a position to asses the student's qualifications for master's level study; and
• GRE examination results (WMU institution code: R1902). Scores are used in conjunction with other evaluative evidence in judging the probability of success in graduate study and research. International students must submit TOEFL scores of 600 or above.
• Deadlines: February 15th if you wish to be considered for financial aid; if not, you can apply up to July 1st.
• To begin the process, you must apply online at http://www.wmich.edu/apply/graduate/. Letter of reference forms can be found here; please return completed reference forms directly to the Department (Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Comparative Religion, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49009).

Program Requirements

The Department of Comparative Religion offers course work leading to a Master of Arts in Comparative Religion, with two options:

Option 1

Requires a thesis and is intended for those students who plan to pursue doctoral studies. Students pursuing Option 1 must:

• complete a total of at least 27 hours of course work, including 12 hours of required core courses and 15 hours of electives chosen from approved courses;
• prepare a Master's thesis (6 hours) under the direction of a thesis advisor;
• demonstrate reading proficiency in one foreign language relevant to their research area; and
• defend the Master's thesis in oral examination.

Option 2

Does not require the preparation of a thesis nor does it require reading proficiency in a foreign language. Students pursuing this option must:

• complete a total of at least 33 hours of course work, including 12 hours of required core courses and 21 hours of electives chosen from approved courses; and
• complete a comprehensive examination in the area or areas of concentration.

Course Requirements

33 semester hours of course work consisting of Core and Elective courses.

Core Courses: (required of all students)
REL 6000 - Classics I
REL 6100 - Theory and Method I
REL 6150 - Survey of Religions of the World
REL 6200 - Advanced Seminar in Comparative Religion

Elective Courses (15 hours, thesis option; 21 hours, non-thesis option)
Electives may be drawn from the following courses: REL 5000, 5100, 5200, 5300, 5980, 7100, and 7120.

Cognate Courses
Approved cognate courses may be drawn from related disciplines such as Anthropology, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, English, History and Art History in consultation with the student's advisor.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance in the form of graduate assistantships is available on a competitive basis. These awards normally include waiver of non-resident tuition. The department also awards a number of graduate scholarships and tuition grants.

The Graduate College offers Graduate college Fellowships, available on a competitive basis, as well as Thurgood Marshall Assistantships, available on a competitive basis for students from minority groups. Contact the Graduate College at (269) 387-8212.

Information about student loans and other federal, state, and University need-based financial aid programs may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, (269)387-6000.

Housing

Information about on-campus housing may be obtained from the Residence Hall Facilities Office at (269) 387-4735 or 1-800-545-6006, or from the Campus Apartments Office at (269) 387-2175.