Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies - Religious Thought Track (Philosophy of Religion) PHD Program By Boston University |Top Universities

Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies - Religious Thought Track (Philosophy of Religion)

Subject Ranking

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Main Subject Area

Theology, Divinity and Religious StudiesMain Subject Area

Program overview

Main Subject

Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies

Study Level

PHD

The graduate program in philosophy of religion explores the reasons and rationalities embedded in a variety of religious traditions and the religious dimensions embedded in a variety of philosophical traditions. Graduate students in the philosophy of religion program are expected to become conversant with the methods of religious studies (including the history and phenomenology of religion), with traditional areas of philosophical study (metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and the history of ideas), and with the texts and normative discourses of the particular religious traditions relevant to their area of interest. Students in the Graduate Division of Religious Studies (GDRS) have access to the faculties of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS), the Boston University School of Theology (STH), and, through the Boston Theological Institute (BTI), other universities in the Boston area. Doctoral students commence their programs by submitting an approved plan of study in consultation with their advisor(s). The general guidelines of the GDRS require that students take an introduction to the study of religion in their first year and a core-text course on the world's religions. It is strongly recommended that candidates pass at least one of the two required foreign language examinations during their first year of study. Advisors determine which languages are appropriate to the student's plan of study. Upon the completion of coursework, doctoral candidates take three qualifying examinations: (1) History of Philosophy, (2) Philosophy of Religion, and (3) a specialization exam, the particulars of which are developed in accord with the dissertation topic envisioned by the candidate. The specialization examination may be on a problem, methodology, or period in the philosophy of religion, for example, "The Problem of Creation in Medieval Philosophy," "Pantheism in 18th- and 19th-Century European Philosophy and Theology," "The Impact of Process Philosophy on the Philosophy of Religion," "Phenomenology and Hermeneutics in the Study of Religion," "Comparative Religious Ethics," "Critical Theory and Religion," etc. The successful completion of all qualifying examinations permits the candidate to move on to a dissertation prospectus, again in consultation with advisors. Upon approval of the prospectus, the candidate writes and defends the dissertation.

Program overview

Main Subject

Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies

Study Level

PHD

The graduate program in philosophy of religion explores the reasons and rationalities embedded in a variety of religious traditions and the religious dimensions embedded in a variety of philosophical traditions. Graduate students in the philosophy of religion program are expected to become conversant with the methods of religious studies (including the history and phenomenology of religion), with traditional areas of philosophical study (metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and the history of ideas), and with the texts and normative discourses of the particular religious traditions relevant to their area of interest. Students in the Graduate Division of Religious Studies (GDRS) have access to the faculties of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS), the Boston University School of Theology (STH), and, through the Boston Theological Institute (BTI), other universities in the Boston area. Doctoral students commence their programs by submitting an approved plan of study in consultation with their advisor(s). The general guidelines of the GDRS require that students take an introduction to the study of religion in their first year and a core-text course on the world's religions. It is strongly recommended that candidates pass at least one of the two required foreign language examinations during their first year of study. Advisors determine which languages are appropriate to the student's plan of study. Upon the completion of coursework, doctoral candidates take three qualifying examinations: (1) History of Philosophy, (2) Philosophy of Religion, and (3) a specialization exam, the particulars of which are developed in accord with the dissertation topic envisioned by the candidate. The specialization examination may be on a problem, methodology, or period in the philosophy of religion, for example, "The Problem of Creation in Medieval Philosophy," "Pantheism in 18th- and 19th-Century European Philosophy and Theology," "The Impact of Process Philosophy on the Philosophy of Religion," "Phenomenology and Hermeneutics in the Study of Religion," "Comparative Religious Ethics," "Critical Theory and Religion," etc. The successful completion of all qualifying examinations permits the candidate to move on to a dissertation prospectus, again in consultation with advisors. Upon approval of the prospectus, the candidate writes and defends the dissertation.

Admission requirements

7+

Tuition fee and scholarships

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More programs from the university

One of the largest private universities in the country, Boston University educates approximately 16,000 undergraduate students each year. Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach in 250 programs of study at 17 schools and colleges.

In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked BU 37th in the nation and 39th among global universities. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1 and the average class size is 27.
BU is a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. It’s not unusual to find undergraduates in the cutting-edge labs and work spaces of prominent researchers tackling life-changing challenges.

Recognized around the world, the University fields applications for admission from students representing over 150 countries. By the same token, thousands of Terriers get their passports stamped every year for study, research, and internships on all seven continents. Once they graduate, BU students are among the most employable in the country and the world—5th and 6th, respectively, according to Times Higher Education.
BU is implementing a University-wide general education curriculum called the BU Hub, which ensures every graduate will possess the essential knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed to think deeply, generate new ideas, and put them into action, particularly within the context of a hyper-fast, globally connected world.

On campus, daily life is a swirl of languages, faces, and religions, with 450+ student clubs, countless shows and lectures, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a slew of pubs and restaurants, and 22 varsity athletic teams, including the thrills and spills of Terrier hockey.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

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BA in English

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BS in Economics

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The largest university in Boston and the fourth-largest private educational institution in the country, Boston University counts some 15,000 graduate students among its student body.

Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach at 17 schools and colleges and when not at the front of the classroom, they can be found at BU’s 125+ research centers and institutes and 2,326 laboratories spread across three city campuses. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows.
BU is a major, global research institution and a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of 62 of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. Home also to a medical school and teaching hospital, in FY2017 BU landed more than $400M in federal research dollars. In the commercial sector, some 200 companies are developing and selling products based on BU discoveries.

U.S. News & World Report for 2019 ranked numerous BU graduate programs among the country’s top 50: Sargent College’s occupational therapy program (#1), School of Public Health’s program (#10), Business (#42), Education (#34), Law (#22), Engineering (#34), Biomedical Engineering (#12), Medical Research (#29), Medical Primary Care (#26), Social Work (#10), as well as graduate programs in Computer Science, Math, Physics, Economics, Psychology, and Sociology.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

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Ph.D. in English

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PHD programs 63