General Requirements
Area-Specific Requirements
Complete Degree Requirements are listed in the Catalog and in each Area Handbook, available from the Office of the Graduate Division of Religion.
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Ph.D.
Twelve courses (36 credits) are required for the Ph.D. degree, with a G.P.A. of at least 3.1. Up to one year of course credit may be given for previous work at graduate level in a student’s field, on recommendation by the relevant area faculty and approval by the Committee on Academic Standing. The normal course load for full-time study is three courses per semester. Further requirements for the Ph.D. include proficiency in either one or two modern languages of scholarship, determined by examination (see area descriptions below for specific language requirements, including the additional requirements in ancient languages for Biblical Studies and Historical Studies); comprehensive examinations (see “Further General Degree Requirements for the Graduate Division of Religion” below for details); and a dissertation and oral defense. All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within a period of seven years.
M.A.
Drew Theological School does offer M.A. degrees, but no longer under the aegis of the Graduate Division of Religion. Prospective applicants interested in learning about our M.A. programs should contact the Theological School Office of Admission (te: 973.408.3111; e-mail: theoadm@drew.edu; web).
M.A. students admitted to the GDR before Fall 2009 are governed by the 2007-2009 GDR Catalog.
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Fields of Study
- Hebrew Bible
- New Testament and Early Christianity
The Biblical Studies programs seek to cultivate a complex and rigorous interdisciplinarity characterized by methodological multiplicity and theoretical eclecticism. Each program allows for a variety of critical approaches, both textual and contextual. The Hebrew Bible program focuses on the literature of the Hebrew Bible, its complex history of development, and its social, political, and religious attitudes and assumptions. The program in New Testament and Early Christianity investigates the literary and rhetorical aspects of ancient Christian texts in diverse contexts,
including the social and cultural formations of early Christianity in the ancient Mediterranean world, from the first to the fourth century. Both programs seek to engage with recent theoretical and methodological developments, such as literary theory and criticism; sociological approaches; feminist studies and masculinity studies; studies in the history of sexuality; postcolonial studies; cultural history and cultural studies; and studies in race and ethnicity.
Language Requirements
Demonstrated competence at the appropriate level in the relevant ancient languages is a prerequisite for admission into the Biblical Studies and Early Christianity M.A. and Ph.D. programs. Proficiency in these languages is usually demonstrated by evidence of at least two semesters of course work per language at a minimum of 3.0 grade level.
Modern language requirements for these programs are as follows:
German and one other modern language of biblical scholarship (other than English), such as French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, or modern Hebrew, all of which are recognized without petition.
If another language is deemed relevant to the student’s program, the student may petition for a substitution, which requires the recommendation of the student’s area and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. This approval is contingent upon the availability of appropriate testing and grading resources.
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Fields of Study
- Christianity in Late Antiquity
- Medieval European Christianity
- U.S./American Religious Studies
- Wesleyan and Methodist Studies
Historical Studies offers four specialized fields that incorporate the interdisciplinary approaches that are hallmarks of the GDR. The study of Christianity in Late Antiquity is concerned with the evolution of Christian identity and theological discourse in the context of Roman imperialism and the cultural pluralism of the ancient Mediterranean, with special attention to shifting constructions of embodiment, suffering, gender, and desire. The field of Medieval
European Christianity is organized to understand the interplay between diverse and changing social processes in agrarian and early commercial Europe and the discursive strategies through which medieval Christians articulated notions of divinely sanctioned social order, especially as hierarchies of gender, culture, religion, and "racial" identity, from the fifth through the fifteenth centuries. The American Religious Studies focus explores critical issues such as race, gender, ecology, immigration, and religious experience in the contexts of the United States from the 19th century to the recent past. The course of study draws on faculty from sociology, ethics, and other fields to deepen its historical analysis of various American cultures. The interdisciplinary Wesleyan and Methodist Studies focus looks at Methodist origins, history, and thought from historical and theological perspectives, as well as addressing current issues facing the church. The presence on campus of the United Methodist Archive and History Center and the Florence Bell Fund allows students to work closely on primary source materials and with prominent scholars and researchers from around the world.
Language Requirements
In Historical Studies, language requirements are necessarily tailored to the period and/or context of study. Students of late antiquity are required to demonstrate reading competence in two scholarly languages other than English (at least one of which is typically German, French, or Italian) and two ancient languages (typically Latin and Greek). Students of Wesleyan/Methodist studies are required to demonstrate competence in two scholarly languages other than English (at least one of which is typically Spanish, French, or German). Students of American religion and culture are required to demonstrate reading competence in one language other than English (typically Spanish, German, or French).
Students in any specialty may pursue initial exams in German or French without petition; however, before seeking qualification for a second language, or if desiring qualification in another language initially, a petition must be submitted to the area.
Proficiency in ancient languages is usually demonstrated by evidence of at least two semesters of course work at a minimum of 3.0 grade level.
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Fields of Study
- Liturgical History and Theology,
- Cultural Studies in Christian Worship
- Homiletics
- Sacred Music
Liturgical Studies at Drew draws on an ecumenical faculty for its interdisciplinary approach to the study of liturgy, ritual, music, and homiletics. Rites and ceremonies of the major Christian traditions are studied from the perspectives of theology, history, cultural studies, and aesthetics. The program is ecumenical and pastoral in spirit and treats homiletics and music as disciplines organic to the study of liturgy.
Language Requirements:
Two of the following: French, German, Latin, Koine Greek.
If another language is deemed relevant to the student’s program, the student may petition for a substitution, which requires the recommendation of the student’s area and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. This approval is contingent upon the availability of appropriate testing and grading resources.
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Fields of Study
- Psychology and Religion
- Sociology of Religion (an emphasis in Religious Education is available)
- Christian Social Ethics
The role of religion in relation to both structures of oppression and struggles of liberation constitutes the main focus of our work in Religion and Society. We study the role of religion in the personal, socio-political, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of those structure and struggles. We also include the intersection of religion and the human sciences. The strengths of this program are found in the variety of graduate students it gathers from every continent on the globe as well as the United States, who come from differing racial/ethnic/sexual groups, together with the diversity of interests, involvements, and expertise of its faculty. The faculty is diverse in academic training, coming from the fields of psychology, sociology, theology, religious education, and Christian ethics. Yet they share a focus on issues of race/ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. They are united in their belief that theory should respond to human experience and that academic scholarship must address contemporary issues.
Language Requirements
Two of the following: French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish. International students whose native language is other than English may use English as their second research language. They must, however, pass French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish before they take their second year of classes.
If another language is deemed relevant to the student's program, the student may petition for a substitution, which requires the recommendation of the student's area and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. This approval is contingent upon the availability of appropriate testing and grading resources.
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Fields of Study
- Theological Studies
- Philosophical Studies
The area of Theological and Philosophical Studies fosters a transdisciplinary community of inquiry among students, with emphases on constructive, philosophical, systematic, ecumenical, and comparative approaches to theological themes. These emphases entail strong intersections with feminism, ecology, postcolonial and empire studies, and the philosophical traditions of pragmatism, process, and poststructuralism. Our faculty bring their distinct commitments and approaches to the fields of theology and philosophy, and their various sites of interconnection, to a common table of open, dialogical discourse. Students are invited participants in this collegial and rigorous table talk, learning not only concrete content specific to particular fields of interest, but also appreciation for and negotiation of the complexities and ambiguities of those fields as they take shape within concrete contexts marked by interdisciplinary and interreligious conversation. Incoming students are expected to identify in either theology or philosophy.
Language Requirements
Both French and German.
If another language is deemed relevant to the student's program, the student may petition for a substitution, which requires the recommendation of the student's area and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. This approval is contingent upon the availability of appropriate testing and grading resources.
