Please note that the Graduate Division of Religion is no longer offering the M.A. degree. Please contact Theological Admissions about Masters-level programs, including the M.A. (e-mail - web). Prospective students, please see this notice regarding application to the Liturgical Studies Area.
The Graduate Division of Religion admits students to its programs of study, leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Applicants are admitted to one of five Areas of Study.
We invite prospective students to visit Drew University. Located in the picturesque borough of Madison, New Jersey, our 186 acre, wooded campus is within walking distance of the Madison train station, which offers direct service to Midtown Manhattan’s New York Penn Station.
We welcome inquiries and applications to all of our degree programs and Areas of Study.
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Currently, the Graduate Division of Religion accepts application only in paper format. The Application for Admission can be mailed to you upon request, or can be downloaded and printed from this page.
Completed applications must be received by the Graduate Division of Religion Admissions Office before the Admissions Committee deadline of January 1. Please note that the Graduate Division of Religion uses a self-managed application that requires the applicant to gather and send in all required materials. After applications are reviewed by the Committee on Graduate Admissions in each area and the Dean, decision letters are mailed in early March.
Each admitted student who intends to enroll in the Graduate Division of Religion must return a statement of intent to enroll and payment of the enrollment deposit, normally within four weeks after notification of admission.
Upon receipt of a completed application, the GDR Admissions Office sends the appropriate financial aid forms. A medical report made within four months preceding enrollment is required also.
In order for an application to be deemed complete, the credentials listed and detailed below (relevant transcripts; GRE scores where applicable; personal statement; academic writing sample; letters of reference; TOEFL and TWE scores where applicable) must be submitted to the GDR Admissions Office before the January 1 deadline, in addition to a completed application form and a nonrefundable application fee of $45.
The Application for Admission and all supporting materials must be sent to the following address:
Graduate Division of Religion Admissions / Drew University / 36 Madison Ave. / Madison, NJ 07940 / U.S.A.
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Please keep in mind these important deadlines:
- Completed applications are due to the GDR Office of Admissions no later than January 1;
- Completed Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are due to the Office of Financial Assistance no later than February 15 for those applicants interested in student loans.
- Notification of acceptance is usually sent to all applicants by early March.
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The Graduate Division of Religion welcomes applications from all qualified students. Evaluation of an applicant's qualifications for admission is based upon:
Previous course work and grade point average, determined by official transcripts of all previous college and post-baccalaureate study. (These must be sent to the Graduate Division of Religion Admissions Office by institutions at which the work was completed. A final transcript must be furnished before a student is permitted to register for courses. Records submitted in application for admission are not returned.) To present a competitive application, a student should have a grade point average of 3.3 or better overall.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE). This is required for all applicants who are U.S. or Canadian citizens. Scores no older than five years are accepted. To present a competitive application, a student should have a minimum score of 500 on both the quantitative and verbal sections and a minimum score of 4 on the analytical writing section. For tests taken before October 2002, a student should have a minimum score of 500 on each of the three test sections.
- A personal statement describing the applicant's personal and intellectual interests that have led him or her to the proposed field of study, and what directions those interests will take at Drew, preferably with reference to the specific faculty with whom he or she hopes to work.
- An academic writing sample, ordinarily an academic paper or essay.
- Three letters of recommendation. These should be from academic professors or persons familiar with the student's academic ability and with the academic rigors of a graduate degree. They should comment on the critical thinking and writing skills, the research ability, and the general suitability of the applicant for graduate study.
For students whose native language is not English, recent Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Written English (TWE) scores must be submitted. The TOEFL score must be at least 585 (paper score) or 240 (computer score), and the TWE score must be at least 4. Scores no older than two years are accepted. In addition, Drew will administer further testing once a student has arrived on campus, as a diagnostic tool to determine if a student needs additional study in writing, in speaking English, or in study skills appropriate to the U.S. academic environment.
Students cannot be enrolled simultaneously in more than one school of the University, or in more than one program.
In order to be considered for admission to Ph.D. programs in the Graduate Division of Religion, applicants must have a Master’s degree or the equivalent.
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The Graduate Division of Religion prides itself on its large constituency of international students. Currently, around one third of the GDR student body is made up of international students from approximately twenty different counties.
Stringent financial reporting is, however, a prerequisite to the granting of a U.S. visa for an entering international student and family. After admission into the GDR, therefore, proof of all financial resources must be provided (see “International Students” under “Costs and Financial Assistance” below for details).
International students should not plan on providing for the cost of their education through employment in the United States, other than through campus employment (which has definite limits on amount of time and monies allowable for student employees). The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS, formerly known as the INS) assumes that students have sufficient resources to support themselves without off-campus employment. International students must have the specific approval of the BCIS or the International Student Services Office to work off-campus. It is the policy of Drew University that all international students in the Graduate Division of Religion are brought into the United States under the F-1 or J-1 program. Please note that degree seeking students are not legally allowed to study with tourist visas or F-2 status and will need to change to F-1 before they can begin study. The choice should be made very carefully, for once the visa type has been chosen, it is extremely difficult to change.
Students whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL and TWE scores with their applications (see “Admissions Criteria & Procedures” above for further details).
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