Plan
A
Thesis program provides
students with an opportunity for graduate study in Asian/Polynesian
Religions. 30 credits are required.
Master's Plan A
Student Progress Forms.
Form I - Preliminary
Conference: A report based on a Preliminary Conference with the Graduate
Chair during the first semester, listing an adviser, proposed courses to
fulfill the requirements, and the foreign language for the degree.
Form II-Admission to
Candidacy: Candidacy may be granted after the first semester after
completing 6 graduate credits plus REL 600 with a GPA of 3.0 of better
(total 9 credits).
Form III-Master's Plan A
Committee: To report the members of the thesis committee: the committee
chair and two other members, one of which must be from another
department.
Form IV-Approval of
Thesis Topic: Thesis committee approves thesis topic prior to student
registering for Thesis 700 for the next academic semester.
Form VI-Final
Examination: The thesis committee reports the satisfactory completion of
the oral examination
Form VII-Judgment of
Thesis: After all revisions have been incorporated and the thesis is in
final form, the majority of the thesis committee including the
chairperson passes the student for the Master's Degree.
Instructions for thesis
preparation will be mailed to students from the Graduate Record Office.
Progress Forms I to IV
must be completed and submitted to Graduate Division before students can
register for REL 700.
Required courses (12
credits).
- REL 600 History and
Theory of the Study of Religion (3)
- REL 625 Applied
Methods in the Study of Religion (3)
- REL 700 Thesis
Research (3, 3)
Area requirements (9
credits minimum). Students must take at least three 600-level
courses in their area of specialization.
Electives (9
credits). Electives consist of any Religion Department courses
(400-level and above), other than program and area requirements. One
complementary course (3 credits) from another discipline may be accepted
at the discretion of the thesis adviser and graduate chair. Up to 3
credits of a graduate-level course taken at another university may, at
the discretion of the thesis adviser and the graduate chair, count
toward the degree, provided that the course has not been previously
applied to another degree.
Language. To
achieve a mastery of language at the second-year level, students are
required to complete two years of a language appropriate to their field
of specialization (e.g., Sanskrit, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian,
Samoan, Tahitian, or another Asian or Polynesian language approved by
the area adviser) with a grade of B or better in the fourth semester of
class.
This language
requirement will be waived for students demonstrating language
proficiency by an equivalency exam. These exams will be set by the
student's thesis adviser and assessed by two faculty readers (one from
the Religion Department and one from the department in which the
language is taught).
Language courses will
not count towards the 30 credits required for a MA in Religion.
Thesis (REL 700).
A maximum of 3 credits per semester for a total of 6 credits of REL 700
over two semesters is required.
Completion of an
original thesis, demonstrating a mastery of advanced research, analytic,
and discursive skills, is required of all students electing Plan A.
Each candidate must form
a committee of three members of the Graduate Faculty, one of whom is
from outside the Department. Faculty reserve the right not to serve on a
thesis committee.
After submission of a
completed thesis to the committee for its consideration, a final oral
examination on the subject of the thesis must be passed. A candidate who
fails may be examined once, provided it is done within one year of the
initial examination.
One bound copy of the approved thesis, including the signature page,
shall go on file in the Department Office.
Plan B
Non-thesis degree
program provides students with an opportunity for graduate study in
Asian/Polynesian Religions. 30 credits are required.
1. Preliminary
Conference with the Graduate Chair for the purpose of determining an
adviser, proposed courses to fulfill the requirements, and the foreign
language for the degree.
2. Candidacy for Plan B
students requires a memo from the Graduate Chair indicating that all
deficiencies have been removed and that 12 credits have been taken with
a 3.0 GPA or better.
3. Portfolio with three
research papers with grades of B or better from graduate seminars is to
be submitted to the Graduate Chair. One of these papers will be
presented at a public forum during the student's final semester. The
portfolio must be submitted to the Graduate Chair prior to graduation.
Required courses (6
credits).
REL 600 History &
Theory of the Study of Religion (3)
REL 625 Applied Methods in the Study of Religion (3)
Area requirements (9 credits). Students must take at least three
600-level courses in Asian or Polynesian Religions.
Electives (15
credits). Three of these credits must be earned in a 600-level
course. The remaining credits may include Religion 400-level and above
courses. Up to 3 credits of a complementary course from another
discipline may be accepted at the discretion of the Graduate Chair and
the student's adviser. Up to 3 credits of a graduate-level course taken
at another university may count toward the degree at the discretion of
the Graduate Chair and student's adviser, provided the course was not
previously counted toward a degree.
Language. To
achieve mastery of a language at the second-year level, students are
required to complete two years of a language appropriate to area (e.g.,
Sanskrit, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, or
another Asian or Polynesian language approved by the area adviser) with
a grade of B or better in the fourth semester of class.
This language
requirement will be waived for students demonstrating mastery by an
equivalency exam. These exams will be set by the student's thesis
adviser and assessed by two faculty readers (one from the Department of
Religion and one from the department in which the language is
taught).
Language courses will
not count toward the 30 credits required for a MA in Religion.
Certificate of Study
Application requirements
are the same as those for the MA degree program. This is a two-semester
non-degree Certificate Program for students who want to pursue a
graduate study in Religion but do not need or want a Master's degree.
Certificate students are ineligible for admission to the Master's
program. 15 graduate credits are required of which 6 credits may be in
400-level courses.
Certificate in Religion
The certificate program
is a 15-credit program for students who want to pursue graduate study in
religion but who do not necessarily need or want a master's degree.
Application requirements are the same as for the MA degree program.
The program consists of required and elective courses. The required
courses are REL 600 History and Theory of the Study of Religion (3
credits) and REL 650 Seminar on World Religions (3 credits). The
elective courses, which must total 9 credits, are grouped into two
options. In the world religions option, students must take at least one
graduate-level course in the following three different areas: (a) East
Asia, (b) Polynesia, and (c) South Asia. In the area specialization
option, students must take at least three graduate-level courses in one
of the following areas: (a) East Asia, (b) Polynesia, or (c) South Asia.
Students, after
completing the requirements for the certificate, may apply for admission
to the MA program in religion. If they are accepted into the program,
their course credits may be applied to the MA degree, but then the
certificate will not be awarded. |