How do I decide what area of religious studies to apply to (given all the specializations in the field)?
A recently published survey sponsored by the American Academy of Religion (March 2004) lists fifteen different types of institutions/programs to which one could apply for a graduate degree—and thirty three possible areas of concentration within these institutions or programs. Click here to see the report. Types of institutions and/or programs include departments of Religion or Religious Studies at various sorts of universities; Theological Seminaries that specialize in offering mostly Masters level degrees or non-academic doctorates; Departments of Theology in religiously-affiliated institutions; Divinity Schools; Seminaries; Departments of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies; etc. Areas of concentration include a variety of foci—from concentration in specific traditions to comparative endeavors across traditions to concentrations that are rooted in particular historical epochs. Peruse the links to Ph.D. and MA degrees (check other links on this resources page) to get a sense of the ri
