- Program information
- Admission requirements
- Timeline
- Courses
- Comprehensive exams
- Language requirements
- Thesis proposal
- Doktorklub
Program information
The purpose of the Ph.D. program is to engage students in advanced academic studies, normally in preparation for an academic career. The community of graduate scholars in this program is engaged in a broad spectrum of critical research involving any number of interdisciplinary approaches conducted on a number of different religious traditions. The faculty members are committed to the training of teaching scholars, making the School of Religious Studies one of few schools that prioritizes offering graduate students opportunities under faculty supervision to teach/lecture during their time in the program.
Women and Gender Studies
The Graduate Option in Gender and Women's Studies (GWS) provides graduate students with a cross-disciplinary specialization in feminist, women's, and gender studies. This Option is open to graduate students at McGill University enrolled in the School of Religious Studies. During the application process, prospective students can specify their interest in the Graduate Option through uApply. There are no prerequisites to enter into the Option. However, previous coursework in gender and women's studies provides an ideal foundation for more in-depth study of and research in feminist scholarship.
Student supervision in the Option is undertaken by one's departmental supervisor who oversees student work, including choice of thesis, dissertation, or project topic. A student's Ph.D. dissertation must be on a topic that significantly engages with issues of gender and/or women and/or feminism. For more information about Gender and Women Studies, visit the IGSF website.
Admission requirements
Entry into the doctoral program is limited to applicants who have earned an academic Master’s degree in Religious Studies or Theology in a recognized graduate program, or those who have finished the course requirements of such a program with a minimum CGPA of 3.5/4.0.
Advanced standing (Ph.D. 2) may be granted if the completed Master’s level work included a thesis in the same area as that of the intended doctoral specialization and involved not less than six (6) courses (18 credits).
It is recommended that French and/or German be included in the bachelor’s or master’s work preceding doctoral study. For Asian Religions, students intending to enter the Ph.D. program must have preparation in the appropriate languages, normally Sanskrit or Pali for South Asian religion, Tibetan for Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese and/or Japanese for East Asian religion. For Biblical Studies, students intending to enter the Ph.D. program must have preparation in the appropriate languages, normally Hebrew and Greek.
Applicants for doctoral programs are requested to submit a substantial sample of their scholarly writing (15–20 pages) with their application.
Timeline
Upon admission, students are assigned a Graduate Advisor. This is someone the School believes the student would be interested in working with. This is not their Graduate Supervisor, who will provide thesis supervision, develop a Thesis Proposal and plan a schedule for the Comprehensive Examinations. Students must advise the Student Affairs Coordinator of their supervisor(s) and supervisory committee by October of their first year. Additionally, each year by October 1, students must complete a research tracking progress report to assess degree progress.
Please note that a student who has not completed Comprehensive Examinations by the end of Ph.D. 3 may not qualify for T.A. employment, may not teach as a sessional lecturer and may not commence formal dissertation research and writing. Additionally, students who do not follow the timeline outlined below will not be considered for in-course funding.
Milestones and requirements will be closely followed on MyProgress. The timeline students can expect is as follows:
Ph.D. 1: Course work (by August 31 Year 1) (6 seminars)
Ph.D. 2: Course work (by August 31 Year 2) (4 seminars)
Ph.D. 3: Comprehensives (by August 31 Year 3)
Ph.D. 4: 2 Required Languages (by August 31 Year 4)
Ph.D. 5: Thesis Proposal (by April 30 Year 5)
Ph.D. 6: Doktorklub (by April 30 Year 6)
Ph.D. students must complete all program requirements by the end of Ph.D. 7. Please see the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office website for more on Program Progression and Time Limitation.
Residency requirements
Refers to the number of terms (or years) students must be registered on a full-time basis to complete their program. Students are not permitted to graduate until they have fulfilled the residence requirement (or paid the corresponding fees) in their program.
Candidates admitted to Ph.D. 1 must be registered on a full-time basis for four consecutive years (8 terms) and candidates admitted to Ph.D. 2 must be registered on a full-time basis for three consecutive years (6 terms), after which they will continue as additional session students until completion of the program. Half-time study may be permitted upon request.
Courses
Candidates admitted to Ph.D. 1 take a minimum of six graduate seminars during their first year and four seminars during their Ph.D. 2 year; those admitted to Ph.D. 2 must take a minimum of four graduate seminars. If possible, two seminars should be in their area of specialization, and at least one should be at the 700 level.
Graduate seminars are defined as courses that are 500-level or higher. If possible, two seminars should be in their area of specialization. Note that RELG 745 is a required course, and one of the four to be taken in Ph.D. 2.
For a full list of available courses, please refer to the eCalendar or Minerva.
Gender and Women's Studies Option
Required Courses
Students in the Gender and Women's Studies Option must take RELG 745 as well as WMST 601 and 602:
and one 3-credit graduate seminar with a substantive focus on gender and/or women’s studies.
Comprehensive exams
During Ph.D. 2 students should approach a member of the faculty to request supervision of the dissertation and to plan the Comprehensive Examinations (Comps). Full-time students normally complete the Comps after course work in Ph.D. 2 and before the beginning of dissertation research in Ph.D. 4. However, students may choose to commence Comps from the beginning of Ph.D. 2. At the latest, the Comprehensive must be completed by the end of Ph.D. 3. The thesis proposal should be submitted shortly after the completion of the Comprehensive, normally by the beginning of Ph.D. 4.
These examinations are designed to ensure that candidates are adequately prepared to undertake the research required for a doctoral thesis and to teach university level courses in their chosen field. They are meant to test students' competence in: (1) their field of specialization; (2) one or two cognate areas. The latter are areas related to the chosen field and are to be determined by the supervisor in consultation with the candidate.
The School of Religious Studies Guidelines for Comprehensive Examinations complement section 10.4 "Ph.D. Comprehensive Policy" of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Calendar.
Format
In general, Comprehensive Examinations in the School of Religious Studies follow a standard 3-part format.
RELG 701
A 3-hour Major Comprehensive exam (RELG 701)
The Major Comprehensive Examination tests the doctoral student's knowledge and understanding of the entire field in which he or she specializes. The content includes foundational texts and authors, main concepts and theories, the methodologies usually employed in that field, significant secondary scholarship, and important issues in current scholarship. The Examination determines whether the student has the professional scholar's grasp of the field.
RELG 702
A 3-hour Minor Comprehensive exam (RELG 702)
The Minor Comprehensive Examination tests the doctoral student's knowledge and understanding of a secondary field which is cognate or comparative to the field of specialization. The student should have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the field to be able to teach an introductory course in that field.
Students may propose to take the Minor Comprehensive Examination in a field outside the Area of their specialization. The actual determination of the Minor field will be determined in discussion between the candidate and the thesis supervisor. In consultation with the thesis supervisor, the professor responsible for the Minor field will prepare a select bibliography and set a three-hour examination.
A student who wishes to write a Minor Comprehensive Examination in a field not listed in these Guidelines must make a formal written proposal which must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
RELG 703
An Oral Exam of 90 minutes or less (RELG 703)
The Oral Comprehensive Examination is conducted by the examiners of the Major and Minor Comprehensive Examinations and is based on, but not limited to, the student's answers to the Major and Minor Examinations. The Examination provides the examiners an opportunity to clarify any questions which may have arisen on the earlier examinations, and the candidate an opportunity to supplement his or her written answers with oral explanations.
Exceptions to this format are noted below under Content and Format. Since the specific content and format of the Comprehensive Examinations depend on the program of study, the candidate must always consult a faculty advisor in the program in question. Depending on the candidate's research project, the thesis supervisor may require competence in additional languages or minor fields of study (see also Area requirements).
Assessment
Assessment
In all cases, the Examinations are graded by the faculty person who sets the Examination. The Oral Examination is conducted and graded by the faculty persons responsible for the Major and Minor Examinations.
The examinations will be graded Pass/Fail. After grading, the examiner(s) will provide a written report giving feedback to the student on the strengths and weaknesses of the student's performance on the Examinations, including the Oral Examination. The examiner's report of the grade and the student's performance will be kept in the student's file for reference during Degree Audit.
For Oral Examinations, the student may request the presence of another faculty member to act as a neutral observer and/or to tape-record the examination.
In the event of a failure, the policy of the McGill University Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office applies (see Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Calendar, section 10.4 "Ph.D. Comprehensives Policy: Failures"). In the present policy, the student is allowed one repeat of the Examination. The student is informed in writing of the reasons for the failure and of the procedure for the repeat Examination. In such circumstances the grade of HH (continuing) will be used. The Advisor may impose conditions on the student for the repeat Examination, e.g., requiring the student to take further courses in an area of weakness. In the event of a second failure, a grade of F will be reported to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. After failure in any of the Major, the Minor or Oral Examination, the student will be asked to withdraw from the Ph.D. program.
Students may ask for a re-read of an Examination according to the procedure outlined in the "Graduate Studies Reread Policy" (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Calendar, section 10.5)
Specifications based on fields of study
Biblical Studies
A. Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
(Professors Kirkpatrick, Oegema)
The (three-hour) Major Comprehensive consists of two sections: (1) a journal surveying the field of Old Testament Studies identifying the main areas and perspectives of the field, the issues currently being discussed within a perspective and the main scholars participating in the discussions; (2) a written examination on six selected topics in the field of Old Testament which will be agreed upon by both the candidate and the supervisor. The exam will be three hours and consist of questions in three of the six area topics. The examination will only be given after the completion of the journal.
The (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive will assess the candidate's knowledge of a cognate area. The professor responsible for the cognate field in religious studies will set a three hour examination.
After both the major and the minor have been successfully completed the candidate will be given an Oral examination of no more than three hours based on the work covered for both the minor and the major written examinations.
B. Early Judaism
(Professor Oegema)
The (three-hour) Major Comprehensive consists of two sections: (1) a journal surveying the field of Early Judaism identifying the main areas and perspectives of the field, the issues currently being discussed within a perspective and the main scholars participating in the discussions; (2) a written examination on six selected topics in the field of Early Judaism which will be agreed upon by both the candidate and the supervisor. The exam will be three hours and consist of questions in three of the six area topics. The examination will only be given after the completion of the journal.
The (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive will assess the candidate's knowledge of a cognate area, normally either Old Testament/Hebrew Bible or New Testament. The professor responsible for the cognate field in religious studies will set a three hour examination.
After both the major and the minor have been successfully completed the candidate will be given an Oral examination of no more than two hours based on the work covered for both the minor and the major written examinations.
Summary:- Journal (60 pages): A Critical Assessment of 100 years of scholarship on Early Judaism. Written Exam, based on 3 of 6 topics from the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman period of Jewish religious, social and political history.
- Minor Comprehensives: Either in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible or New Testament/Early Christianity. A minor comprehensive in Jewish Studies, Classical History and/or Archeology is presently investigated.
- Oral Exam: 2 hour oral examination on Major and Minor Comprehensives.
C. New Testament Studies
(Professor Henderson)
The (three-hour) Major Comprehensive Exam consists of two parts:
- A three hour written exam on New Testament Greek (use of Lexicon is permitted).
- A three hour written exam on the Major Issues of Introduction of all New Testament writings with more in-depth knowledge expected for the writing(s) related to the intended thesis topic (e.g. Pauline letters, or the Gospel of John).
The (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive Exam for students specializing in New Testament Studies consists of a three hour, written exam in a Cognate field (e.g., Hebrew Bible, Greco-Roman Judaism, Patristics). The content covered in the exam is to be determined in consultation with the professor in the cognate area who will supervise the exam.
The Oral Comprehensive consists of a 90 minutes exam given by at least two faculty members. It will be on the same material covered in the Major Comprehensive, Part B.
The Minor Comprehensive Exam in New Testament Studies for students specializing in a different field consists of a three hour written exam. The content covered in the exam is to be determined in consultation with the professor in New Testament Studies who will supervise the exam.
Christian Thought and History
A. Christian Theology
(Professor Farrow)
The (three-hour) Major: The examiner and the student will agree together on a list of eight to ten questions as a basis for the examination, which will contain no more than five of these. Preparation will be guided by an appropriate bibliographical foundation, which will also be agreed in advance.
The (three-hour) Minor: The examiner and the student will agree together on a list of six questions as a basis for the examination, which will contain no more than four of these. Preparation will be guided by an appropriate bibliographical foundation, which will also be agreed in advance.
After completion of the Major and Minor Examinations, an Oral Examination of one and one half hours will be conducted by the Major and Minor examiners. The Oral Examination will be based upon the candidate's written answers on the Major and Minor examinations.
B. Church History
(Professor Kirby)
Both the (three-hour) Major and the (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive entail an examination of the candidate's habitual knowledge of major themes in the history of the thought and action of the Christian Church. Candidates may elect to write on one of four major periods of ecclesiastical history: a) the early Church (up to seventh Ecumenical Council); b) the medieval period; c) the Reformation; or d) the modern era. In preparation for this three-hour written examination candidates will meet with their program advisor to agree on an appropriate reading list of primary and secondary texts. This reading list may emphasize particular elements of the history of doctrine and theology, institutional structures and development, or some other central theme, e.g., iconography, liturgy and worship, the relation of Church and State.
The (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive in Church History is ordinarily in a cognate field or area (e.g. Biblical Studies, Theology, or Philosophy of Religion); students are encouraged to discuss their choice of the Minor with their program advisor. Candidates should consult a faculty advisor in the area of the Minor to determine the specific requirements of this Comprehensive Examination.
An Oral Comprehensive Examination of 90 minutes will be held after completion of the two previous examinations, to be conducted by the examiners for the Major and Minor Comprehensives.
Religion and Culture
A. Philosophy of Religion
(Professor Green)
The (three-hour) Major Comprehensive Exam covers foundational figures, texts, and themes in Philosophy of Religion. Candidates are to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the history, development, and contemporary state of the field, and to situate their address of particular aspects of, or possibilities within, the field in this broad context. In consultation with the program advisor, students formulate six exam questions (four of which will appear on the exam) with primary reference to the figures and problems that characterize the unfolding of the discipline.
The (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive Exam covers materials within the philosophy of religion that are clearly differentiated from those of the Major, or from the cognate research field of the candidate. Both the area and the topic are proposed by the student and agreed upon by both the Major and the Minor advisors, in order that the exam complement the specific research interests of each candidate. In consultation with the program advisor, students formulate five exam questions (three of which will appear on the exam) with primary reference to the particular figures, themes, and problems of importance to the candidate¹s research.
An Oral Examination of one and a half hours (based upon the candidate¹s written answers on the Major and Minor Exams) will be convened accordingly. Both exams are established upon a bibliographical foundation of primary and secondary texts, developed with and approved by the Major and Minor advisors.
B. Religious Ethics
(Professor Fiasse)
The (three-hour) Major Comprehensive is a three-part examination of three hours that assesses the candidate's knowledge of (1) theoretical ethics, (2) the history of one religious tradition with emphasis on its ethical systems, and (3) practical ethics.
The candidate will prepare a set of eight questions covering the field of specialization in consultation with the thesis supervisor. The set of eight questions should deal with important issues from the three sections (theoretical, religious and practical). After the questions have been approved by the thesis supervisor, the student will be given an examination of three hours. The examination will consist of three of the questions that the candidate has prepared.
The (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive will assess the candidate's knowledge of a cognate area (for example: philosophy of religion, Christian theology, Asian religions).
The professor responsible for the cognate field in religious studies and the student will agree together on a list of six questions as a basis for the examination. The professor will set a three hour examination for which the candidate will write answers to three questions. Preparation will be guided by an appropriate bibliographical foundation, which will also be agreed upon in advance.
After completion of the Major and Minor Examinations, an Oral Examination of one and one half hours will be conducted by the Major and Minor examiners. The Oral Examination will be based upon the candidate's written answers on the Major and Minor examinations.
Asian Religions
Asian Religions Area
(Professors Braitstein, Pinkney, Sharma)
For the (three-hour) Major Comprehensive Examination, the candidate will prepare a set of eight questions covering the field of specialization in consultation with the thesis supervisor. The set of eight questions should deal with important issues which either span the historical spectrum or employ more than one methodological approach (historical, philosophical, social scientific, etc.). After the questions have been approved by the thesis supervisor, the student will be given an examination of three hours. The examination will consist of four of the questions that the candidate has prepared and the candidate will be asked to write answers to three of the four questions.
The (three-hour) Minor Comprehensive Examination tests the candidate's grasp of a field cognate to the field of specialization. The actual determination of the cognate field will be decided in discussion between the candidate and the thesis supervisor. The professor in the Faculty of Religious Studies responsible for that cognate field will prepare a select bibliography and set a three-hour examination, for which the candidate will write answers to three questions.
After completion of the Major and Minor Examinations, an Oral Examination of one and one half hours will be conducted by the Major and Minor examiners. The Oral Examination will be based upon the candidate's written answers on the Major and Minor examinations.
Language requirements
The School of Religious Studies offers courses in primary text source languages, such as Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, Biblical Greek, Sanskrit, classical literary Tibetan. The School relies upon other McGill units for instruction in languages other than those mentioned above.
The successful completion of at least twelve credits at the post-secondary level in a language course, or successful completion of a language examination administered by the appropriate member of the School, will constitute evidence of the student’s having the required reading knowledge of the language in question.
Students are required to give their area committee evidence of reading knowledge of two languages other than English. These languages must be chosen from modern languages in which there is a significant amount of scholarship relevant to the student’s area of research or from classical languages relevant to the student’s area of research, or a combination of one modern and one classical language.
Research in some disciplines, or on certain thesis topics, may require proficiency in more than two languages besides English. In that case, additional language requirements as required for specialization may be stipulated by the supervisor.
Thesis proposal guidelines:
The thesis proposal is prepared under the direction of your thesis supervisor(s) with the guidance of your research committee and submitted to the Graduate Programs and Policies (GPP) committee for review and approval.
Drafting and submission of the Ph.D. proposal is not undertaken formally until the comprehensive exams are successfully completed.
General guidelines:
- Ph.D. proposal word count: 1500 words maximum (excluding bibliography).
- Your proposal must be submitted two weeks before the meeting of the GPP committee to be considered. Keep review deadlines in mind; they must be respected.
- The Ph.D. candidate is present at the GPP meeting for the discussion and review of the proposal. The student can give a short (3-5 minute) presentation of the proposal or go directly to questions from the committee. Normally only two Ph.D. proposals will be discussed in a GPP meeting.
- Submit your proposal with your name and student number, date, indication of the degree being sought, proposal title, and supervisory signature(s).
- It must be distributed in an unlocked PDF form that allows for highlighting and annotation by GPP committee members.
- Use a standard double-spaced format, with brief supportive footnotes.
Main elements of a proposal:
Apart from the provisional title, there are essentially FIVE main elements of a thesis proposal, which will normally (though not necessarily) appear discretely in the following order.
- Research question and thesis statement: The first section indicates the main subject of inquiry and the principal text(s) concerned. More specifically, it identifies the central task to be undertaken and the primary claim that is being made, a claim that will be elaborated and defended as the dissertation unfolds. Establishing the "problematic" and the "thesis" (that is, the question and the answer) is crucial to the viability of any proposal. Clarity here is essential and the labour required to attain it is an excellent investment. This process normally requires multiple revisions in the drafting the proposal and often involves important refinements or alterations to the version reviewed by the GPP committee. If one cannot formulate convincingly the main problem to be addressed, or the primary aim and claim of the work, the dissertation project is not yet ready to proceed.
- Literature Review: This section should position the thesis in relation to previous scholarship in the area, to show how the proposed project offers an original contribution to scholarly debate or addresses an important gap in the literature. The literature can be grouped into “schools” of interpretation, if such exist. A proposal cannot offer a thorough literature review, but should offer an examination of representative studies as a backdrop or a foil for your own inquiry. This normally will involve weeks or months of intensive research and reading, beyond your comprehensives, in order to have a good grasp of the literature relevant to your topic. While some research topics might not have a large body of existing academic literature, this limitation can be explained in the literature review section and literature relevant to the broader thematic concerns of the thesis can be mentioned here.
- Methodology and approach: This section sets out the relevant operating assumptions and the theoretical tools or types of analysis to be employed. The former should be clearly indicated and the latter competently articulated. Assumptions do not have to be defended but their bearing should, as far as possible, be recognized. Analytical tools should be appropriate to the subject matter and their use (or non-use) may require explanation or defence. Proposals dealing with scriptural or foundational documents usually involve various forms of textual, hermeneutical, theological, critical, or historical analysis. Ethnographic topics may entail anthropological, sociological or qualitative ethnographical approaches. Some topics may lend themselves to a mixed-methods approach. How does the approach you are proposing address some of the limitations or difficulties of earlier approaches? Will your theoretical or methodological approach offer something original to scholarship in your field of inquiry?
- Annotated outline: Provide a basic map of your project in the form of an annotated chapter outline. This should evince a coherent structure within which to develop your aims and arguments systematically. Ph.D. perhaps five or six. Descriptions of each should help the committee assess your readiness for the work proposed, though in that work you are not bound to its present outline, which may well undergo significant change dictated by future findings or conceptual adjustments.
- Select bibliography: This should include the main primary texts, or portions thereof, which constitute the focus of the inquiry. Also provide the most relevant critical literature which is most pertinent to the setting up of your own methodology and approach, specifically the most important criticism outlined in the literature review.
Ph.D. bibliography: 1.5 page minimum (in addition to the proposal).
You may attach your more extensive bibliography as an appendix if you wish.
General observations:
Keep the main text as clean as possible and make it accessible to those whose expertise is in other fields. Be concise, however, not impressionistic. Your research can and should proceed while you await review. Bear in mind that the labour that leads to a successful thesis proposal is the most important work that will go into your project. Where these elements are sound, the further work based on them is more likely of success and the misery of "thesis neurosis" much less likely. As Aristotle rightly maintained, “the beginning is most difficult.” It is perhaps more than half the labour.
Doktorklub protocol
Held monthly during the Fall and Winter terms in the Birks building, Room 100 (Senior Common Room), ‘Doktorklub’ provides doctoral candidates in the School of Religious Studies with an opportunity to make a formal presentation of their research in the company of their professors and peers. A Doktorklub presentation is a formal requirement of the Ph.D. programme and is customarily scheduled following completion of the other principal degree requirements including courses, comprehensives, language examinations, and formal acceptance of the thesis proposal. Normally 40 to 50 minutes in length, these presentations should consist in a concise summary of the dissertation together with some significant portion of the argument (e.g. a chapter). Doktorklub constitutes a fairly broad, interdisciplinary audience of scholars in Religious Studies; the substance of presentations should be framed accordingly. Presenters are invited to consult their Supervisors in this matter. Presenters at Doktorklub are invited to nominate a formal Responder (either a professor or a peer) who will offer 5 to 10 minutes of comment following the presentation.
The intent of the formal response is to initiate a constructive conversation about the main argument of the presentation. Presenters are asked to provide an abstract (400-500 words max.) of their presentation to be circulated by the convenor in advance to other members of Doktorklub. In addition presenters may wish to include a brief outline of the argument of their dissertation—e.g., a division of chapters—together with any pertinent text or quotations which might serve to illuminate the inquiry and promote the discussion. Regular attendance at Doktorklub is required of all Ph.D. students in the School. By established custom delegates of the Religious Studies Graduate Society provide refreshments in the foyer of Birks after each meeting of Doktorklub. Doktorklub should be completed no later than 30 April of Ph.D. 6.
Procedure for arranging a Doktorklub presentation
Ph.D. candidates should consult with their thesis Supervisor(s) well in advance of applying for a date for their proposed presentation. In the term before they hope to give their Doktorklub presentation, the student should contact studaffairs.relg [at] mcgill.ca (Student Affairs Coordinator) to arrange a presentation date.