IMPORTANT: Admissions to graduate study in Religious Studies are currently suspended. The department is not currently accepting applications for the graduate certificate.

The Graduate Certificate in Religious Studies is designed to provide students with a solid grounding in the academic study of religion, including exposure to key theoretical and methodological issues within the interdisciplinary field of Religious Studies. The certificate program enables students to integrate Religious Studies methodologies, as well as deeper knowledge of particular religious traditions, into their own academic interests or professional training.

Completion of the certificate in Religious Studies represents an additional credential for graduate students from a variety of academic disciplines and fields of study. The certificate will enhance the qualifications of students seeking careers in research and teaching, journalism, the nonprofit sector, government, the arts, or any other field in which understanding the breadth of human cultural diversity is useful.

Enrollment in the program is open to students admitted to a regular KU graduate program as well as students who are not currently enrolled at KU.

Admission to Graduate Studies

An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

The KU Department of Religious Studies is not currently admitting new graduate students or accepting applications for the graduate certificate. If admissions resume in the future, eligibility criteria for admission to the graduate certificate program follow Graduate Studies' admission policy. Non-native speakers of English must meet English proficiency requirements set by Graduate Studies. A Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies is not required for admission, but the department expects applicants to demonstrate experience in the humanities and social sciences.

For all applicants (current graduate students and non-KU students), please check the application requirements on the Religious Studies website. 

Potential students must submit a complete online graduate application. For additional questions regarding program requirements and application processes, please contact the Department Chair, Dr. Jacquelene Brinton. Applicants may also contact the department directly: 

The University of Kansas
Department of Religious Studies
Smith Hall, Room 109A
1300 Oread Ave. | Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-4341 | rstudies@ku.edu

The Graduate Certificate in Religious Studies requires 12 hours of coursework, chosen in consultation with the student's advisor or the Director of Graduate Studies. At least 50% of coursework for the certificate must be at the 700 level or above.

• REL 701 Approaches to the Study of Religion (3 hrs);
• 9 additional hours of graduate-level coursework in Religious Studies. Up to 3 hours of appropriate coursework in other departments may be substituted in consultation with the Graduate Director.

  Course List

  Code	Title	Hours
  REL 500	Readings in Non-English Religious Texts	1-4
  REL 507	Religion in India	3
  REL 509	Religion in Japan	3
  REL 511	Buddhist Art of Korea	3
  REL 525	Jews and Christians	3
  REL 572	Judaism and Political Theology	3
  REL 585	New Religious Movements (Western)	3
  REL 586	New Religious Movements (Nonwestern)	3
  REL 657	Women and Gender in Islam	3
  REL 671	American Communes	3
  REL 704	Russian Orthodoxy in Historical Perspective	3
  REL 724	Magic and Myth in Ancient Egypt	3
  REL 731	Studies in Christianity	3
  REL 734	Studies in Ritual: _____	3
  REL 761	Seminar in Western Religious Thought: _____	3
  REL 800	Readings	1-4
  REL 827	Seminar in Religion, Text and Textuality	3
  REL 837	Seminar in Religion, Media and Performance	3
  REL 847	Seminar in Religion, Society and Social Change	3
  REL 857	Seminar in Religious Subjectivity, Experience, and Narrative	3

For further information on coursework and credit for graduate certificates, refer to KU Graduate Studies Graduate Credit policy.