Religious Studies, M.A.

Religious Studies

Director of Graduate Studies

Kali Cape

[email protected]

Studying world religions prepares you for economic success in professions where culturally diverse points of view are valued and to succeed personally in an international city such as Atlanta or anywhere else in the world. This Georgia State University program introduces you to ideas, practices and values you’ve never encountered.

Students can choose from two tracks - thesis and coursework intensive:

Thesis Track: Students work with a thesis director and committee to research and write a thesis of publishable length.
- Final project: Thesis
Coursework Intensive Track: Students take more classes to gain more depth in their field or breadth across Religious Studies.
- Final project: Research paper or project

Students can choose from two concentrations - Nonprofit Management and Religion and Aging:

Concentration in Nonprofit Management: Students in this concentration earn the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Certificate in Nonprofit Management while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies.
- Final project: Research paper or project that integrates work in Nonprofit Management, an internship and Religious Studies
Concentration in Religion and Aging: Students in this concentration earn the Gerontology Institute's Graduate Certificate while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies.
- Final project: Research paper or project that integrates work in Gerontology, an internship and Religious Studies

Students can also choose the Graduate Pathway to Chaplaincy:
Students enrolled in the Religious Studies Master’s degree program at Georgia State University or another institution who aspire to become a chaplain can apply to the Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies during the second year of the master’s program. Through the Graduate Pathway to Chaplaincy, students complete 12 additional graduate credit hours during a third year of coursework and additional requirements by Association of Professional Chaplains for chaplaincy certification.

More information about the Pathway to Chaplaincy can be found below.

Graduate Pathway to Chaplaincy

Get your Masters and Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies in just 3 Years with our first of its kind program!

MA in Religious Studies
2 Years

Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies
1 Year

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Career Outcomes

Our students go on to careers in:

Nonprofit organizations
Medicine and health professions
Education
Law
Business and entrepreneurial work

We place students interested in advanced graduate work in some of the country’s most prestigious programs, including Harvard, Princeton, Chicago, the University of California Santa Barbara, Columbia, Emory and Duke.

Program Details

Required Materials

GRE NOT REQUIRED for this program
Statement of Purpose: Please submit an essay of no more than 1000 words outlining (1) your interest in the field of Religious Studies and (2) why you wish to pursue a graduate degree in Religious Studies at Georgia State.
Writing Sample: Please submit a writing sample of your previous scholarly work. Your sample should be no more than 2000 words, and maybe a complete short paper or a representative excerpt from a longer work.
Three Letters of Recommendation
Transcripts (one from each institution attended)
Official TOEFL/IELTS Scores (international applicants only)
Institutional code 5251 should be used for reporting GRE and TOEFL scores

Proseminar in Theories and Methods (3 hours)

Courses in world religions, ethics and politics and comparative or thematic studies (12-15 hours, varies by track/concentration)

Electives (varies by track/concentration)

VIEW CATALOG INFORMATION

In recent years, nearly all of the graduate students in our department have received funding.

Department awards typically include a stipend ($2,500-3,000) and tuition waiver valued between $4,584 for in-state and $14,911 for out of state students. We make funding offers of one to four semesters of support at the time of admission, and many other financial aid opportunities are available after students enroll.

Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

Students who complete our degree program gain cultural competency in religious diversity and skills in research and writing in a variety of applications (websites, podcasting, online course design).