theophany

YDS, at least, does not calculate GPA and stopped giving Latin honors three years ago. GPA, as an average, means almost nothing because it obscures strengths in some areas, the individual difficulty of particular professors or fields, etc. etc. Don't worry about GPA. Worry about having good grades in the courses in your intended fields of study.

Have you emailed a research librarian this question? People often forget that librarians exist and under-utilize them, but are really the first people to go to with a question like this. It is amazing how much better librarians are at knowing what is out there, which resources to use, how to navigate them, and so on, than the average researcher. I'm afraid you're probably rather unlikely to get a good response on GradCafe to such a specific research interest—the odds of there being someone else who works on Hus here alone being rather low.

Your application seems pretty sound from how you describe it. Obviously, for many of the programs you've listed GRE is going to be an important hoop, but really they only care about the verbal, and given your background I'd say that's not going to be a huge issue. Given your interests, I'd say your list of "definitely" sounds right, with one question. At Duke would you be applying to the ThD or the PhD? Your project sounds more in line with the ThD there than with the PhD, and Duke is known for being concerned with the distinction between projects that belong in the divinity school versus ones that belong in the graduate department of religion. As far as Cambridge and St. Andrew's go, if you're an American, it's going to be a bit harder of a case to go to the UK for a PhD/DPhil and to come back and teach; UK schools have the reputation for admitting American students as cash cows, and their PhDs are less rigorous and holistic than is an American PhD—writing a dissertation vs. coursework, exams, teaching, and dissertation. I might suggest for any UK schools you're considering to apply to an MPhil and then move into the PhD/DPhil—that will make a degree that more closely resembles what American doctoral programs look like. From what I know about the "maybes," some seem like less of a fit, especially with your career goals to combine your practice of religion with scholarship. In particular, UNC, Columbia, and Stanford seem more of a question mark for me, as those programs are known for being quite secular in perspective. Union, Emory, Vanderbilt, UVa, and Notre Dame seem like better fits overall. The rest strike me as a "Hmm, maybe..." Two years ago, I would have said Harvard sounds like a reasonable idea, but with the ending of the ThD program Harvard's trajectory on more faith-integrative projects is less certain. Princeton is also somewhat tricky—it depends on whether you mean the University or the Seminary. I think I would also check out Yale's program—because of the divinity school there having several literature people (Peter Hawkins, Christian Wiman, Maggi Dawn, David Mahan) and at least a couple theologians who are interested in non-traditional theological loci. Ultimately, though, none of these programs see themselves at the doctoral level as training people for the congregation. There are people that serve in churches, sure, but doctoral programs are for training researchers (and secondarily, teachers). I would advise making sure your priority as a researcher is what comes across strongest in your application, especially for schools that do not have divinity schools. The only reason I would suggest doing an STM at Yale would be if you didn't have a clear sense of your project, a strong SOP, recommendations, or GRE score. That doesn't sound like the boat you're in, so I wouldn't prolong the process by another year.

The WGSSR concentration plan looks like this: http://divinity.yale.edu/sites/default/files/mar_plan_gender_sexuality.pdf The Bible is here: http://divinity.yale.edu/sites/default/files/mar_plan-bible.pdf The History of Christianity here: http://divinity.yale.edu/sites/default/files/MARHistoryChristianity.pdf As you can see, the History of Christianity is by far the most flexible of the three, as diazalon (hey buddy!) noted. The WGSSR is strange because it doesn't belong to one of the Areas (think departments) of the School, so faculty choice isn't as constrained as it would be if you were applying to one of the more Area-based concentrations (e.g. Bible, History of Christianity). Ultimately, as my advice usually is on this kind of thing, email Sean McAvoy at the YDS admissions office and talk with him. He'll be able to clarify more on how the admissions process works when you have particular faculty in mind. Your POI would also be a good person to be emailing with anyway.

My "discipline" comment was made in the context of admissions requirements, and I did not mean for it to be extrapolated into this conversation about the category of "religion", which really bores me to be honest. All I meant by the discipline thing is that it's unhelpful to think about it as one when it comes to "what you need to get in," because the use of the general disciplinary/field term makes it seem like you could generalize across it what you'd need. Because of the nature of religious studies (as a hugely diverse conglomeration of objects of study as well as methodologies all around a central theme—whose specialists often virulently disagree over whether or not it is actually a thing) it's substantially harder to generalize than, say, a philosophy or math department. As I wrote, it's unhelpful to think about it that way when it was clearly getting in the way of the OP understanding what s/he needs for admissions—you wouldn't, for instance, need Arabic for admission for either HB or theology.

It depends on your field of study. Religious studies isn't a discipline, but more akin to an object study with a variety of different areas of the world, times, methods, and "religious traditions". So it's hard to generalize on what is needed for "religious studies" because that name is really deceptive. It's not really a thing exactly. The question is more about primary language of study—languages you need to read primary sources. So if, say, you were applying to theology programs: it would depend on if you're doing medieval (in which case you'd need Latin, but not so much French or German), or if you're doing contemporary (in which you'd need German absolutely, but not so much Latin or Greek).

It seems to me that Bible is the hardest field to switch into of all. Everyone I know who has gotten into PhD programs in HB have had Hebrew, Ugaritic, Aramaic, etc. You'll be competing against people who have been preparing all of their undergrad and all of their M* (in some case, multiple M*) on acquiring languages. It's a...steep hill. You won't be limited from talking about HB if you study theology/ethics (in fact, in my opinion, you should be talking about the Bible in theology/ethics), but so many of the "respected" PhD programs in HB are very textually-based and emphasize languages. I think you should talk to one of your HB profs who knows your preparation better than any of us, and see what s/he says about this idea.

If you're looking for Anglican formation in the Northeast, there are only four options: EDS, General, Berkeley at Yale, and Colgate Rochester/Seabury-Western-Bexley. At this point, it is unclear how long either EDS or General will exist. Both have been in financial dire straits for years, and with recent flares against administration at both schools, well, it doesn't look good. If either of them closes while you're there, you'd have to relocate your program again—so I'd stay away from either of them. As trinitymathew said, Trinity is also an option. But the big caution is that you should talk to the bishop of your diocese (or more probably, whoever the head of the commission on ministry is) to see if they'd be okay with a Canadian program. The polity and liturgy of the Anglican Church in Canada are different than the Episcopal Church, so they might still require you to do an Anglican year in the US to learn TEC-specific things. As for Yale, showing a year of success at VDS is something else in your portfolio; email admissions there and ask what they think.

There's an edited volume entitled simply Analytic Theology. With the exception of Sarah Coakley (off the top of my head), the rest of the authors find themselves in that camp. There were also a variety of essays on the topic in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion last year, vol. 18, no. 3, that you might check out to see if my hunch is right. It could be entirely wrong, too. And you've predicted my repetition of my answer: these are questions one asks about doctoral applications, not so much about masters. Any of the schools that have been mentioned so far as suggestions are going to have enough resources to help you explore—which seems like what you're looking for. Again, I don't think that I'd look at Chicago or HDS for your particular interests. Check out some Catholic schools too, which generally have more teaching faculty in ancient and medieval Christian thought.

I wouldn't say this is "broad" interest so much as it is specifically interested in different areas. From what I can tell, you have 2 fields of interest: ancient/medieval Western Christian history and Christian (Protestant?) analytic philosophy of religion. Because those are very different interests and are going to have little to no overlap in faculty teaching, more than likely, if you want to do both you will want a program whose curriculum is rather expansive at a school whose faculty are rather diverse. I'd say to look at Notre Dame, Yale, BU (GDRS), maybe BC, maybe Princeton TS, maybe Duke... (they are really good in NT, but not in the areas you are interested in...and I haven't really heard anything about their philosophy of religion). Some of this is going to depend on how confessional you are or want to be; just from what you've said, it seems like you're approaching philosophy of religion from a Protestant perspective, which changes things slightly. If that's the case, I would not suggest HDS or Chicago, and neither school (from what I know) is particularly keen on confessional commitments in philosophy of religion. Also, I'm not sure if so-called "analytic theology" is your thing, but if the wild assumptions I've made so far are correct, it sounds like you might have some sympathies with it—and you might look at places where it has a footing (in addition to Notre Dame: Fuller, SMU, etc.)

I agree with all that sacklunch said, so I won't repeat any of that. One additional point is that where is "good" in a particular field are always biased by what people counts for "good" or "rigorous" or "interesting" work, so that's a hard question to answer in the abstract—especially when it comes to masters level education. With such broad levels of interest, getting a clear sense of where is the school that is "best" on whatever standards we're using is going to be murky. So instead, I'll give you a loaded anecdote. I was similarly wide-ranging with my interests going into my masters. I think my SOP even said something about not knowing where in religion I will end up, just that these are the questions that keep drawing me back. And so, all things being more or less equal, I went with my gut. I went to a variety of schools, got a sense for daily life on campus, got a sense of the people I would have around me, and then asked the all-important question for choosing a school at any level: what is the fit? A friend of mine once put it, "We have our distinctive beat here. That beat is not something everyone can or wants to dance to. No judgment there. You shouldn't come here if this beat isn't for you." Fit is not important only because it will affect your personal well-being and sense of being intellectually "at home," but also—to take the metaphor further—you will be changed by the act of dancing to a particular school's beat. On the other side of my masters, I can see how my wide array of interests were affected by the questions the curriculum of the school, the faculty, and the student body were asking. I achieved clarity in response to that, and can say without a shadow of a doubt that I would not be in the field I am in today or the area of that field or asking the particular set of questions I am asking today if I hadn't done my masters where I did. In short, look at some faculty research areas and recent publications. Look at student organizations on campus. Look at the religious life and ethos (or lack thereof). If you can, go visit campuses. And then ask: does this fit?

That seems obscenely high. During my application process, I was told by everyone to shoot for 160+ V and not to bomb the Q or W.

The language on HDS's website is misleading on this point. There will no longer (except for those already in the program) be doctoral students enrolled at HDS, but the whole group will be enrolled through the GSAS. Only the GSAS can award the PhD. The "chang[ing] its doctoral designation" bit should be understood as they are canceling the ThD, and all applicants then have to go through and be admitted by the GSAS instead. The "joint degree" part comes from the fact that the CSR is composed of equal numbers of HDS and FAS faculty. From the way people in the CSR have been talking, it doesn't seem like they're downsizing the total size of the cohort. Rather all official language has indicated formally "unifying" the two programs, or of the ThD "becoming" the PhD—which suggests that the numbers will stay the same. Really, it's a question of money; it makes sense that the ThD funds aren't just going to disappear but be rerouted.

I would still say, given this, that you should apply to the concentrate rather than the comprehensive. The MAR Ethics > JD/MPP is a relatively well-trod path; anecdotally, if I remember correctly, there are more MAR Ethics alums going for JDs or MPPs than there are in PhD programs (not because they didn't get in, but because they decided that they didn't want to apply at all). Diazalon is in a field that requires different preparation from ethics, so don't let his background scare you. Many are admitted to the MAR Ethics with no languages and with only having done some basic work in philosophy or theology as an undergrad. That said, the ethics faculty right now at YDS is way overworked and it's likely they'll be taking fewer students for the next few years. Starkly, there's only one tenured faculty (who is academic dean and only teaches one seminar a semester), and at the end of next year there will be no junior faculty; that is, there will be only 1 of 4 possible professor positions filled in ethics. They fill the gaps with lecturers and visiting professors, but if memory serves, lecturers don't serve as advisors and so don't contribute to the number of students to be taken. In short, though, talk to Sean McAvoy (the asst. director of admissions) when you visit. He'll be able to advise you better on the admissions process than we will.

I would say that if you're not sure you're ready, don't apply now. You want to present yourself as (and actually be) someone who is ready to begin as soon as you step foot on campus. Applicants do get stale, yes, but if you've actively continued to do work, publish, etc. then that can make up for not being in classes. It might be worth doing another masters, something like an STM/MTh, which is only a one year commitment and allows you to work on strengthening your application. Practically: If a rejection is because of something like, "You were right on the cusp" or "We just weren't admitting anyone in your subfield this year," etc., then reapplication is going to look different than if a rejection was based on a glaring problem in your first application. The reality is that admissions committees do have memories. Schools will ask you on your application if you have ever applied before, they reserve the right to consider previous application materials as part of any future application, and they can limit the number of total times you can apply (e.g. Harvard only allows 3 doctoral applications in a lifetime). A second application is fine and routine, especially if you've significantly retooled, but a third application is rather unlikely to be accepted. With each cycle, you apply with new classes of people just finishing their M* and who have also taken time off to strengthen applications. And a lot depends on each school's idiosyncrasies around reapplication: Some explicitly do not allow reapplication within a certain time frame, usually a year (so if you apply in fall 2014 and aren't admitted, the earliest you can apply again is fall 2016), whereas some have an abbreviated application if you apply the next year and encourage people to do so. As with everything in PhD applications, it all depends.

In addition to my Google calendar synced with my iPhone, I use iStudiez Pro which I find excellent in bridging the gap between the flexibility of a paper planner and the ease of remembering/constantly having with you of the digital. It allows you to put in classes, to schedule breaks, to input exams and assignments, to keep professors' contact information, office hours, etc. Some of it (like grade tracking) is much more intended for undergrads than for grads, but it fits my needs well. It also syncs between all my devices, so I can easily look at it on whatever I happen to have with me at that moment.

Correct, no GRE required at YDS. (You can submit it if you want to.) From this, it sounds like you should be fine. Make sure you have a good set of letters of recommendation and personal statement. And I agee with Abrasax... Apply to the concentrate and not the comprehensive. Your application is going to look funny if you know you want to do American Religious History and are applying to a degree that is a general overview...you'll have to contort your personal statement to say that you have broad, general interests, etc.

Re: Yale's comprehensive vs. concentrated. The MAR Comprehensive is a general degree, which requires 2 courses in each of the school's areas (Bible, Theology/Ethics, History, Ministry/Practice, Culture/Comparative) and 6 electives. It is generally not a degree that will prepare someone for PhD work, which requires more directed study, but rather is aimed towards those who want to pursue general instruction religion (mostly Christianity). The MAR Concentrates are focused degrees in one area (with some limited requirements outside those areas, usually some Bible requirement), and are intended to prepare you for doctoral work in that field.

As Abrasax wrote, but to state it more firmly, the MAR Comprehensive is not envisioned as a preparation for a PhD program. It is two years, with two courses in each of the areas of the curriculum (Bible, Theology/Ethics, History, Ministry, Culture/Comparative) and six total electives--half the courses each semester, and half overall which have to be at the div school. (Before anyone tries to correct me, this is in effect for this incoming class.) With this broad a swath in such a short time, you will not be able to get enough in depth in any one focus to sufficiently prepare for a PhD program. Most people use the MAR Comp in conjunction with something else (like a JD, MEd) to add a religious competency to their work. Recent MAR Comp grads are working doing religious journalism, are lawyers interested in religious claims, etc. The MAR Concentrates are all designed for the purpose of PhD preparation in particular fields. Worksheets for all of those can be accessed here: http://divinity.yale.edu/academic-affairs-students.

Per the Registrar on a post today, as of the incoming class, it is required for both MTS and MDiv.

A few additional points re: Yale and Harvard from sacklunch's excellent post. YDS: The MAR comprehensive is not designed for people wanting to go into PhD programs, but is a general degree for people who (typically) want to integrate the study of religion/religious literacy with something else. On the other hand, the MAR concentrate in theology does provide background enough for a PhD program. There are 4 required Bible survey courses, 8 theology courses (2 have to be historical), and 4 electives. If you were coming from something other than philosophy, I would say it might be a stretch, but the skills acquired studying philosophy are going to translate fairly easily into being able to do systematic theology, especially if you make sure to take introduction to systematics/introduction to theology (that course sequence is constantly being revised) your first semester. The requirements for Bible and Second Temple admits is much, much more stringent because of the total amount of language required. The theology area is not nearly so severe, and regularly admits folk with promise if not experience. Additionally, I'd suggest looking at the MARc in Philosophical Theology and make sure you're clear about which one you want to do. HDS: The theology program at Harvard is currently in flux, and has been for several years. Put simply, Harvard does not do systematic theology anymore. Most of their course listings in theology are of the sort "theology of [particular group]" or emphasize comparative theology (with multiple religious traditions). This isn't a terrible thing, but with no background in theology may not provide some of the basic foundational work in theology that these contextual and comparative theologies rely on. They have identified this weakness, and their new junior faculty hire (who specializes in Calvin) will help make up for that. HDS also has a good deal more small requirements for its MTS students, for instance intermediate-reading proficiency in a research language, or the basic theory and method course, that YDS (for instance) does not. Overall, I would encourage you to starting figuring out what sort of theology you want to do, because the MAR/MTS is going to shape your thought significantly (especially not having a ton of background). In the theology, ethics, and philosophy of religion areas, these schools can be very, very different in methodology, in scope, in how much individual belief matters. Somewhere like Duke or Princeton are going to be more confessional and perhaps more conservative (in perspective and in method), somewhere like Yale or Notre Dame is going to be heavy on the systematics side of things, somewhere like Harvard is going to be predominantly contextual, comparative, and critical. As sacklunch wrote, it all depends on what you want to study.

UVa and UNC come immediately to mind, and both offer MAs. But the short answer to Averroes' question is no, not really. Most PhD students in religion will have a masters of some sort from one of the big div schools; there are far, far fewer from one of the terminal MAs in religious studies depts. The conversation on the KU thread on the Religion forum right now has a good explanation of that. With an MAR/MTS or even an MA, you'll want to be very directed in your work if you're not wanting to do doctoral or other graduate work. (Note: the MAR is not a reliable way to get a foot in the door at Yale Law, for example; they see through that). The degree is often rather meaningless outside of academic circles, and will make you "overqualified" for a lot of jobs--you have a masters degree which means they have to pay you more, but you have no experience or professional credentials. I have a good deal of friends with MARs from Yale who took awhile to find jobs because they figured "oh, I'll just apply for stuff" without having a clear trajectory in mind.

Some additions to the suggestions already made: I use iStudiez Pro religiously. It allows you to keep track of all of your assignments, major deadlines, courses, and schedule really seamlessly. It will pull your iOS calendar (and I think probably Android ones if you're on that) to populate events in addition to whatever you have in-app. It syncs across all of your mobile devices and on your laptop/desktop. What I love most about it is that keeps notifications for a certain number of days out what due dates you have coming up, so I can always look down at my phone or in my dock and see that I have X number of things coming up in the Y days. You also can keep track of grades (I think that part of it was more designed for undergrads, but it could still be helpful). See if your university's library subscribes to Press Reader and get it if they do. It allows you to download 5 newspapers daily in print format--unfortunately some of the big names (NYTimes, Boston Globe, etc.) are not included, but it does have some other big US ones too. It also has a massive range of international papers, so I was able to read Le Monde when I wanted to. It has a great feature too, especially if you're trying to learn a language or keep up with one, that it will read select newspaper articles to you. If you're in a city with public transit Transit is the best app I've found (and I've tried basically all of them) for planning trips, tracking trains and buses, etc. For PDF reading, I use iAnnotate Pro. Again, I've tried all of the rest, and iAnnotate stands head and shoulders above any of the others. The big perks of it are a wide range of tools, Dropbox integration, the easy ability of sharing (it will email annotated, flattened annotations, or unannotated versions of your PDFs). Because of how easy it is to keep things organized using folders in-app, I have not printed off PDF readings in years. I use a stylus on my iPad to keep the tactile aspect of reading PDFs that I need. That said, I don't like having books on my iPad or other devices unless they're downloaded from the library.

Yes, you can type notes and record simultaneously. The only issue there is that if your keyboard types loudly, you'll hear your keystrokes in the background of your recording.

This is a good call. It might be pricier on the short-view, but the cost of commuting, parking, tickets, etc. would come out in the long-run to be significantly more expensive.