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Marcion

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Posts posted by Marcion

    KU's MA in Religious Studies

    in Religion

    Posted

    The only degree that I would see your having no language preparation being a problem for would be the concentrated M.A.R. degrees at YDS - these tend to be slightly more competitive than the regular M.A.R. they have, so people applying for them often have some language preparation.  I think there is the option though to start with the regular M.A.R. and move into the concentrated one a year in. 

     

    So you would recommend applying for the general M.A.R. at Y.D.S.?

    HDS thread 2014

    in Religion

    Posted

    Does anyone have an idea what the living situation is like for young married couples at HDS? My future wife isn't the biggest fan of Boston for a few reasons, and the cost of living being one of them. Just curious if any young married couples could give some insight into things to do, places to live, and such.

    KU's MA in Religious Studies

    in Religion

    Posted

    Thanks that is good advice. The reason why KU is so appealing is because my fiance lives in Kansas, and they have a really good MFA program for her. So we will already be in Kansas, and the cost of living is so cheap, plus the benefits (or maybe draw backs) of her family being there is pretty sweet. Thanks the advice everyone, both HDS and YDS has professors who I really admire as well in the field. I cannot see any where on their websites that they require languages for admission but I am sure it would help, however I will already have an MTS, so that might be a bonus. Do you know what they are like for International Admission? Apparently I have to apply as an International Student until I get my Green Card, which may take months.

    KU's MA in Religious Studies

    in Religion

    Posted · Edited by TheResidentAlien

    It would be a very rigorous two years though, in that you'd need to bring your languages from 0-60 (so to speak) fast.  

     

    That is the plan. It is going to be a very long and difficult two years, but I think I can handle it. It has just been really difficult figuring out the American system and expectations in comparison to the Australian one. I have been told coming into the program with a really solid MTS might be a strong benefit and in my Statement of Purpose, I need to indicate that languages are my main focus at this point, or what I want to really look at.

     

    In terms of the schools I have bee looking at: The University of Kansas, Claremont School of Theology, and Loyola University Chicago have been the main three I have looked at. I have also looked at HDS, YDS, and DDS but I am not sure about my odds. The University of Oregon also has an interesting Classics MA. It is just difficult to know about American applications. I just got my books on the GRE and I am already feeling overwhelmed (I am about to have a Masters degree and I have to take a standardized test...) First world problems I know, but it is just a lot to take in. But it is good to know that some of the bigger schools with a lot of funding actually do not expect languages upon entry. My idea is I would get into a program, and find out what the core books are and get into them in the break leading up.

    KU's MA in Religious Studies

    in Religion

    Posted

    Yeah it seems like that. What I am trying to find is an MA program that will let me in with zero language admission requirements, but will train me during the program to have the language skills need to go onto a PhD, but isn't a Seminary or Divinity School or if it is, it isn't evangelical and will require me to take any ministry classes. Not an easy feat!

    British Master Programs = U.S. PhD funding?

    in Religion

    Posted

    As someone coming from an Australian background, with a Bachelors with Honours and soon as Masters of Theological Studies, my Australian degrees are a blessing and a curse. Coming from a more British system, US university professors I have spoken to or showed my work too, have been impressed at the amount, length, and detail in critical thesis writing I have done. I am not saying thesis and high critical research writing isn't in the US system, far from it, but we are expected to learn it and apply far earlier, for example, a 16,000 word thesis as a part of an Honours year with a Bachelor's. However, as others have said, the lack of exams always raise an eyebrow. I had considered Aberdeen myself, but I am rethinking that as well because I am not sure about US employment.

    KU's MA in Religious Studies

    in Religion

    Posted

    Does anyone have any experience or information about the University of Kansas' MA in Religious Studies with concentration in Religions of the Near East and Mediterranean? By the look of things, it has fast become my number one graduate program. I am just curious what people can tell me about it. I am mainly going there to gain the language skills I would need to be admitted into a PhD program like the ones at Brown or UT-Austin or UNC Chapel Hill. I know KU has one of the best Classical departments in the country. What else do people know?  

    Statement of Interest: Can you make a negative into a positive?

    in Religion

    Posted

    Basically the timeline is: 

    2007-2012: F&*#ed up and around and resulted in a low GPA, personal hardships and tragedies, failing some classes, and just scraping by to get to a passing grade to get the fancy expensive piece of paper, but the end of it.

    2013: Found my happiness in academic work, research, and education. Everyone told me I did not have good enough grades to get into an Honours Program, a higher research degree basically, but the University of Newcastle saw my earlier work and gave me a shot, and I did not disappoint getting First Class Honours.

    2014: Doing my Masters of Theological Studies and doing really well there, 3.7 GPA roughly.

    2015: The second Masters is because I want to get some grounding within the American academy, plus I do not have the language skills required for Christian Origins and I would be enrolling into a Masters Program that would allow me to pick that up during my study. Plus I have done the Masters of Theological Studies, whereas this would be the MA in Religious Studies with a concentration in Religions of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean, so even more grounding in my chosen field. Plus Australian universities don't really have TAs or GAs so that would be valuable work experience.

    2017: PhD.

     

    So basically its the 2009-2012 years that are the problems for me. So that is my problem, addressing or not addressing those years. And theopany, it has been friends and family offering that advice, I haven't spoken to my advisors and lecturers about that yet, but I will have to do so. My advisor has only said he will stress how turn around and my results from what looked like a poor GPA to top marks, so with him doing it, I don't know if I should.

     

    It helps, the University of Kansas is my number one choice.

    Statement of Interest: Can you make a negative into a positive?

    in Religion

    Posted

    Hey all,

     I have narrowed down my selection and I think I have found the best programs for me, and I have figured out my best fit as well, or at least the one I am gunning for. As some of you who have read my earlier posts may remember, in my Bachelor's of Theology, I had a very rock academic path, starting with some really high scores but completely dropping the ball towards the end of the degree, ruining my GPA. I went out and got some 'real world experience' (aka was sick of being a poor university student) but came back to turned it all around. I did my Bachelors of Arts in Religion and Philosophy with Honours (one year stand alone higher research degree with 15,000 word thesis and only permitted to students who the university allows... if you are wondering, my supervisor has to make a case for my admission into the program because he felt like my poor GPA didn't reflect my true colours, and he was right I like to think) and my Masters of Theological Studies, which I will receive "With Distinction" (with another 15,000 word thesis) and by my calculation on various international websites, my marks are equal about an American GPA of 3.7 ish. I am also in the process of having two articles being reviewed for peer reviewed  Australian biblical studies journals. 

     

    When I arrive in America come August, I will start preparing for the GRE of course, but I had a question about my Statement of Interest/Purpose. Should I address the dodgy first undergraduate degree's poor GPA? I have been advised to, nip it in the bud in a line or two but then turn it around with "But I came back with vengeance and look how well I turned it around". My thesis supervisor has offered to address it as well and speak to my personal situation with my undergraduate experience as well. What is your advice? Can you make a negative look like a positive? Or should I just let the more recent work speak for its self and let the past be the past? What is your advice? 

    Secular vs Seminary MAs in Bible

    in Religion

    Posted

    To answer your question about my real drive and focus and passion, I am really interested in early Christian conflict and polemics, mostly "Pauline/Gentile Christianity" and "Christian Judaism", but also Gnosticism and stuff like that. I love studying conflict, trying to figure what the "other side" was saying about Paul, what their beliefs were, and figuring out why they did win the day in the end in very broad strokes. Sadly the man who I would have done anything to study under, Michael Goulder passed away (plus he was in the UK). 

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