IR and Religion

[msn]

I'm interested in an MA combining IR and Religious Studies. So far I've only found two such programs, one at Washington State and one at Boston University. Anyone have opinions on these two programs?

Anyone studying this now? Where are you? What do you think of your program and how do you feel about jobs afterward/what are your plans afterward?

Thanks!

[omahairish]

I'm interested in an MA combining IR and Religious Studies. So far I've only found two such programs, one at Washington State and one at Boston University. Anyone have opinions on these two programs?

Anyone studying this now? Where are you? What do you think of your program and how do you feel about jobs afterward/what are your plans afterward?

Thanks!

Have you considered interdisciplinary studies? If you did a Peace or Peace & Justice Studies program, it would be easy to focus on religious aspects of International Relations. Most peace studies programs have a heavy IR background. I realize this isn't quite what you're asking for, but it might be an option depending on what you want to do.

[wmateo]

I'm also interested in this topic and I have applied to BU's IR and Religion program. What have people heard about this and other programs combining IR and Religion?

[pocketchange]

I recently was accepted to BU's program but I'm not sure if I'm attending yet. Is anyone planning on going? What would your focus be? My interests are in Hinduism and Indian nationalism.

[pomo]

I am not in your field, but I think you could go with IR or Political Science and just focus on religion. I had a professor as an undergrad who specialized in civil society in Kenya and South Africa, and a lot of her work was on religion....

ANYWAYS, hope that was helpful.

[gadogado]

Hi all, 

 

I am a faculty member in the dept of IR at BU, and am writing to answer the questions about the IR and Religion program (IRRN). The program is one of very few dedicated to the study of religion in IR and certainly the most prestigious. Faculty come from the department of IR, Religion, the School of Theology, Anthropology, and History and include both prominent practitioners of international affairs like former Hussain Haqqani, formerly Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, and cutting-edge IR theorists like Andrew Bacevich and Vivien Schmidt. Also, because of our association with the School of Theology, IRRN students can take religious courses from 10 Boston area Theology schools includding Harvard's Divinity School. 

 

Because of that depth, students can focus on a wide range of topics related to religion including nationalism, conflict, peacemaking, environmentalism, economic development, diplomacy and more. The challenge of any interdisciplinary MA program is synthesizing such a broad range of options into a coherent focus that will help you on the job market. For that purpose, we ask our students to write an MA thesis, and find that the process of doing so gives them the expert specialization they need to stand out in job applications. Our graduates tend to enter US government service, NGOs, policy-related jobs, and academic PhD programs. Owing to our size and prestige, BU has one of the strongest alumni networks in Washington, which is a real advantage on the market. 

If you have other questions, feel free to drop a line to irgrad@bu.edu or individual faculty members directly. And best of luck with your applications!