Math major undergrad, applying for MA in philosophy of religion, need advice!

[PhilOReligion]

Hi everybody!

 

I was a math major undergrad, and now I'm applying to MA programs in the Philosophy of Religion. My ultimate goal is to get a PhD, but it seems that I need a Master's program to prepare me for a PhD program. At the moment, I am very confused and a little overwhelmed about the application process.I have three main questions, hope you all can help

 

Question 1: Can I get into a good Master's program? Are any of my concerns actually worth worrying about?

 

GPA: 3.79

Major: Mathematics

School: Elite liberal arts college

Relevant coursework:

4.5 religion classes (Hinduism, Tantra, Buddhism, Interpretation of Religious Experiences, Esotericism in the West )

4 philosophy classes related to religion (Ancient Chinese Philosophy, Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism, Comparative Philosophy, Ethics)

Out of these 8 graded classes, I have 6 A's, 1 A-, 1 B+.

GRE: 165V 95%tile, 161Q 81%tile (I will retake the GRE's before applying)

 

Concerns: I do not have language experience at the collegiate level. I am white and male. I will probably get average-to-good recommendation letters, nothing incredibly good or bad. Average resume. Being a math major, I may have less experience studying religion and philosophy than my peer applicants. Not totally sure on long-term plan and career direction-- I would love to be a professor, but I've heard it is insanely competitive, and I also would love to somehow work in the non-profit sector. Is this indecisiveness a problem?

 

Question 2: Related to the first question, here is a list of schools that professors have recommended. What do you guys think of this list? Harvard, UCSB, UChicago, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, possibly Stanford

 

My top choice is Harvard I think-- ideal area, good possibility of funding, reputation could help get me into PhD programs, etc. Apparently all of these schools are excellent and rather competitive.

 

Question 3: When applying for a Master's program in the philosophy of religion, how important is the match between student's and faculty's interests?

 

I realize that at the PhD level, it is very important to find a professor who will be a good fit for your studies. For a 2-year MA program, does it really matter? My general interest is religion and modernity, Buddhism in the West, Buddhist philosophy, religious vs. secular epistemologies and ethics, etc. Given my general interests, are there any schools that I should apply to or avoid applying to? Also should I work to further narrow down my interests?

 

Any and all suggestions would be extremely helpful! Thank you all so much, and best of luck to everyone in their academic journey! We got this

 

 

[sacklunch]

If you have not already done so you may post something similar in the philosophy section. I say this because philosophy graduate admissions appear to be quite different from religion. 

 

That said, your stats are fine (and above average). You have enough of a background that getting into a decent M* program seems entirely reasonable. It's important to keep in mind that many of the people in this sub-forum have pursued M* degrees at private institutions, many with religious affiliations. Not surprisingly many applicants have some sort of personal (religious) interest when pursuing their M* degree(s). I have been told having a M* degree from a Divinity/Seminary, even if elite, is generally viewed with suspicion when applying to philosophy departments, in part because the requirements are usually light for admission (high acceptance rate, no formal background required, etc.), but also because they often do not require things like language exams. I say this because while it may be attractive (sexy) to pursue a M* degree at Yale (Divinity), academics in philosophy may very well prefer something like Tufts or UMSL's MA in Philosophy (per the Gourmet Report). When your professor recommended the above schools I have a feeling s(he) meant their philosophy departments. Of course, pursuing for instance an MAR at Yale Divinity may give you access to some of their philosophy department courses, the degree's other requirements likely restrict the number of courses you can take outside of Divinity/Religious Studies. (Un)fortunately, the top divinity schools tend to have a lot more free money. 

 

As far as fit: find the school's course schedule and see what they have offered in the last five years. This should give you a great idea of the kind of courses that will likely be available. Also make sure you clearly understand the program's requirements, especially your (in)ability to take certain courses outside of their department such as languages (often a problem at divinity schools, btw) and introductory courses that you may need.

 

I will also say that from a religion/religious studies standpoint your GRE is fine. Philosophy applicants seem to be incredibly anal about their GRE score, I think, because most of them come straight out of undergraduate. Many of us here have one to two M* degrees and some with substantial language work. Accordingly it's a bit easier to gauge our competitiveness from a number of other factors.

Edited May 19, 2014 by sacklunch

[Joseph45]

You look good and your list looks good. I might toss in Syracuse as a place to look at for philosophy of religion. I wouldn't do a PhD there, but they have a well funded MA, and a lot of people interested in certain types of philosophy of religion questions (although not others).

[marXian]

Echoing a little of what sacklunch has said, you need to realize that there is a huge difference between "philosophy of religion" in a religious studies program or at a seminary/div school and "philosophy of religion" in an actual philosophy department in terms of your options for later Ph.D work. I would definitely check with people on the philosophy board about whether or not the phil classes you've taken are enough to get into a top tier philosophy M* program. Philosophy programs are far more stringently ranked both according to overall program as well as subfield. So a school that has a top tier phil. of religion faculty may not actually be a school with a highly ranked program overall. Sometimes when applying to Ph.D programs in philosophy, the former matters more than the latter. It just seems like with philosophy having Ph.D ad coms know your M* program, know the quality of work that faculty do there, etc. is even more important than for Ph.D programs in religion.

 

If you pursue a M* degree in a religious studies department or at a seminary/div school, even if you concentrate on philosophy of religion, I'd say your chances of then getting into a philosophy Ph.D program would be very slim given that you don't have a BA in philosophy. That doesn't mean that you wouldn't be able to do philosophy of religion. I have colleagues in my RS department who are technically getting a Ph.D in RS but who do a lot of work in the philosophy dept. and will probably take one of their three comprehensive exams through the philosophy department.

 

Hopefully that doesn't add to you being overwhelmed. But the more you get all of this info out in front of you, the easier it's going to be to start to narrow in on what your best options are going to be.

[Perique69]

A degree in math from an elite liberal arts school?  Be aware that your math degree holds far more earning potential than any degree in religion or philosophy.  Read philosophy of religion for fun, and get a real job with your math degree.  Read this in 20 years if you go the religion route then you'll say, damn, perique69 was right on the money.    

[kairotic]

A degree in math from an elite liberal arts school?  Be aware that your math degree holds far more earning potential than any degree in religion or philosophy.  Read philosophy of religion for fun, and get a real job with your math degree.  Read this in 20 years if you go the religion route then you'll say, damn, perique69 was right on the money.    

 

A little disgruntled, perique69? 

[Perique69]

A little disgruntled, perique69? 

 

Not at all.  Just doing my part to clear the clouds on the reality of careers in teaching religion, etc. 

Edited May 21, 2014 by Perique69