Application Process

You should begin your application process early. To make sure scores are available when admission decisions are normally made you should take the GRE, TOEFL, etc. as required by the December before the fall for which you are applying. You should also request transcripts and letters of recommendation by December or earlier in order to give the senders time to get the material to Rice before the deadline. The deadline for completed applications for the Fall semester is January 15.

The deadline for completed applications for the Fall semester is January 15 unless it falls on a weekend, then it's due the following Monday.

A complete application consists of:

____1. APPLICATION FORMS
The application form is only one piece of your application package. The Religious Studies Department must receive all items listed below before your application is complete.  The deadline is January 15 for Fall admission. Late applications will not be considered.

NOTE TO FOREIGN APPLICANTS
The application fee is required of all applicants, including foreign students. No application will be processed without this fee.

Official transcripts, GRE (use school code 6609; department code 4901), and TOEFL scores should be sent directly to Rice University, Department of Religious Studies MS-15, 6100 Main Street, Houston TX 77005-1892.

____3. WRITING SAMPLE
Please submit a writing sample (7-10 pages). It could be a paper you have submitted for class, or an original essay written for the application.  

____4. FOUR LETTERS OF EVALUATION
Four letters are required. The letters should be written by people best qualified to testify to your capacity for graduate work in religious studies. It is always our preference to have academic references representing your major field, though we recognize that there are situations where this may not be possible. In such circumstances, we encourage you to seek out those persons who can comment on qualities that will be relevant to your academic goals, particularly research.

Format for recommendations:
Electronic recommendations should originate from an e-source connected with the relevant institution of the recommender except in extraordinary cases.

____5. PERSONAL STATEMENT
Your application and all supporting documents help us know your work, your goals, and your abilities as a historian. Your personal statement (about 2-3 pages) should include information about your professional goals and discuss your religious studies interests.

NOTE:  Writing sample, letters of evaluation, your personal statement, and unofficial transcripts
 should be uploaded online.