The Department of Religion at Rice University is a research program dedicated to describing and analyzing all forms of religion and religious behavior with a wide variety of philosophical, historical, social-scientific, theological, and literary methods.
What makes our Ph.D. program stand out among other top tier programs?
- Significant financial support - all admitted students receive an annual stipend of $32,000 + full tuition waiver for five years. Students also have a variety of opportunities for competitive sixth-year funding, based on teaching and research interests.
- Training in specific religious traditions and methodologies
- Our graduates receive an apprentice experience
- A faculty deeply involved in scholarship of international scope while remaining attentive to the intellectual projects of individual students
- Opportunities to participate in certificate programs that enhance training and provide additional funding
- The ability to work in an interdisciplinary manner through easy access to other departments in the Humanities and Social Sciences
One of the benefits of working within a small, well supported, and distinguished department is the ability to tailor the program to meet the needs and interests of each student. Requirements for the Ph.D. degree reflect this unique dimension of the training offered.
For questions related to general PhD requirements in the School of Humanities, please contact Humanities Graduate Admissions. For questions regarding the particular requirements and opportunities within the Religion Department, please contact Dr. William Parsons, Director of Doctoral Studies.