College of the Humanities
2A39 Paterson Hall
613-520-2100
http://carleton.ca/chum/religion
- M.A. Religion and Public Life
M.A. Religion and Public Life
About the Program
The MA in Religion and Public Life focuses on the study of social and political aspects of religion from the comparative, historical and contemporary perspectives. The study of both religion and public life will be approached from domestic and international vantage points. As such, while the degree focuses on religion, it has an inherent interdisciplinary approach to this topic. For a more detailed description of faculty members' areas of research and supervision, please see the departmental website.
Academic Regulations
See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
A grade of B- or better must normally be obtained in each course credited towards the master's degree. Please refer to Section 11.2 of the General Regulations .
Admission Requirements
The normal requirement for admission to the Master's program is a BA Honours (or equivalent) in Religion/Religious Studies or a cognate discipline, with a High Honours standing (normally at least B+).
Students without a prior Method and Theory course in Religious Studies are required to complete RELI 4740.
Possession of the minimum entrance standing is not in itself, however, an assurance of admission into the program.
Qualifying Year: Applicants who do not qualify for direct admission to the Master's program may be admitted to a qualifying-year program designed to raise their status to that of honours graduates in Religious Studies. Applicants who lack an Honours degree but have a three-year degree with honours standing (at least B overall) will normally be admitted to a qualifying-year program. Please refer to the section 2.3 of the General Regulations . Students are expected to achieve a B+ average or better in the qualifying-year program in order to qualify for admission to the Master's year.
Qualifying-year students should consult the Undergraduate Calendar and the departmental website for a listing of 4000-level courses.
Program Requirements
Students must complete 4.5 credits, consisting of the following:
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
RELI 5801 [0.5] | Seminar in the Discipline | |
| 2. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
RELI 5802 [0.5] | Seminar in Religion and Public Life | |
| 3. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
RELI 5780 [0.5] | Graduate Research Seminar | |
| 4. 1.5 credits in: | 1.5 | |
RELI 5908 [1.5] | Research Essay | |
| 5. 1.5 credits at the 5000-level chosen with the approval of the Graduate Program Coordinator. A selection of 5000-level thematic elective seminars in the study of Religion and Public Life are offered each year | 1.5 | |
RELI 5850 [0.5] | Seminar in the Study of Religion | |
RELI 5851 [0.5] | Seminar in Western Traditions | |
RELI 5852 [0.5] | Seminar in Asian Religions | |
| Total Credits | 4.5 | |
Specific content of thematic elective courses reflects the interests and expertise of the instructor. Please refer to current course descriptions for more detailed information.
With the approval of the Graduate Studies Coordinator, a maximum of 1.0 credit may be selected from courses offered at the 4000-level, or in a related field, or at another university.
Each year, the Religion program offers 4000-level undergraduate 0.5-credit courses, which are open to students in the qualifying year and, with permission, to students in the M.A. program. Consult the Undergraduate Calendar for course information.
Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree
Full-time students enrolled in the 4.5-credit M.A. program are expected to complete RELI 5801 and RELI 5802 in the first term of study and RELI 5780 in the second term of study.
RELI 5908 should be submitted by end of the Summer Study Semester. All elective coursework should be completed by the end of the second term of study.
Full-time students are required to file with the Graduate Studies Coordinator a detailed proposal of their Research Essay by the end of the second term of study. Part-time students must submit a detailed proposal of their Research Essay by the end of the term in which they are registered for RELI 5780.
The program is designed to be completed in a three term academic year.
Part-time students enrolled in the 4.5 credit M.A. program are expected to complete the required core courses (RELI 5801, RELI 5802 and RELI 5780) by the end of the third year of study. The Research Essay and all course work must be complete by the end of the sixth year of study.
Religion (RELI) Courses
Directed Studies: Western Religions
Directed study course focused on one or more Western religious traditions.
Directed Studies: Eastern Religions
Directed study course focused on one or more Eastern religious traditions.
Graduate Research Seminar
This mandatory seminar, intended as a workshop, guides students through the process of producing a major paper proposal and the initial stages of writing the research essay.
Seminar in the Discipline
This mandatory seminar introduces students to graduate level work in Religious Studies. A faculty team addresses current debates and practices in both the discipline and profession. Students are evaluated on a pass/fail basis.
Seminar in Religion and Public Life
This mandatory seminar introduces the main methodological and theoretical tools of the program. The course focuses on key thinkers and case studies to approach “religion and public life” from Religious Studies perspectives.
Directed Studies: Themes in the Study of Religion
Directed study course focused one or more themes in the study of religion.
Directed Studies I
A program of supervised reading and preparation of written work to impart ability in particular research methods beyond the level of regular seminar offerings. Unscheduled/Requires permission of the department.
Directed Studies ll
A program of supervised reading and preparation of written work to impart ability in particular research methods beyond the level of regular seminar offerings. Unscheduled/Requires permission of the department.
Seminar in the Study of Religion
Thematic seminar related to the comparative or general study of Religion and Public Life.
Seminar in Western Traditions
Thematic seminar related to the study of Religion and Public Life with a focus on one or more Western traditions.
Seminar in Asian Religions
Thematic seminar related to the study of Religion and Public Life with a focus on one or more Eastern traditions.
Research Essay
A research essay on a topic related to the theme of Religion and Public Life. The topic must be chosen with the approval of the Research Essay supervisor.
Summer session: some of the courses listed in this Calendar are offered during the summer. Hours and scheduling for summer session courses will differ significantly from those reported in the fall/winter Calendar. To determine the scheduling and hours for summer session classes, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca
Not all courses listed are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings for the current session and to determine the term of offering, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca