Religious Studies

Master of Arts in Religion

The Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba and the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Winnipeg offer a joint Master of Arts program.  The following are eligible to apply for admission to the program: graduates of the University of Manitoba holding an Honours BA in Religion; graduates of the University of Winnipeg holding an Honours BA in Religious Studies; students who hold degrees equivalent to the Honours BA in Religion from other recognized universities or colleges; students who have completed a recognized pre-Master’s program in Religion.  Students who have courses with equivalent content or cognate courses in recognized departments or faculties other than Religion or Religious Studies may be given credit for up to 12 credit hours towards admission.  To be eligible for admission, applicants must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 point scale) in their last 60 credit hours of study and they must have completed a total of 60 credit hours in Religion.  Breadth in preparation is expected as indicated by the description of the Honours BA in Religious Studies in the UW Calendar or the Honours BA in Religion in the UM Calendar.  Applications will be considered from Honours BA graduates in other disciplines with a strong background in Religion.  Such students may be admitted at the pre-Master’s level and required to complete a program of study to bring them up to the level of an Honours BA degree in Religion.  Students completing the Joint MA Program in Religion may elect to receive their degrees from either of the participating universities.

TWO TYPES OF PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE:

1.) Thesis Option
A minimum of 12 credit hours of course work including:
a) Major Course - a minimum of 6 credit hours at the 7000(UW)/700(UM)-level;
b) Ancillary Course - a minimum of 6 credit hours at the 7000(UW)/700(UM)-level, 5000(UW)/400(UM) or, in special cases, at the 3000(UW)/300(UM)-level;
c) A thesis.

2.) Course and Comprehensive Option
A minimum of 24 credit hours beyond the level required for admissions to the MA, with at least 6 credit hours to be ordinarily taken from each of the two Departments involved in the Joint Masters Program (JMP) in Religion, at least 18 credit hours to be taken at the 7000(UW)/700(UM) level, and at least 18 credit hours to be taken in Religion.  Students may take 6 credit hours at the 5000(UW)/400(UM) level or in exceptional circumstances at the 3000(UW)/300(UM) level, and this is usually chosen from an extra-departmental field or ancillary.  Students can, however, elect to take all 24 credit hours from within the two Departments of the JMP in Religion.  Students must demonstrate competence in Western Religions, World Religions, and Religion and Culture, with one of these areas to be designated the major area from which two graduate courses are normally chosen.  The other two are designated as minor areas, and usually a student will take one graduate course in each of these areas.  An ancillary may be substituted for one of the minor areas of study.

In both programs the student is required to demonstrate reading knowledge of a second language.  In the Thesis Option program, this reading knowledge normally must be demonstrated before the thesis proposal is reviewed.

Students must have 6 credit hours in Methodology from a recognized university or college.  A student who does not have this training in methodology will be required to take either 47.5000/6 Method and Theory in the Study of Religion UW, or 020.447 Method and Theory in the Study and Interpretation of Religion UM or 020.451 and 020.452 Hermeneutics Western Traditions and Hermeneutics Eastern Traditions UM in addition to normal credit hours required for their program.

Note: University of Winnipeg Religious Studies courses carry a “47” prefix; University of Manitoba Religion courses bear a “020” prefix.

Course Offerings
The following list of seminar courses represents areas in which the Department offers graduate courses.  Topics covered in individual courses vary from year to year.  For information on current topics, please consult Albert Welter, Graduate Chair, University of Winnipeg.
47.7101/6 or 020.704 (6) Seminar in Biblical Religions
47.7201/6 or 020.705 (6) Seminar in History of Christian Thought
47.7301/6 or 020.700 (6) Seminar in the History of Religions
47.7501/6 or 020.701 (6) Seminar in Religion and Culture
47.7701/6 or 020.706 (6) Seminar in Comparative Religion
47.7801/6 or 020.707 (6) Seminar in Religion in the Modern World
47.7901/3 or 020.702 (3) Special Topics I
47.7902/3 or 020.703 (3) Special Topics II

University of Winnipeg – Research and Graduate Studies
http://research.uwinnipeg.ca/grads/

University of Manitoba – Faculty of Graduate Studies
http://umanitoba.ca/graduate_studies/programs/masters/religion/index.shtml

Graduate Teaching Fellowship

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