RELST-PHD - Religious Studies (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies

University requirements for the Ph.D. are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin. The Ph.D. in Religious Studies signifies special knowledge of an interdisciplinary field of study and potential mastery of an area of specialization within it. The faculty of the department have established certain fields of study in which the department's strengths and those of other Stanford departments cohere. They are: American Religions; Buddhist Studies; Islamic Studies; Jewish Texts and Traditions; Late Antiquity; Religion, Ethics, and Philosophy; and South Asian Religions. Each of these areas of specialization follows a shared structure of study.

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The Department of Religious Studies is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both the advisor and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the advisor and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

Faculty advisors guide students in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, developing of teaching pedagogy, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways.

Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the Graduate Advising section of this bulletin.

The Ph.D. is conferred upon candidates who have demonstrated substantial scholarship and the ability to conduct independent research and analysis in Religious Studies. Through completion of advanced coursework and rigorous skills training, the doctoral program prepares students to make original contributions to the field of Religious Studies and to interpret and present the results of such research through teaching and publication.