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Admissions FAQ
When is my application
due?
What areas of specialization
does the Department offer?
How large is the program?
How selective is the program?
How high do my GPA and GRE scores need
to be?
Does the Department offer a terminal
M.A.?
I already have an M.A. Can I apply directly
into the Ph.D. program?
How much does it cost to attend UNC-CH?
What funding possibilities are available?
How do I arrange a campus visit?
How successful is the program in placing
its students?
How do I get more information?
| When is my application due? |
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All applications are due by December 15.
However, we strongly recommend that you submit the Graduate
School's online application (and pay the fee) by December
1. You can then get your transcripts, letters of
recommendations, statement of purpose, and other supporting
materials to us in the weeks that follow. To receive the best
consideration for financial assistance, we advise that your
application be fully completed (including supporting materials)
as early in December as possible.
There are no exceptions to the final deadline of December
15. It is your responsibility to make sure that all the components
of the application have been received by that date. Please
note that applications are considered only when complete.
| What areas of specialization does the Department
offer? |
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In the statement of purpose you submit as part of your application,
the Department asks you to identify the field of specialization in which
you wish to work. We currently offer training in the following fields
of specialization:
| How large is the program? |
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The size of the average entering class, counting all specialty
fields, is between 5 and 10 students. Our graduate student
population, including students both in residence and away
from campus, is approximately 40 students.
| How selective is the program? |
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Admission to UNC-CH is very competitive. In recent years we have received
over 100 applications per year, and we are able to accept only a small
percentage of those who apply. In recent years, the Department has offered
admission to around 5-10% of applicants.
| How high do my GPA and GRE scores need to be? |
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The average grade point average of both applicants and admitted
students in the past few years is about 3.7 on a 4-point scale.
As a rule, the graduate school does not admit students with
an undergraduate GPA below 3.0.
The Department does not have a "cutoff" score for the GREs,
although it is rare that we admit students with a verbal GRE below about
550. On the writing portion of the test, most of our incoming students
have received a 5 or 6. All elements of the application are considered
in evaluating a candidate, so no GRE score assures admission. (The Department
requires only the standard GRE, not any specific subject test.)
| Does the Department offer a terminal M.A.? |
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We do not admit students for a terminal M.A.
Our expectation is that all our students, even those who begin by working
on an M.A., are working towards doctoral degrees.
If you are interested in obtaining an M.A. degree only, you
might want to consider the excellent M.A. program in Religious
Studies offered at UNC-Charlotte,
the M.A. program in Religion at Duke
University, or other M.A. programs at universities or
theological seminaries.
| I already have an M.A. Can I apply directly into the Ph.D.
program? |
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Yes. Applicants to the graduate program who have already completed
an advanced degree in the study of religion from another academic institution
and who can demonstrate sufficient preparation in religious studies
may be admitted directly into the Department’s Ph.D. program.
Such students are required to demonstrate competency in at least one
modern research language relevant to their field of specialization prior
to matriculation.
In some cases, students who have completed an advanced degree at another
institution will be admitted into the M.A. program rather than the Ph.D.
program. In such cases, students may petition the Graduate Studies Committee
to bypass the Department's M.A. degree after completing one full year
of coursework (18 credit hours) at the M.A. level and after completing
the Field Examination. Bypassing the M.A. degree allows students to
bypass up to 12 hours of coursework and the M.A. thesis requirement.
However, all students initially admitted into the M.A. program are required
to take RELI 700 and at least one gateway course, to show competency
in one modern research language, and to pass the Field Examination prior
to admission into the Ph.D. program.
| How much does it cost to attend UNC-CH? |
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The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid offers a breakdown
of the estimated
costs to attend graduate school at UNC-CH during the current
school year, including tuition, fees, school supplies, and
living expenses. Currently enrolled
graduate students may be able to offer advice about locating
inexpensive housing and expectations for living expenses in
the Chapel Hill area.
| What funding possibilities are available? |
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Although yearly support is contingent on state funding, over
the past decade we have been able to support all of our graduate
students through at least five years of study. For more information,
consult the Department's "Financial
Aid" page.
| How do I arrange a campus visit? |
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If you would like to visit, we are glad to speak with you and arrange
for you to speak with some of our current students. If you plan to visit
campus, you should first arrange an appointment with a faculty member
in your chosen field of study before coming to Chapel Hill. Most general
questions about the program can be answered over the phone by the Program
Assistant or by the Director
of Graduate Studies.
| How successful is the program in placing its students? |
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In recent years our placement rate for graduates has been 90-100%,
most of those in tenure-track positions at liberal arts colleges and
universities.
| How do I get more information? |
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This website contains a full description of our graduate
program, so we no longer mail information to applicants. If
you have specific questions not answered here, please contact:
| | Administrative inquiries: | Program Assistant |
| | Academic inquiries: | Director of Graduate Studies
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If you have questions about a specific field of study, please
address them to an appropriate faculty
member. Thanks for your interest!
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