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The Ph.D. Degree
Overview
Fields of Specialization
Coursework
Languages
Doctoral Examinations
Dissertation
Duration of Degree
The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students for careers in university
and college teaching and for research in Religious Studies. All doctoral
students are admitted into one of the Department's fields
of specialization and must fulfill the specific requirements of
that field. Students in all fields are encouraged to select courses
in other departments or curricula and to pursue supporting studies in
another department or another field within the Department of Religious
Studies.
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. During the first semester of study, the Director of Graduate
Studies serves as the academic advisor for each new student admitted
into the Ph.D. program in this fashion. By the end of the first semester
of study, each student must designate a faculty advisor (or advisors)
in the student’s field of specialization.
Students enrolled in the Department's M.A. program can petition
to enter the Ph.D. program after successful completion of all M.A.
requirements, or they may be admitted into the Ph.D. program after successfully
petitioning to bypass the M.A. degree.
| Fields of Specialization: |
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The graduate program offers concentrated study in the following fields
of specialization:
Each new student is admitted into one of these fields of specialization.
Each field has specific degree requirements that must be completed in
addition to the general requirements for the Ph.D. degree.
All students who have completed an M.A. degree in the Department or
who have successfully petitioned the GSC to bypass the M.A. degree are
required to take a minimum of 18 additional hours of coursework (6 courses)
at the Ph.D. level. Up to 6 hours (2 courses) previously taken at UNC
in excess of the 30-hour M.A. requirement may be counted toward the
Ph.D. coursework requirement upon approval of the advisor and the GSC.
Students admitted directly into the Ph.D. program with an advanced
degree from another institution are required to take a minimum of 36
hours of coursework (12 courses) at the Ph.D. level. As part of this
36-hour requirement, these students are required to take RELI
700 and at least one gateway course.
All students in all fields of specialization are encouraged to select
courses in other departments or curricula and to pursue supporting studies
in another department or in another field within the Department of Religious
Studies.
All Ph.D. students must demonstrate reading competency in two modern
research languages prior to beginning their Doctoral Examinations. The
particular languages a student studies will be decided by faculty members
in the student's field of specialization and the student's advisor.
Some fields also require students to demonstrate proficiency in additional
languages necessary for the study of primary texts and other materials.
All Ph.D. candidates are required to pass a set of doctoral examinations
(the "Doctoral Examinations"). The Doctoral Examinations include
at least four written exams and a concluding oral examination. All Doctoral
Examinations must be completed before the student can proceed to begin
formal work on a doctoral dissertation.
The Doctoral Examinations are intended to demonstrate the mastery of
broad scholarly literature within the student's field of specialization
as well as specific literature relevant to the student’s dissertation
and related areas of research. These examinations also signal the teaching
competencies of the student. In consultation with the advisor, the student
should aim both for breadth across the discipline of Religious Studies
(and sometimes in allied fields in the humanities or social sciences)
and for depth within a specific area of specialization.
Students consult with their advisors to form the exam committee, who
then work with students to construct and approve bibliographies for
each area of examination, write the examination questions, evaluate
the written examination, and administer the final oral examination.
More detailed information about examination procedures is available
in the Graduate Program Policies and Procedures
and in the Grad Students FAQ.
As the culmination of the Ph.D. program, each Ph.D. student must write
and defend (by oral examination) a doctoral dissertation in the student’s
field of specialization. The doctoral dissertation is designed to be
a substantial and innovative contribution to knowledge. The student
should draft the dissertation in very close consultation with the faculty
advisor, who will provide guidance on research, writing, and other practical
matters involved in the dissertation process.
At least thirty days prior to the end of the semester that follows
the completion of the Doctoral Examinations, each student must prepare
a proposal for a doctoral dissertation under the guidance of the student’s
advisor. After the student's advisor has approved the dissertation proposal,
it is reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC). Following approval
by the GSC, the dissertation proposal will be evaluated by a dissertation
committee consisting of at least five faculty members, at least two
(but normally three) of whom must be full-time faculty members of the
Department of Religious Studies.
All members of the dissertation committee participate in the oral defense
of the completed dissertation. At the conclusion of the defense, the
members of the committee will vote either to pass the dissertation,
to fail it, or to require revisions. Following approval of the thesis,
candidates must meet all University specifications for formatting and
submitting the final version of the dissertation manuscript to the University.
More detailed information about procedures for the dissertation proposal,
committee, and defense is available in the Graduate
Program Policies and Procedures and in the Grad
Students FAQ.
A student must complete all the requirements for the Ph.D. degree within
eight years of being admitted into the Ph.D. level of the graduate program
(not counting time spent attaining the M.A. degree).
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