Graduate Studies
in Religious Studies
Although the University of Tennessee does not offer graduate degrees in Religious Studies, it is possible to do graduate work with our faculty in various other capacities.
Graduate Certificate in Religious Studies
We are very happy to announce our Graduate Certificate in Religious Studies, which offers graduate students the opportunity to study religion from an academic perspective, and prepares students to be knowledgeable global citizens. The Department of Religious Studies at UT promotes the critical and comparative study of religion. Drawing upon a range of perspectives – historical, anthropological, textual, and theoretical – the Department highlights both the variety and complexity of religious beliefs, practices, communities, and institutions. Our curriculum and faculty thus provide students with a wide variety of methodological skills and perspectives with which to conduct their own research, scholarship, and engagement.
Interested students can contact Dr. Tina Shepardson for more information or can apply directly through the Graduate School. Application to the Religious Studies graduate certificate must be made through the Office of Graduate Admissions by submitting the certificate application and copies of relevant transcripts to the Religious Studies Department Head. The Religious Studies certificate is intended as additional study for graduate students who are concurrently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program in another discipline at the University of Tennessee. Students must be admitted to the certificate program prior to completing six graduate credit hours toward the certificate. Students will select their graduate coursework in conjunction with a Religious Studies faculty advisor, who must approve each student’s curriculum for the certificate.
MA/PhD: Early Christianity
Students interested in early Christianity can apply to do an MA or PhD with Dr. Tina Shepardson through the History Department’s Graduate Program in Premodern Europe.
Graduate Courses
All of the Religious Studies faculty periodically offer seminars that can be taken for graduate credit, and regularly work with graduate students in many departments, such as Anthropology, Art, English, Geography, History, Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, and Sports Studies.
Interested in Graduate work in Religious Studies?
Want to join us on Rocky Top? Contact our Faculty Today.