University of Calgary campus

Arts & Humanities

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Religious Studies at University of Calgary

University of Calgary, Canada

Programme overview

The PhD in Religious Studies offers specializations in Eastern Religions, Nature of Religion and Western Religions, depending on available research resources and faculty expertise.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts  |  Department: Classics and Religion  |  Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

What you will study

Five courses (RELS 701, 703, 705, 707 and 709) for students entering with an MA in Religious Studies, or eight courses for students entering from an Honours BA or transferring from the master's, plus a reading knowledge of at least two languages other than English, candidacy examinations and a thesis.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Deadline for the submission of complete applications is available on the Future Students website: . In addition to the Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements , the Department requires: a) A degree comparable to the University of Calgary Religious Studies Master of Arts with a minimum grade point average of 3.50 on a four-point scale. b) Two reference letters. c) Applicants must include in their application package a sample of written work (e.g. a recent research essay). Students with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies, a grade point average of 3.70 or higher, and evidence of competence in the required languages may be admitted directly into the doctoral program or may be considered for transfer to the doctoral program after the first year of the master’s program.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the courses you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate academic term start dates are Fall (September 1), Winter (January 1), Spring (May 1) and Summer (July 1); intake terms vary by programme.

The graduate application fee is $125 for Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents and $145 for international students, per application; applications are made online and deadlines are set by each programme.

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