Graduate Division of Religion

Handbook

The Graduate Division of Religion (GDR) Handbook is intended as a supplement to the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies (LSGS) Catalog and Handbook.  For the most part, the information provided here specifies in more detail the policies and procedures printed in the Catalog and Handbook.

I. Overview 

A. Purpose and Courses of Study

The GDR prepares students to be scholars and teachers of religion and theology, requiring mastery of a specialized field in the context of a general knowledge of the study of religion and the varieties of religious expression.  All courses of study include interdisciplinary inquiry and encourage cross-disciplinary work.  The academic program is supplemented by rigorous teacher training and ample teaching opportunity.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is offered through ten courses of study:

1.     American Religious Cultures (ARC)

2.     Comparative Literature and Religion (CLR)

3.     Ethics and Society (ES)

4.     Hebrew Bible (HB)

5.     Historical Studies in Theology and Religion (HS)

6.     Jewish Religious Cultures (JRC)

7.     New Testament (NT)

8.     Person, Community, and Religious Life (PCRL)

9.     Theological Studies (TS)

10.  West and South Asian Religions (WSAR)

1. Special Concentrations

In addition, the GDR has specialized concentrations that combine resources from more than one course of study and from other graduate faculties in the University.  A concentration is a secondary focus of study that augments a student's work within the normal program requirements of a primary course of study and allows the pursuit of particular questions across traditional disciplinary boundaries.  It can be undertaken by students in any of the courses of study in the GDR.

A concentration normally requires completion of its core seminar, experiences of research or practice or both in areas of interest related to the concentration, and engagement with critical questions and issues of the concentration in doctoral (preliminary) examinations and the dissertation.  A concentration in Religious Practices and Practical Theology, as well as one in Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding, is available within any course of study.  In addition, the GDR offers a joint J.D./Ph.D. program.

2. First Year Colloquy

As part of gaining general knowledge all entering students take a year-long colloquy that introduces students to the broad spectrum of disciplines and modes of inquiry in the study of religion and to the variety of religious traditions and many forms of religious expression.

B. Interdisciplinary Work

The GDR expects all of its students to develop mastery in a single discipline or course of study, but it also expects interdisciplinary competence.  These two goals are connected: One cannot know one's own field without understanding its relation to other fields; and one cannot significantly engage other fields and modes of inquiry without substantial work in one's own.  Moreover, mastery of a field of inquiry and interdisciplinary fluency are essential to the comparative work that is part of the study of religion.

"Interdisciplinarity" is a word that is commonly used to cover multiple meanings.  It sometimes means "multidisciplinary" where a single person is able to work within more than one discipline at different times, much as a bilingual person speaks two languages.  It can mean the presence of more than one discipline in the study of a given subject matter, each of which provides a different and contrasting "take" on the subject.  It can refer to more integration among disciplines, either within a given scholar's work or within a field of study.  It can refer to active collaboration (cross-disciplinarity) by scholars from different fields on a common issue or field.  Within the study of religion it can refer not simply to different disciplines but to different aspects in the subject matter itself, such as the variety of religious traditions, or multiple aspects of religion within traditions (e.g., texts, rituals, normative teachings, institutions), or the varieties of religious experience.  These various meanings of interdisciplinarity are often intermingled in actual scholarly work.

The GDR engages in interdisciplinary work in these variegated senses in a number of ways:

1. Faculty may use interdisciplinary approaches in their own teaching and research as a matter of course.

2. The active participation of faculty from other fields in the LSGS, who have either full or associated standing in the GDR, through their teaching and research.

3. All students are required to do seminar work outside their primary courses of study, and to be examined in an outside field, including in other departments in the LSGS.

4. While all courses of study inevitably use more than one discipline in their work, some are by design interdisciplinary (e.g., Ethics and Society; West and South Asian Religions; Person, Community, and Religious Life).

5. The GDR has several cooperating relationships with other faculties in the University going beyond those implied above, including especially the Center for the Study of Law and Religion in the Law School, Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, and the Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life.

6. The pattern of teaching in the Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity (TATTO) program encourages students to gain teaching experience in a discipline or field of inquiry outside their specialization.

7. The GDR sponsors and cosponsors lectures and symposia that cultivate interdisciplinary questions and engagement.

C. Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes for the GDR are as follows:

1. The student will be able to demonstrate primary competence in one area or discipline in the study of religion and secondary competence in another.

2. The student will be able to conduct independent research using methods appropriate to the study of religion.

3. The student will be able to communicate the results, findings or new interpretations of his/her scholarly work to peers and/or the public.

4. The student will be able to communicate discipline-specific knowledge in the study of religion to students and/or the public.

5. The student will be able to critically engage and evaluate scholarly work conducted by peers.

D. Organization

1. Programs in Religion at Emory

The GDR is part of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies.  Emory offers work in religion in three distinct, though cooperating programs, the Department of Religion of Emory College (undergraduate level), the Candler School of Theology (post-baccalaureate professional education, including professional doctorates), and the GDR (graduate work leading to the Ph.D.).

2. Faculty

The faculty of the GDR consists essentially of professors from the Candler School of Theology and the Department of Religion of Emory College.  Certain faculty from other divisions of the LSGS as well as from the Aquinas Center, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Columbia Theological Seminary, and other institutions also participate in the programs of the Division as appropriate.  Faculty from outside the GDR may also serve as dissertation directors, readers, and examiners from time to time.  (Note: Students should consult with the course of study chair or the director of the GDR for more information on the participation of faculty from outside the University.  As a rule, a faculty member from outside Emory University may only serve as co-director of a dissertation.)

a. Nomination for Membership in the GDR Faculty

An invitation to join the GDR faculty normally begins with nomination by the course of study in which the nominee will be located, in consultation with the dean of the Candler School of Theology or chair of the Department of Religion or relevant department chair and the director of the GDR.  The nomination is confirmed by vote of the Policy and Curriculum Committee (PCC) and submitted to the dean of the LSGS for approval.

b. Criteria for and Responsibilities of Membership

1) Membership in the GDR faculty will presuppose:

a) A completed Ph.D. (or the equivalent professional degree) in a field directly relevant to the course of study in which one is located.

b) Substantial scholarly research and publication in one's declared field (i.e., a scholarly book and/or refereed journal articles [plural]).

c) Normally, at least one GDR course proposal (or syllabus in the case of a "rubric" course) submitted and approved by the PCC.

2) Untenured junior faculty who meet the criteria listed above may be nominated for membership under the following guidelines:

a) In the consultation between the GDR director and the appropriate Department Chair or Dean, careful attention should be given to determining whether the timing of appointment to the GDR faculty is supportive of, and not detrimental to, the junior faculty member's teaching and scholarly development in accordance with the terms of his or her appointment.

b) Junior faculty members may teach seminars, serve on examining and dissertation committees, and participate in the admissions process.  They will normally not direct dissertations or chair courses of study, but exceptions may be made in cases where warranted by sufficient years of teaching and experience with the course of study.

c. Dual Membership

1) It is possible and sometimes desirable for faculty to hold membership in more than one department (or division) in the LSGS or in more than one course of study of the GDR.  The normal pattern is to have primary membership in one department or course of study and secondary or associated membership in another.  Although it is possible to have full membership in two departments or courses of study, the burden of full responsibility for admissions, examinations, and dissertations in more than one department or course of study makes the primary/associated pattern preferable.

2) Membership in a second course of study is initiated by the invitation and nomination of the secondary course of study faculty, as in I.D.2.a above.

3) Both primary and associated faculty may offer courses and direct dissertations.  Primary faculty have full voting responsibility in decisions on admissions, curriculum, and examinations, and in the review of students.  Associated faculty are non-voting except when serving on examination or dissertation committees.  Primary faculty are expected to be present at all meetings of the course of study faculty.  Associated faculty are invited but not required to attend all meetings.

4) For reasons of publicity and information, a course of study may list, with their permission, faculty in other courses of study and departments of the University who offer supporting work as "cooperating faculty."

d. Other Categories of Membership

Emory University also recognizes other categories of membership (joint, visiting, associated, adjunct, and affiliated) in the graduate faculty.  Two points are of special note:

1) Faculty from other departments, schools, and even other academic institutions may serve on dissertation committees, but only a member of the LSGS faculty may direct a dissertation.  A faculty member who leaves Emory may continue to direct a dissertation under his or her supervision at the time of departure in consultation with the GDR director and the dean of the LSGS.

2) When a faculty member from another academic institution serves on a dissertation committee, he or she must be appointed an adjunct member of the faculty in the academic year in which the dissertation is defended.  Course of study chairs are responsible for proposing adjunct faculty status for the appropriate year.  The proposal must be accompanied by a letter and curriculum vitae.

3. Governance

The director of the GDR is responsible to the dean of the LSGS, who appoints the director for a three-year term.  The associate director assists the director and represents the GDR in the director's absence.  The associate director is appointed by the dean of the LSGS in consultation with the director.  If the director is from the Candler School of Theology faculty, the associate director should be chosen from the Department of Religion faculty, and vice versa.

The programs and policies of the Division are established by the PCC, which consists of the course of study chairs, the director, the associate director, and up to three elected student representatives.  The academic dean of the Candler School of Theology and the chair of the Department of Religion are ex officio members of the Committee.  The PCC is chaired by the director, or the associate director in the director's absence.

The following sub-committees facilitate special tasks of the PCC:

Admissions and Awards Committee - convened by the director and composed of the director, the associate director, and three additional faculty from the courses of study.

Language Committee - composed of three GDR faculty members charged with administering the foreign language examination.

Ad-Hoc Committees - appointed as needed by the director.

a. Course of Study Governance

1) Each course of study will have a chair elected by, and selected from among, primary course of study faculty in consultation with the director and the appropriate Department Chair or Dean.  The chair represents the course of study on the PCC.  The normal term of office is two years, but is renewable.  The chair should normally be a tenured member of the course of study faculty.  In cases where a pattern of academic leaves or other circumstances make the selection of a tenured faculty member impossible or unsuitable, an untenured course of study faculty member may be elected for a term of one year, in consultation with the director and the appropriate Department Chair or Dean.

2) Courses of study with larger faculties may find it necessary to organize themselves into sub-units and committees.  If such organization requires departure from the preceding guideline, it should be approved by the PCC.

Students in the GDR elect up to five persons to represent them on the Graduate Student Council, and up to three to represent them on the PCC.

The director represents the GDR at meetings of various LSGS committees and councils.

4. Special Concentrations

a. Special concentrations are proposed by groups of University faculty committed to them (see also I.A.1 above).  After approval by pertinent course of study faculties (or other departments of the LSGS, if pertinent), the proposal comes to the PCC for final approval.

b. Special concentrations are overseen by committees of three or more faculty, drawn from pertinent programs, departments, or schools in the University.  Each committee elects its chair.  The chair reports to the director and associate director of the GDR.

II. General Regulations and Procedures

The regulations and procedures of the GDR function within the framework of policies set by the LSGS as stated in its Catalog.  Regulations and procedures for individual courses of study are in accord with Divisional policies and procedures.

Any regulation and procedure of the GDR or course of study may be waived by the PCC.  Requests for waiving regulations must be made in writing and submitted to the Committee through the director or the chair of the appropriate course of study.  The student should consult the advisor and/or course of study chair before making such an appeal.

Except when specified, the following regulations pertain to the Ph.D. program:

A. Registration

1. Registration Status.  Students are registered in one of the three following categories:

a. Special Standing - Students who have been admitted to the LSGS for coursework, but not admitted to a degree program.

b. Full Standing - Students admitted for studies toward the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree.

c. Advanced Standing - Students who hold an M.A. degree or its equivalent and have been admitted for studies toward the Ph.D. degree.

Within any of these three categories, one may register for Graduate Residence (use of the University library and other facilities, but without coursework).

Students who have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except for writing and defending the dissertation are in candidacy.

2. Residence.  Students must earn at least 48 credit hours at the advanced standing level.  There are two restrictions on the way these credits may be earned.

a. The first restriction has to do with the distribution of time: there must be two consecutive semesters of full registration in regular coursework.  Normally, students meet this requirement during the first year.  The remaining 24 credit hours need not be earned in consecutive semesters of full registration.

b. The second restriction has to do with the distribution of types of academic work: at least 24 credit hours must be taken in seminars and directed study at the doctoral level, 20 credit hours of which must be in seminars.  The remaining credit hours may be taken in seminars, directed study, or coursework (3 credit hours in the Candler School of Theology combined with 1 additional credit hour of directed study), or dissertation research.  At least two seminars or courses, moreover, must be taken outside the student's primary course of study.  Directed studies will not normally fulfill this requirement but may do so if needed seminars are not offered.  Exceptions to the normal progress of study must be approved by the student's course of study faculty.

The GDR requires, therefore, a minimum of five doctoral seminars for students in advanced standing in the Ph.D. program.  Most students will probably wish to take more than the required five seminars.

c. All coursework, including directed study courses, must be passed with a letter grade of B- or higher.  A student who receives less than a B- in a course must take an equivalent number of extra hours after having completed the 48 credit hours of required coursework, and must receive a grade of B- or higher for this extra work.

After students have earned 48 credit hours, but continue to use Emory libraries and computer facilities, they register for graduate residence and pay a flat fee for each semester in residence.  This includes summer semesters.

International students, who need to maintain full registration throughout the year in order to meet visa requirements, may continue to register each semester for 12 credit hours of dissertation residence but pay only the graduate residence fee.

3. Transfer Credit.  Up to 24 credit hours may be counted toward the Ph.D. degree, provided it was completed in an equivalent program from an accredited school.

Transfer credits must be approved at the time of admission by the chair of the student's course of study, the director of the GDR, and the dean of the LSGS.  Transfer Credit forms are available from the GDR office.

The eight-year rule applies to these transfer credits.  For example, a student who transfers 12 credit hours of academic credit into the GDR (the equivalent of one semester's work) must complete the requirements for the degree within eight years less one semester after entering Emory.

The same limitation and procedures apply to students enrolled in Emory's Ph.D. program who wish to do some of their graduate study elsewhere.  Normally, the student is responsible for all expenses incurred.  Under special circumstances, however, with approval of the director of the GDR and the dean of the LSGS, fellowship holders who receive stipends may use these funds in such extra-mural study.

4. Full Registration.  Full registration consists of 12 credit hours per semester.  Under exceptional circumstances, a student may meet the GDR's two consecutive semester residence requirement registering for eight credit hours per semester for a two-semester sequence.  In such cases, the student must present a written petition to the course of study faculty.  The course of study response will be reviewed by the PCC.  Although this particular arrangement will satisfy the GDR's two consecutive semester requirement, students must still make up, in subsequent semesters, the remaining hours in order to meet LSGS requirements for four full semesters of residence.

In no case can a student earn more than 12 credit hours of residence in any given semester.  That is, "extra hours" from one semester may be applied to a subsequent semester (with a lighter course load) in order to fulfill the 48 hour residence requirement (four full semesters) or two consecutive  semesters full registration requirement.

5. Minimum Registration for Student Housing.  To be eligible for student housing, students must be registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

6. Minimum Registration for Doctoral Fellowships.  Students on doctoral fellowships must be registered for 12 credit hours per semester.

7. Use of Libraries and Computing Facilities.  Students must be registered to use the libraries and computer facilities of Emory University.  Students not registered for coursework (including directed study and research) must register for graduate residence and pay stated fees.  This includes summer semesters.

8. Audit Courses. The fee for audit courses is the same as for credit courses.  Courses audited may not be established for credit by examination, nor may they be transferred to credit status after the first week of classes.

9. Late Registration Fees. Because of the extra cost to the University, students who register after the stated time will be charged a late registration fee.

10. Course Withdrawal. Students are not allowed to withdraw from a course after the mid-point of the semester, unless there are clear mitigating circumstances beyond their control.  In such cases, a student must request that his or her advisor, chair of the course of study, or the director of the GDR submit a letter to the associate dean of the LSGS supporting withdrawal.  The request must be accompanied by a letter from the student explaining the reason(s) for the request.

B. Types of Academic Work Carrying Credit

1. Academic credit is earned by satisfactory participation in various settings.

a. The most general designation - "course" - does not indicate the format, though it is usually characterized by lecture-discussion.  Because the style of each course varies with the instructor(s), students are encouraged to speak with the appropriate instructor about the precise character of the course, prior to registration.

b. "Seminar" usually designates a course in which the students share their research papers, oral presentation, etc.  Normally, the professor chooses the topic and provides the basic structure of the seminar.  Some seminars are offered by individual professors, others by two or more instructors.

c. A "research seminar" is one in which the research projects of the students and faculty give the fundamental shape of the course, rather than the professor.

d. There are two categories of "individualized research:" Directed Study 797 and Research 799.  (Directed Study 597 and Research 589 are the equivalents for M.A. students.)

Work undertaken as Directed Study 797 is graded at the end of the term in the same way that seminars or lecture courses are graded.  The grade of P (in progress) cannot be used for Directed Study 797.  It must be graded each semester with a letter grade or an I (incomplete).  No directed study is permitted if there is a course in the same subject being offered.

Normally, students register for Research 799 in connection with preparation for the preliminary examinations, or the dissertation, or both.  When the registration is for work on the dissertation, the final grade is given when the dissertation is completed.

Students may not count research registration toward the two semester sequence of full registration residence requirement, nor may students register for Research 799 before being admitted to advanced standing, completing the 24 consecutive credit hour residence requirement, and passing both language examinations.

Students who need to be registered full time (e.g., international students) but who have completed coursework should register for Research 799 (Research 599 for M.A. students).  A grade of P (in progress) may be given for such registration.  After the dissertation oral defense, these P's are converted to letter grades.

In order for the LSGS to maintain meaningful permanent records on directed study, a descriptive title should be given for each directed study registration listed on the Master's Clearance and Application for Candidacy forms.

2. Graduate students may register for advanced Candler School of Theology courses, though normally with additional requirements appropriate to a program of doctoral study (e.g., at least one additional credit hour of directed study).

C. Language Requirement

1. The GDR regards a working knowledge of at least two foreign languages as fundamental tools for doctoral work in religion.  It recognizes that these languages may vary with the demands of a student's course of study, research focus, and guild membership.  Students admitted to the GDR are required to show reading mastery of two secondary research languages along with such primary-text languages as their courses of study and individual research agendas require.  Mastery is typically demonstrated through GDR-administered examinations.  No language work done prior to entering the GDR - whether in the form of courses passed or examinations taken, at Emory University or at other institutions - will satisfy this requirement.

2. The first language examination is to be passed upon entry to the GDR.  The second examination should be passed by the beginning of the third semester, and it must be passed before beginning preliminary examinations.

3. Typically, these two secondary languages for scholarly research have been French and German.  Students may substitute other secondary research languages when they can demonstrate that such languages figure prominently in the field of scholarship which they intend to enter and play an important role in their own research agenda.  Students may make such substitutions by petition to the GDR's director and its PCC.  Each GDR course of study formulates it own clear policy on appropriate substitutions for these two secondary languages required of all GDR students in consultation with the PCC.

4. Students who have taken and failed to pass a GDR language examination may likewise petition to satisfy the requirement in that language by taking and passing a SAT Advanced Placement examination in that language.

5. The GDR examination for secondary research languages is intended to demonstrate reading comprehension for scholarly purposes.  It involves rendering an accurate translation of a passage of approximately 400 to 500 words and then providing a careful accounting of its meaning.  The emphasis in this account falls on grasping the gist, nuances and implications of the argument, perspective or methodology of the passage.  Passages for translation are selected with an eye to length and level of difficulty to yield relative parity across selections in French, German, and other languages.  The examination can be taken with the aid of a dictionary in a period of three hours.

6. The examinations are administered by the GDR Language Committee, which, in consultation with the faculty of the appropriate course of study, selects texts in the student's area of study and oversees grading of the examination.  Quantified grades are given, with a minimal grade of 80% required to pass.

7. The examinations are normally given each semester on the Monday of the week preceding registration and on an additional date in April.  Dates and locations of the examinations are posted annually.  Students should register their intent to take the examination; appropriate forms are in the GDR office.

8. Failure to pass the first language examination before matriculation may result in an adjustment of the registration for the semester which follows immediately.  Various kinds of adjustments are possible, such as (a) reduction of course load, (b) registration for directed study that concentrates on developing language competence, or (c) arrangement with the instructor of a course that the reading for the course will be done in the language.  Any student who has not passed the first language examination by the beginning of the second year (or third semester) will be required to take a reduction in course load in order to accommodate further language study.

D. The Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity Program

All students are required to participate in Emory's Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity Program (TATTO), designed to prepare students for all aspects of teaching in higher education.  The Program has four phases or steps, with an additional fifth, competitive opportunity.

1. The LSGS Summer Seminar.  This seminar, offered by the LSGS for students in all graduate fields of study, runs four days in the week prior to the beginning of the academic year.  This seminar must be taken prior to the first year of study.

2. RLR 705: Teaching Religion.  This seminar, offered by the GDR, meets during the fall semester of the second year of study.

3. Teaching Assistantship.  Each student is required to serve as a Teaching Assistant in at least two courses offered by the Candler School of Theology or the Emory College Department of Religion.  Such work typically involves assistance in grading and occasional discussion leadership, or colloquy leadership in large lecture courses.  One assistantship is done in connection with the seminar, Teaching Religion (II.D.2 above), i.e., during the fall semester of the second year of study.  One assistantship should be done in the student's general course of study.  The second should be done in another field of study or another context - e.g., if one has been done in the Candler School of Theology, it is desirable for the second to be done in the Emory College Department of Religion.

4. Teaching Associateship.  In the second or third year of study, each graduate student will serve as a Teaching Associate, working with a faculty member as a mentor, typically involving participation considerably beyond the assistant level, including, for example, the design of the course, occasional lecturing, discussion leadership, and the like.

5. Dean's Teaching Fellowship. After completion of the first four phases of the TATTO program, students may be nominated by the faculty to compete for a Dean's Teaching Fellowship, offered by the LSGS to support the teaching of two courses while the student is writing the dissertation.  The competition for this award is run by the LSGS in the spring semester, for the following academic year.  Students must have completed the preliminary examinations and be in candidacy at the time of their nomination.

6. Further Notes.

a. All phases of the TATTO program involve evaluation by the supervising faculty and students, as well as self-evaluation.

b. Each phase of the program earns two hours of academic credit for a total of eight hours.  These eight hours are in addition to the 48 hours of required coursework.

c. While student cannot receive compensation for work done for academic credit (the LSGS stipends have been increased in recent years to cover this work), graduate students may receive compensation for any teaching assistance they do beyond the minimum requirements of the TATTO program.  There are numerous opportunities for teaching at the Candler School of Theology and in the Emory College Department of Religion beyond the formal requirements.

d. Foreign students for whom English is not their first language and who are not planning to teach in the United States may be exempted from phases three and four of the program.

E. Grades

1. Grades are given in accord with the regulations in the Catalog of the LSGS.  The grades in the GDR, however, have roughly the following meanings:

2. Coursework earning less than B- cannot be counted toward the residence requirement.

3. If a student receives an Incomplete (I) for course or seminar work, the grade automatically becomes an F, if the work is not completed within 12 months after the end of the term in which the student was enrolled for the course.

The Registrar of the LSGS will notify the student of the impending deadline.  Should the instructor not be in residence during this period, the student must arrange for the instructor to read and grade the work or for someone else (acceptable to the instructor) to read the paper and give the grade.  This arrangement should be made when the Incomplete is requested.

Students who accumulate two Incompletes or receive an F will not be eligible for financial aid from the LSGS until these problems are resolved.  Students receiving at least two Incompletes in a given semester are placed on academic probation.

4. For the grading of preliminary examinations, see section IV.D.9.

F. Time Limitation

1. Credit hours earned are applicable toward the Ph.D. degree for a period for no more than eight years.  In other words, from the date of initial enrollment in the program, a student has eight years to complete the degree.

2. Only a student who has been admitted to candidacy is eligible to petition for an extension.  This is done by submitting a letter of request to the director of the GDR which outlines the extenuating circumstances justifying the request and providing a schedule of work to be submitted.  The schedule should show that the dissertation can be completed within one year of the extension.  More than one year cannot be considered.  This letter must be accompanied by a supporting letter from the chair of the course of study.

3. Should a second request for a time extension be necessary, the same procedures are to be followed.  Requesting a second extension assumes that the dissertation is essentially completed and requires only "cosmetic" changes.

III. The Master of Arts Program

Normally, students who apply to Emory University for graduate studies in Religion at the M.A. level are encouraged to the pursue the M.T.S. degree at the Candler School of Theology.  Occasionally, however, students are admitted to the LSGS for studies toward the M.A. degree - i.e., they are admitted at "full standing" rather than "advanced standing" (see section II.A.1.a above).

The M.A. requirements are as follows: 24 hours of residency, one modern language, a battery of M.A. level examinations, and a thesis.  If the M.A. is a terminal M.A. required by the unsuccessful completion of preliminary examinations, or failure to maintain satisfactory progress, those portions of the doctoral examinations that may have been deemed satisfactory may be counted as master's examinations.

It is possible for a student admitted initially at full standing to bypass the M.A. degree and proceed directly to the Ph.D.  A total of three years of residency is required for the Ph.D. in this case.

As indicated in section IV.D.9.b below, a student whose overall achievement on preliminary examinations is below a B may be encouraged to arrange for a terminal M.A. degree.  A terminal M.A. requires a thesis.

IV. The Doctor of Philosophy Program

The Ph.D. program is designed to provide scholarly competence in the student's course of study, ancillary competence in at least one related area, and exposure to interdisciplinary study.  Within the framework of Divisional policies, each course of study determines how these goals are achieved best.  The GDR encourages student initiative in planning with the advisor the program of work, including interdisciplinary aspects of it.

A. The Advisor

1. Prior to formal matriculation it is advisable for the entering student to meet with the course of study chair in order to discuss one's aims, preparation, and proposed trajectory in the course of study.  It is assumed that the student will take the initiative in arranging for such a discussion.  On such occasions, some understanding should be reached with regard to the language requirement and the "outside" areas which the student will include in the battery of preliminary examinations.

2. The chair of each course of study serves as advisor for all entering students.  As soon as possible the student selects a member of the faculty with whom, by mutual consent, the student will work most closely.  In other words, the identity of the advisor is not assigned but emerges informally and naturally.  The advisor helps the student plan a program, including preparation for the preliminary examinations.

3. The record of the student's registration, and progress, and other departmental records are maintained by the chair.

B. Coursework

1. All entering students are required to enroll in RLR 700H: First Year Colloquy in addition to their three seminars in the fall semester.

2. It is neither necessary nor possible for the faculty to offer courses in all aspects of a given discipline.  Students should not hesitate to request directed study in areas in which no courses are foreseen.  Directed study provides opportunity for individualized research in a special area of inquiry.  The precise format of directed study is to be negotiated with the instructor.  The student may take the initiative in proposing a topic and the initial reading list.  Directed study could be an adjunct to a lecture course for which the student may or may not be registered (e.g., an advanced course in the Candler School of Theology).

3. Students are allowed to participate in seminars for which they are not formally registered.  The student should negotiate the arrangement with the instructor.

C. Student Progress and Evaluation

1. As a general rule, satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. involves the following schedule:

In the first year of study, prior to enrollment in courses, the student will pass his or her first foreign language examination.  The student will also take the required TATTO summer seminar sponsored by the LSGS.  The student will then register for three courses and RLR 700H: First Year Colloquy.  The same registration procedures are to be followed in the second semester.  The student should fulfill at least one of his or her TATTO requirements in this year as well.

In the second year, prior to beginning the fall semester, the student will take RLR 705: Teaching Religion.  In conjunction with this course, the student will fulfill at least one of his or her TATTO requirements.  Also, the student should pass his or her second foreign language examination prior to the end of the academic year.  The student will register for three courses during each semester.

In the third year, students are expected to take preliminary examinations, proceed to a dissertation proposal, and, by the fourth year, should be writing the dissertation.

Progress Overview:

First Year - Pass the first foreign language examination, complete TATTO course, complete RLR 700H, complete 24 credit hours of coursework, complete at least one TATTO requirement.

Second Year - Pass the second foreign language examination, complete RLR 705: Teaching Religion, complete at least one TATTO requirement, complete 24 credit hours of coursework.

Third Year - Establish candidacy, which involves passing the preliminary examinations and defending the dissertation proposal, and begin work on the dissertation.

Fourth and Fifth Years - Complete the dissertation.  Renewal of the stipend for a fourth and fifth year presupposes that the student establish candidacy in the spring semester of the third year and intends to devote full time to the dissertation during the fourth and fifth years.

2. The faculty in each course of study will hold a year-end evaluation in which each student's progress is assessed.

a. As a basis for the annual evaluation, all students will prepare a one-page self-evaluation, highlighting achievements and problems in the preceding year and providing an agenda for the following year.  The student must also submit the Graduate Student Annual Report Cover Sheet to the course of study chair and the GDR office.

b. The second year evaluation may be combined with the student's examination proposal, as specified in section IV.D.4 below.

c. If a student does not establish candidacy by the end of the third year, the year-end self-evaluation for that year should include an addendum providing a specific schedule for establishing candidacy in the following year.  The contents of the addendum should be discussed by the faculty in the course of study with the student during the year-end evaluation.

d. If a student does not establish candidacy by the end of the fourth or any subsequent year, the year-end self-evaluation for that year should include an addendum providing (a) a detailed explanation of the failure to do so, and (b) a specific schedule for establishing candidacy in the following year.  The contents of the addendum should be discussed by the faculty in the course of study with the student during the year-end evaluation.  In addition, the student and the course of study chair will meet with the GDR director to discuss the student's progress.  The LSGS will suspend the student's stipend in the fall of the fifth year until candidacy is established.  In the following year at the end of the fall semester, the student will submit a mid-year progress report to the faculty in the course of study and meet with the course of study chair to discuss his or her progress.

e. If a student does not establish candidacy by the end of the fifth or any subsequent year, in addition to meeting with the student and course of study chair as described in IV.C.2.d above, the GDR director will have the option of sending a memo to the dean of the LSGS apprising him or her of the student's situation.

f. If a student does not establish candidacy by the end of the sixth year, the course of study faculty and GDR director will forward the student's case to the dean of the LSGS with the recommendation that the student be discontinued from the doctoral program.

g. Students writing dissertations (in candidacy) will be evaluated by their committees.  Each dissertation committee will meet with the student at least annually, reporting progress to the course of study chair and director of the GDR.  If the student is not in residence at Emory, he or she is required to return to campus for the review, although in cases of good progress or exceptional circumstances (e.g., the student is out of the country), the consultation may take place by telephone or letter.  The results of these evaluations will be reported to the course of study chair and the GDR director.

3. It is the responsibility of the course of study chair to report problems or deficiencies in progress to the director of the GDR (e.g., section IV.C.2.a-f above).  At the same time, the GDR office will make every effort to keep chairs apprised of problems such as deficiencies in language examinations, probationary status, and the like.

4. Students should inform both the course of study chair and the GDR office if they plan not to register for a given semester (excluding summer).  Students who do not register for a full year may be placed on inactive status.  Such students are required to submit an application for readmission at least one month in advance of the beginning of the term in which they plan to be enrolled.

5. Students in good standing may be granted leaves of absence to a cumulative maximum of two years, upon recommendation of the student's course of study and approval of the dean of the LSGS.  Leaves of absence are available to students only within eight years of admission to advanced standing.  The student must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the course of study faculty that during this period he or she must or plans to interrupt progress toward the degree.  Criteria for leaves of absence are stated in the LSGS Handbook.  For the purpose of determining eligibility for a leave of absence, a student must be in good standing and have resolved all incomplete work.

A student who fails to re-enroll in the University in the semester following completion of a leave of absence (summer semester excepted) must petition his course of study faculty for readmission.  Time spent in a leave of absence does not count toward the eight year limit in advanced standing.

D. Preliminary Examinations

1. The fundamental purpose of the preliminary examinations is to provide evidence that the student has mastered the discipline or field of study sufficiently to move on to the next stage, a major piece of independent research in the form of the doctoral dissertation.  An "outside field" examination (see 2 below) is intended to realize one or more of several values: to show evidence of adequate preparation in a field of study to support teaching competence in that field; to demonstrate competency in the "language" of a second discipline or area of inquiry; to increase knowledge of the field of religion as a whole and thereby strengthen the student's understanding of the primary field of study; and, when appropriate, to support the dissertation research.

2. Each course of study will offer at least four written examinations and an oral examination.  The oral examination will be given by the entire course of study faculty or a designated committee.  At least one of the written examinations must be in a field other than those which define the basic elements of a student's program as defined by the course of study faculty and consistent with the values expressed in 1 above and in the section entitled "Interdisciplinary Work" (section I.B above).  The specific form (sit-down, take-home, paper, etc) and length may be decided by the course of study faculties.

3. Faculty are encouraged to provide reading lists for the examinations that especially define the program or course of study.

4. Each student should present a written examination proposal for approval by the course of study faculty or an appropriate examination committee.  The proposal should indicate which examinations will be taken, a rationale (consistent with 1 and 2, above), and the dates, including a date for the oral examination.

5. Students are encouraged to schedule their preliminary examinations as soon as possible, preferably in the semester following the completion of their coursework, but in any case not later than the second semester of their third year (see section IV.C.2.b above).  This is contingent upon completing the two term consecutive semesters requirement, passing both modern language requirements, and having removed all Incompletes.

6. Written examinations are to be scheduled during one of two six-week periods each academic year: October 1-November 15; and mid-February to the end of March.  Specific dates within these periods may be designated annually by the PCC.  The oral examination, and a final reporting of grades, must take place within 30 days of each of these periods.

7. The examinations are coordinated and administered by the chair of each course of study, or by a designated faculty member; the outside field examination should be arranged by the student in consultation with appropriate faculty, but should fall within the six-week period outlined in 6 above.

8. The appropriate members of the faculty will read the examinations promptly and report the results of the written and oral examinations no more than 30 days after the last written examinations in the series.  If the written examinations are problematic, the faculty may choose whether to proceed with an oral examination as a way of clarifying the diagnosis; or to postpone an oral examination until satisfactory retaking of portions of the written examination.  The grades of each examination and an averaged grade for the whole battery should be reported to both the student and the GDR office.  Whatever the outcome of the examinations, the student should discuss their diagnostic significance with the course of study chair or advisor.

9. The rules governing evaluation of preliminary examinations are:

a. Successful completion of the preliminary examinations requires an overall letter grade of B or higher, no more than one grade of less than a B in the student's primary field of study, and no grade lower than a B-.

b. If the average level of achievement is below a B, the student may be discontinued or encouraged to arrange for a terminal M.A.  If the faculty believes that repetition of the examinations would yield significantly better results, or if the average is B but some examinations fall below B or B-, the following rules apply:

1) If more than two examinations in a student's major field fall below a grade of B, the entire battery of preliminary examinations must be retaken.

2) Any examination that is graded lower than a B- must be retaken.  If more than one grade falls below a B-, the entire battery of examinations must be retaken.

3) Examinations can be retaken only once, normally in the next semester.

E. Dissertation Proposal

1. As soon as possible after successfully completing the preliminary examinations, the student should prepare a formal dissertation proposal.  The proposal should provide a clear, succinct statement of the nature and scope of the topic.

2. The proposal should contain descriptions of the following elements (though not necessarily in this order):

a. The significance and plausibility of the topic, including, if possible, a statement of the thesis to be defended, or, if the student has not yet determined a thesis, a presentation of pertinent hypotheses and questions to be examined.

b. The present state of scholarship on the question (explaining why the topic is important and showing how the research would alter or supplement earlier studies).

c. A proposed outline of the dissertation, if the student can foresee the divisions of the topic - or even the order of the chapters - early in the process of investigation.

d. A discussion of the scholarly methods that seem appropriate to the topic.

e. A selected bibliography of primary and secondary works, possibly including annotations that exhibit the student's critical judgment of the literature.

f. Each course of study may supplement these guidelines with additional stipulations.

3. Although the student should consult closely with the advisor during the preparation, the proposal should reflect the student's own style of research, thought, and writing.

4. After agreeing that the proposal is defensible, the advisor will notify the course of study chair, who will arrange for and chair a public discussion of the proposal.  All students and faculty in a course of study, other members of the dissertation committee, and persons from outside the student's own course of study are invited to participate in the discussion.

5. The faculty members of the course of study vote to accept, reject, or require modification of the proposal.

6. In consultation with the advisor and student, the chair will formally appoint a dissertation committee as specified in section IV.G below.  The members of the committee must normally hold faculty positions in the LSGS (see also sections I.D.2 and I.D.2.d.1-2 above).

F. Admission to Candidacy

After completing the coursework, the language examinations, the preliminary examinations, and the public discussion of the dissertation proposal, the student may be admitted to candidacy.  The procedure is as follows:

1. The chair of the course of study sends a memorandum to the Division office, giving the title of the dissertation, the date of its approval and the name of the director.

2. The student applies for candidacy on forms available on the LSGS website and in the GDR office.  The forms are to be filled out in triplicate and signed by the course of study chair.

3. In applying for candidacy, the student lists the name of the advisor or director and at least one reader and an examiner in accordance with section IV.G below.

4. The application for candidacy requires the following information: the doctoral examinations that have been passed, the dates when they were completed, the dates when the language examinations were passed, and a list of all the courses and research hours in advanced standing creditable toward the Ph.D. degree.

G. Dissertation Committee

A dissertation committee must consist of at least three members of the Emory graduate faculty: a director, an additional reader and an examiner.  The director and the reader help the student during the writing of the dissertation; the examiner might also read the dissertation in progress but often will read only the finished product.

Individual courses of study may, as a rule, require more than three faculty members; and any course of study may, in a specific case, establish a committee of more than three faculty as appropriate to the dissertation.

1. The dissertation director must normally be a member of the graduate faculty of Emory University.  A faculty member from outside the Emory graduate faculty may serve as co-director of the dissertation, but may not serve as the sole director.

2. The dissertation director and the readers offer guidance, but the student is fully responsible for the content and style of the dissertation.

3. The LSGS provides a list of regulations for the format of Emory University dissertations.

H. Dissertation Defense

Each course of study requires an oral defense of the dissertation.  The director of the dissertation serves as the moderator of the session in which the defense is made; the readers and examiners participate in the session, with others whom the student and the director may wish to invite.  Unlike the reader(s), the examiner(s) is (are) expected to read the dissertation only in its final form.  Only the director, the reader(s), and the examiner(s) may vote to accept the dissertation, reject it, or require revisions.

1. At least a month before the oral defense, the student submits to the committee three complete copies of the dissertation.

2. When the members of the dissertation committee accept or reject the dissertation, they assign it a grade of "Fail," "Pass," or "With Distinction."  Among acceptable dissertations they thereby distinguish between very good and truly excellent work on a range of indicators, including importance of the topic, depth of research, mastery of issues and questions, originality of thought and argument, genuine contribution to a scholarly field, and quality of writing.

Dissertation Research hours, designated by RLR 799 Dissertation Research, will be graded accordingly as S/U.

The oral defense of the dissertation will be treated as any other examination and assigned a passing grade of A, A-, B+, B, or B-.  A grade of C indicates that the student has not defended the dissertation successfully.

3. At the conclusion of a successful defense of the dissertation, the director has each member of the committee sign the "Report on Completion of Requirements for Doctoral Degree" forms which are available in the GDR office.  On the form, the dissertation director should indicate the grade determined by the committee.  The report is sent to the Division office, where it is signed by the director of the GDR, who sends it to the LSGS.  It must be in the Graduate School office before the dissertation can be accepted by the LSGS.

4. During the semester in which the students expect to receive the degree, they must fill out the LSGS form entitled "Application for the Degree."

Because dissertation titles are printed in commencement programs, the LSGS office needs to have an accurate title of each dissertation well before it is turned in to the Graduate School.  Students, therefore, are required to record their correct, complete dissertation titles on their "Application for the Degree" form.

5. In order to submit the dissertation properly, the candidate must follow the submission guidelines provided on the form "Instructions for Submitting Your Thesis or Dissertation" located on the LSGS website.

6. Students must register and pay the current residence fee for the semester in which they expect to receive the degree.

V. Financial Aid

Students receiving stipends from the GDR are expected to be full time, which does not preclude all outside employment, but naturally would rule out a full time job.  Since the stipend is renewable for a second, third, fourth, and fifth year, the renewal is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree, as defined in section IV.C above.

VI. Job Placement

Students who are ready to apply for a teaching position or other work should establish a placement file with the Career Planning and Placement Center of Emory University.  The Career Planning and Placement Center will send out placement credentials only when the student requests them.

Faculty evaluations will be added to the student's placement file.  Forms are provided by the Career Planning and Placement Center for this purpose, and the forms should be used for all faculty evaluations to be included in the placement file.  Students will be responsible for delivering forms to the faculty for completion, but evaluation forms must be returned by the faculty directly to the Career Planning and Placement Center.  The Center will not accept them from students.

Faculty cannot complete the evaluation until the student has checked and signed the waiver or non-waiver box on the evaluation form.  A maximum of five faculty evaluations may be included in the student's file.  A minimum of three would be useful.

Revised: 2009