To apply, submit Temple’s online graduate application along with an application fee of $60.
All College of Liberal Arts candidates must have completed their bachelor’s degree in a related field before applying to a graduate program.
Candidates will be asked to submit the following along with their application.
Submit official transcripts from every college and university you have attended.
It is suggested that applicants have taken at least 18 credits of religion coursework.
Submit three letters of recommendation from faculty and professionals.
In two to three pages, address what prepares you for graduate studies in religion, including your previous successes in academic study and research in the field, your area of interest within the field of religion and how that interest coincides with offerings in Temple’s Religion Department, and your teaching and research goals and how you believe your graduate study will further these goals.
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) general test scores are required. Scores of 160 on the verbal section and 144 on the quantitative section are preferred.
A current professional résumé is required.
The writing sample should demonstrate your ability to research and write a scholarly paper. The paper should be no more than 10 pages in length and fully referenced according to a professional, scholarly style manual. It should be in the field of religious studies or a closely related area.
With the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, students who have earned graduate credits from another institution can transfer up to 24 credits (eight courses) toward the coursework required for the PhD. The courses must not be more than five years old at the time of the student’s matriculation and a grade of “B” or higher must have been earned. These transfer credits are counted toward Unit II requirements. For clarification of unit requirements, see the Program Requirements.
Appropriate foundation coursework taken outside Temple University may also be considered for transfer to fulfill the foundation requirements for Unit I. In this event, however, the student must take elective coursework at Temple to fulfill the required 24 credits for Unit I. To qualify for transfer as a foundations course, a grade of “A-” or better must have been earned.
Official electronic transcripts can be sent via an email to religiongradstudies@temple.edu. Originals can be mailed to the following address.
Temple University College of Liberal Arts
Dept. of Religion
614 Mazur Hall
1114 W. Polett Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6090
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums.
See more detailed instructions on applying to Temple as an international student.
Fall: Jan. 15
Jemina Quarles is the graduate coordinator in the Department of Religion.
Phone: 215-204-3663
Email: jemi@temple.edu
