The department offers graduate programs leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The M.A. program is designed to allow students to prepare for more advanced work, to pursue a personal interest, to explore vocational options, and/or to gain certification for secondary school instruction in religious studies. The Ph.D. program is designed to train teachers and research scholars for the academic study of religion in universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. Both programs may be of benefit also to persons engaged in religious vocations who wish to supplement their professional training with an academic graduate degree.

The Department offers five major areas of specialization in doctoral studies.

Historical Studies
Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity
European and American Religious History
Historical Theology

Theology, Ethics, and Culture
Philosophical Theology;
Religious Ethics;
Religion and Culture

History of Religions
East Asian Buddhism
Indian or Theravada Buddhism
Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
East Asian-Tibetan Buddhism
Hinduism
African Religions
Indian Religions

Scripture, Interpretation and Practice
Comparative Scripture, Interpretation and Practice
The Study of Judaism: Modern Judaism
Islamic Scripture, Interpretation and Practice