The Distinguished Majors Program in Religious Studies affords qualified students the opportunity to do advanced research, and to receive, at graduation, the honor of "High Distinction" or "Highest Distinction."

Entry into the program:

1. Students qualify for the program if they have achieved an average of 3.40 in all course work prior to application for the program.
2. Students who declare as Religious Studies Majors in the spring of year II will be eligible for entry into the program in the fall of year III. Applicants cannot be considered earlier than the spring of year II, but under special circumstances may declare as late as the spring of year III.
3. Application should be made to the Director of the Distinguished Majors Program or to the Chairperson of the Committee on Undergraduate Studies. Click here for the application (Adobe pdf)
4. The applicant must obtain a Religious Studies faculty member's agreement to direct the reading and thesis research.
5. Admission into the program will be considered by the Committee on Undergraduate Studies.

Requirements for completion of the program:

1. Completion of normal major requirements of thirty credit hours (including the Majors Seminar, RELG 400);
2. At least six of these must be at the 500 level, to be completed by the end of the first semester of the fourth year;
3. At least three more hours must consist of directed reading with a faculty member in a specific field of study*;
4. A thesis, worth three hours, must be written within the directed field of general reading*;
5. The thesis should be thirty to fifty pages in length. Final copies must be submitted both to the Director of the Distinguished Majors Program (Benjamin Ray ) and to the directing professor no later than May 1st for Spring graduation, and for August graduation, and December 1st for December graduation.

*Six hours of RELS 496Y over two semesters