MARS students are required to meet with the program director to discuss their planned course of study. The program director will act as academic advisor until the student chooses another faculty member, usually in preparation for the thesis. Required courses should be taken as soon as they are offered, prior to or concurrent with electives. Electives may be taken in any order. All MARS candidates must complete a total of 33 credit hours of graduate course work, maintaining a minimum QPR of 3.0, before enrolling for thesis credits. The 3-credit thesis brings the total master program to 36 credits.

Required Courses

RS 500 - Research in Religion
RS 501 - The Phenomenology of Religion
RS 510 - Introduction to Biblical Method and Criticism
One elective course in non-Christian religion

Thesis
Upon completing course work, MARS students must write a Master's thesis. The thesis provides an opportunity for the student to do original research in his/her area of interest.