Contacts | Eligibility | Registration, Tuition, and Financial Aid | Program Requirements | How to Apply

Department Website: https://divinity.uchicago.edu/jointBAAMRS

In the one-year Master of Arts in Religious Studies (AMRS) program, students acquire foundational knowledge in the study of religion and its adjacent fields to be applied in a variety of professional contexts requiring a graduate degree. Graduates of Divinity School master’s programs have gone on to successful careers in consulting, non-profit administration, secondary education, community engagement, journalism, and advocacy.

AMRS graduates may also opt to continue their graduate education. However, completion of the one-year AMRS course of studies does not qualify students for admission to the PhD program of the Divinity School or its peer institutions. College students who plan to pursue doctoral studies after obtaining their master’s degree should consider applying for admission to the Divinity School’s two-year MA program (Five-Year Joint Bachelor’s/Master’s Program).

Qualified undergraduate students who wish to complete the one-year AMRS concurrently with their bachelor’s degree should begin discussing this plan with their College adviser in the Autumn Quarter of their third year or earlier. They should also consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in their major field, as well as with the Divinity School’s Director of MA Studies.

Undergraduate students who are admitted to the joint program are in concurrent residence for three contiguous quarters during their fourth year at the University.

Eligibility

Students who are given permission to enroll in the joint program must have demonstrated a record of uncommon excellence and be sufficiently advanced in the completion of their undergraduate degree requirements. The academic demands on students enrolled in the joint program are significant. In order to assess their promise to succeed in this program, the Divinity School carefully reviews all AMRS applicants based on their academic achievements in the College, as well as on the quality of their submitted application materials.

Applicants should have a minimum GPA for their undergraduate work comparable to that required for honors in their major. By the time they enter concurrent residence status, applicants should have completed 39 of the required 42 courses, including their general education requirements. Furthermore, applicants are encouraged to have completed by the end of their third year in the College several courses that are relevant to the academic study of religion. Graduate courses taken by a student prior to their fourth year of study cannot be counted towards the AMRS degree.

Students pursuing a BA project are typically expected to register for a BA workshop in their fourth year. This workshop counts as a course in the undergraduate program and is in addition to the nine graduate courses associated with the AMRS curriculum. Joint degree candidates should be aware that registration for a fourth course in any term may result in higher tuition.

Registration, Tuition, and Financial Aid

To graduate at the same time with both the BA degree and the AMRS degree, students are required to spend at least three quarters of the undergraduate course of study in full-time registration status in the AMRS program (at least three courses per quarter).

Students should be aware that they will be charged at the graduate tuition rate in their fourth year of study. College aid can be applied toward tuition charges in the fourth year of study but will not cover the additional expenses associated with graduate tuition rates and fees. Students are strongly encouraged to check with the College’s Financial Aid office to see if their financial aid will be affected during their fourth year. Students should also check with the Divinity School to pursue the possibility of supplemental aid.

Program Requirements

In order to graduate at the same time with both the BA degree and the AMRS degree, students admitted to the Four-Year Joint Bachelor’s/Master’s Program need to fulfill the same requirements for the AMRS as graduate students who have been admitted to the AMRS program through the Divinity School’s regular admissions process. Information on the program requirements of the AMRS can be found on the program website.

Three graduate-level courses may be double counted (i.e., applied to the requirements for both the BA and AMRS degrees). Students may petition their Director of Undergraduate Studies to apply the three graduate-level courses to their undergraduate major, or the courses will be applied to general electives.

Graduate courses taken during the second or third year in the College may not be counted toward the joint BA/AMRS in the Divinity School.

How to Apply

Students apply to the four-year joint BA/AMRS program during their third year in the College. See the Divinity School website for deadlines.

• Divinity School Application for Graduate Admission
• Candidate Statement reflecting intellectual influences and professional goals
• Academic Transcripts 
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Current Resume or CV
• Writing Sample, between 15 and 25 pages
• Application Fee: $75 (waiver available)