Graduate Program in Religion- How selective is the Graduate Program in Religion?
- What is the application fee?
- What do I need to include in my application?
- What is the minimum GRE score?
- Is there a separate financial aid application?
- When will I find out if I have been accepted?
- How can I arrange a campus visit?
- If I applied last year and was not accepted, how do I apply again?
- Is graduate housing available?
- What do I do if I have additional questions?
How selective is the Graduate Program in Religion?
The Duke Graduate Program in Religion is highly selective. The program offers admission to roughly 5 percent of applicants. (See Admissions and Enrollment Statistics.)
What is the application fee?
To see the current application fee set by the Graduate School, visit here and view "Application Procedures." If you wish to be considered for both the Ph.D. and M.A. programs, you must apply to both programs separately. The electronic application must be completed by December 10. New applications will not be accepted after December 10. Detailed application instructions can be found on the Graduate School's site.
What do I need to include in my application?
- Application form
- Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- 3 recommendations from academics who can address your scholarly ability
- GRE and, if applicable, TOEFL scores (sent to institution code 5156)
- A statement of intent, including, in roughly 2 single-spaced pages, your reasons for pursuing graduate education in religion and your specific interest in the Duke program
- A sample of scholarly work not to exceed 20 double-spaced pages to be uploaded to your application. Please upload this to the Additional Materials section of the online application.
For more on application requirements and procedures, see Admissions Requirements
What is the minimum GRE score?
The Graduate School looks for a minimum score of 308 combined quantitative and verbal on the Graduate Record Examination, but there is some leeway here.
Is there a separate financial aid application?
No. In most cases, applicants who are accepted into the Ph.D. program are fully funded for 5 years, including tuition and fees, stipend, and health insurance premiums.
When will I find out if I have been accepted?
Applicants will be notified of their status early in the spring semester by email from the Graduate School at Duke. Generally, applicants can expect to be notified by mid- to late February.
How can I arrange a campus visit?
After the applications have been evaluated, top-ranked candidates will be invited to Duke for on-campus interviews and an introduction to departmental programs. (Reasonable travel expenses will be paid by Duke.) This will allow both candidates and faculty members to assess whether there is a good match between the student and his or her prospective program.
To arrange a visit on your own, please feel free to contact the individual faculty members by email to arrange a day and time for a visit.
See maps of campus and driving directions at the University website.
The Religious Studies Department is located on Duke’s West Campus in the Gray Building, next to Duke Chapel.
If I applied last year and was not accepted, how do I apply again?
A new application must be created. The procedure is explained here.
Is graduate housing available?
On-campus housing is not available for graduate students.
Inquiries about off-campus housing should be directed to
Duke Community Housing of the University
Room 102, 402 Oregon St
Central Campus
Durham, NC
(919) 660-1785
or communityhousing@duke.edu, which deals with university-owned and off-campus, privately-owned housing. Information can also be found at the student affairs web site or on Duke List. A couple of external resources are Trulia and Zillow.
What do I do if I have additional questions?
Many more admissions-related questions are addressed at the Graduate School site. You may direct questions specifically related to the Graduate Program in Religion to the Assistant to the Director, (919) 660-3512.