Overview

The Religion from Columbia University is designed for the study of the history, literature, theory, and functions of religion, in its various forms, within different societies and cultures.

A distinctive feature of the program is the opportunity for students not only to gain advanced training in specific fields of religious studies, but also to acquire a basic knowledge of the world’s major religious traditions and of the principal methods and theories employed in the study of religion. Such knowledge is useful as preparation for teaching courses of broad scope and as a background for more focused study.

In addition to the ten million volumes available in Columbia’s libraries (including Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary), students have access to the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Columbia students may also avail themselves of the resources of the New York Public Library, one of the finest in the country. Many other intellectual and cultural resources, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cloisters, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Asia Society, enhance the opportunities for creative research in New York City.

Fellowships

Fellowships are awarded for the PhD program in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success. Teaching and research experience are considered an important aspect of the training of doctoral students. Thus, fellowships for students in the PhD program include up to six semesters of teaching apprenticeship.

Programme Structure

Fields of Study:

Buddhism

Christianity

East Asian Religions

Islam

Judaism

North American Religions

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 84 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-08 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-12 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Manhattan, United States

Disciplines

Area & Cultural Studies Theology and Religious Studies View 97 other PhDs in Theology and Religious Studies in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Students must submit one transcript showing courses and grades per school attended, a statement of academic purpose, and three letters of evaluation from academic sources.

All international students whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English must submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year
Out-of-State

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year

Living costs

Manhattan

United States

2638 - 5751 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Religion.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Fellowships

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Manhattan

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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