Director of Graduate Studies
Linn Tonstad
linn.tonstad@yale.edu
The Department of Religious Studies at Yale University has trained several generations of intellectual leaders working inside and outside the academy. The Graduate Program in the Department of Religious Studies is organized into ten Fields of Study. Each Field of Study has its own requirements for admission and its own curriculum. Applicants must specify when they submit their online application the field to which they are applying. Students who believe their areas of research interest fall between two existing Fields of Study should e-mail the relevant faculty in advance of their application to consult about how to submit their application. All specific information about Field of Study and its admission requirements and curriculum can be obtained by clicking on the appropriate Field of Study.
The only common requirement among all of the fields of study is RLST 510, Method and Theory. This course may be taken at any time during a student’s time at Yale, however faculty highly recommend that students take it in their first year of course work. The purpose of the course is to encourage rigorous conversation about religion among students with a diverse set of disciplinary and documentary interests.
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has prepared a guide to the advising process that we recommend admitted students review. The Graduate Program in the Department of Religious Studies involves faculty from across Yale University, with special ties to the faculty in Yale Divinity School (YDS). However, the Graduate Program application is distinct from application to YDS. Students interested in YDS should refer to this page.