Frequently Asked Questions

How does graduate advising work in the Study of Religion?

In our advising system, each doctoral student is admitted to study with a primary adviser, but all entering students, in collaboration with their advisers, also choose two other faculty members to support them in their work. One of those faculty members must be from outside of the student’s main areas of interest. Students are encouraged to meet regularly with all members of their advising team during the year, and they meet with their advising team as a group in the spring. Students continue to work with an advising team during their second year, but they are invited to make changes to its... Read more about How does graduate advising work in the Study of Religion?

I) What if I need to connect via phone?

All Zoom meetings are accessible via both computer and phone. 

 

Attending a Zoom meeting via phone: 

If you receive an invitation for a Zoom meeting, it should include a list of phone numbers as well as the meeting ID number that you will need in order to participate by phone (see image at the bottom of page for an example).

The host does not need to modify the meeting in any way in order for you to participant by phone.

You can simply

  1. Call...
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Is a Master's degree required for application?

While a master's degree is not a requirement, it is a distinct advantage in the application process, and in fact, most students admitted to the Ph.D. program have already earned master's degrees. The background gained from one or two years of study beyond the undergraduate level allows a student to enter a doctoral program prepared to do the advanced work required for a Ph.D. Students with an undergraduate record of high quality and extensive academic preparation relevant to their statement of purpose may be admitted with only a B.A.

Is a writing sample required for applicants?

For applicants to the Ph.D. program in the Study of Religion, a writing sample is required. The 20-page limit/5000-word limit refers to the main body of the paper and does not include bibliographies.

J) What is a "Meeting ID" and how do I find it?

All Zoom meetings have a unique "meeting ID" as well as a unique URL or weblink. Both the Meeting ID and the link are included in Zoom meeting invitations. 

You can join an existing Zoom meeting by clicking the included link OR by entering the Meeting ID. 

How to find a Meeting ID for a scheduled meeting:

  1. Open Zoom Desktop.
  2. Navigate to the top menu and select "meetings." A list of meetings you have...
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K) Does Zoom have security options?

Harvard has issued new guidelines for Zoom that prevent unwanted participants from entering meetings. When a meeting is created through Harvard Zoom, it will automatically generate a password (this can be changed). Furthermore, once everyone has entered your meeting, the host can "lock" the meeting to prevent anyone else from entering. From the toolbar at the bottom of Zoom, you can select "Security" and see the following options:

...

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What are the costs and benefits of spending a term or a year abroad?

The Study of Religion program encourages study abroad, but students should plan carefully in order to complete requirements in a timely manner. Religion does grant concentration credit for work done abroad, but students have to seek approval for such courses before they leave. Sophomore, junior and senior tutorials must be taken at Harvard. Other arrangements are possible—though we discourage study abroad for seniors. Contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information. See all the Junior Tutorial section for more information.