Master of Theological Studies

The Master of Theological Studies (MTS) program enables students to explore deeply and broadly the languages, literatures, thought, institutions, practices, normative claims, and structures of a variety of religious traditions. It also enables them to think critically, with sophistication and self-awareness, about the scholarly study of these traditions. The program is flexible and can be adapted to satisfy students’ diverse educational interests and vocational goals. It may be considered as preparatory to entering a doctoral program in religion or a related discipline, or as a means to approach another field or profession from a perspective enriched by theological study.

There are six degree goals for the MTS. Through their studies, all MTS students are expected to:

Articulate a focused area of interest and understand key materials, issues, and scholarship within that area.
Understand some of the major theories and methods in the scholarly study of religion.
Reflect critically on the social contexts of religion, historical and/or contemporary.
Articulate their own viewpoints, understand viewpoints with which they disagree, and engage in dialogue.
Conduct research using the methods appropriate to at least one subfield within the academic study of religion, or apply the fruits of research to a particular problem.
Demonstrate proficiency in at least one language other than English that is relevant to their individual areas of focus, except in the case of a documented language disability in which case a substitute requirement will be determined.

MTS students must select one Area of Focus or develop an individualized Area with the assistance of their advisor and the approval of the Chair of the MTS Committee.

Degree Requirements

Conferral of the MTS degree is dependent upon the successful completion of the following requirements:

Course Requirements

MTS students must satisfactorily complete the equivalent of two years of full-time study (64 credits or 16 semester-long courses or their equivalent) within two and one-half years from the initial date of registration for the degree (including leaves of absence), according to the following stipulations:

A residence of at least one year (two consecutive terms) spent in the equivalent of full-time status at the full tuition rate (a minimum of 3 courses and 12 credits per term) is required. This requirement must be fulfilled within the first three terms of a student’s program. An exception to this requirement is allowed only when a student is initially admitted to the degree program in part-time status, or, after matriculation when, based on extraordinary circumstances, the MTS Committee or its delegate either allows a student to defer this requirement to later in their program or places a student on part-time status and overtly sets aside the residency requirement.
Thirteen of the required 16 courses for the degree must be taken for a letter grade. No courses with grades below B- in the area of focus can be counted toward the degree. No courses with grades below C- outside the area of focus can be counted toward the degree.
An overall grade average of B must be maintained. Using the scale detailed in the section entitled “Grading System,” the Registrar’s Office will calculate the student’s average at the end of each semester and when grades for Incompletes or ABS courses are received. Each incomplete grade (temporary or permanent) must be offset by two A’s (irrespective of the minus). Failure to maintain a B average will trigger an automatic review of academic progress.
One-half of the total number of courses attempted each semester must be chosen from those offered by the Divinity School. FAS courses primarily aimed at undergraduates that are not cross-listed in the HDS catalog (i.e., those numbered 99 and below) ordinarily may not be counted toward Area of Focus requirements.

The normal course load is 16 credits per term (at least four courses), 8 credits (at least two courses) for students in part-time status.

For full-time students, the maximum course load is 20 credits per term (typically 5 courses). Students who need to register for a fifth or greater term to complete degree requirements may register for as few courses as needed in these terms.

Students who, due to extraordinary circumstances, would like to petition to be part-time students should see the section titled “Part-Time Study” for details. For students granted part-time status, the residency requirement is automatically waived and the maximum period for completion of the MTS degree is four years.

MTS students are welcome to enroll for credit in the required MDiv course, HDS 4510 Introduction to Ministry Studies, and other courses focused on the arts of ministry, if space is available. An MTS student may also enroll in one unit of field education for credit, by arrangement with the Office on Ministry Studies. These courses can only be used as electives, unless explicitly listed as counting for an MTS Area of Focus in the course description.

The Summer Language Program (SLP) may be taken once during the program, either during the summer immediately prior to matriculation or the summer between the first and second years, or their equivalent for part-time students. Students who wish to enroll in the SLP a second time may do so at a reduced tuition rate. Students may also take an SLP course after their final semester of full-time registration at a reduced tuition rate, although the course will not appear on their transcript and is not counted towards the degree program. Financial aid is not available for any student enrolling in the SLP for a second time after their final semester of full-time registration.

Course Distribution Requirements

All MTS students are required to complete HDS 4515 Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion. MTS students must take this course for a letter grade in the first semester of enrollment.

Area of Focus Requirement

MTS students must successfully complete no fewer than six courses within their chosen area of focus. All of these must be taken for a letter grade and completed with a grade of B- or better. At least three courses in the student’s chosen area of focus must be in the Divinity School.

MTS students in their first semester, and in consultation with their advisors, declare an area of focus. Typically, a student selects an area from the 19 listed below that are fully supported by the resources of the School.

Areas of Focus:

African and African American Religious Studies
Buddhist Studies
Christianity
Comparative Studies
East Asian Religions
Gender, Sexuality, and Religion
Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Hindu Studies
Islamic Studies
Jewish Studies
New Testament and Early Christianity
Religion and Ecology
Religion and the Social Sciences
Religion, Ethics, and Politics
Religions in Europe
Religion, Literature, and Culture
Religions of the Americas
Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean
Religious Thought, Philosophy, Theology
South and Southeast Asian Religions

Occasionally, if a student’s interests are not accommodated by the established areas, the student, in conjunction with their academic advisor, may request the pursuit of an individually designed area of focus. Such a request is made to the MTS Curriculum Committee and must show why an established area of focus is inadequate and how the proposed area is sufficiently supported by the resources of the University, within the other degree requirements. This petition begins in the Registrar’s Office.

Distribution (Outside Area) Requirement

MTS students must successfully complete three courses outside their chosen area of focus, at least two of which must be HDS courses. Outside area courses must be assigned to an area of focus other than the student’s chosen area of focus, and not assigned to the student’s chosen area. To count for this requirement, a non-HDS course must be petitioned for and approved, and must meet the criteria for an HDS area of focus and not overlap with the student’s chosen area.

Plan of Study

At the beginning of each semester, an MTS student, in consultation with their advisor, creates a plan of study indicating the 16 courses that will make up their program. On this study plan, the student indicates which courses will satisfy the distribution categories. Most HDS courses are assigned to one or more areas of focus, and these designations are indicated as such in the course listings. Students who wish to use a course offered outside the Divinity School to satisfy an area of focus requirement should discuss it with their advisors and indicate their preference on their study plans. Such requests are reviewed by the MTS Curriculum Committee, which may ask for additional information, such as a written rationale or a course syllabus, before making a determination.

Language Requirement

MTS students, in consultation with their advisor, must demonstrate intermediate-level reading competency in a language that is relevant, ordinarily, to the student’s area of focus. HDS offers instruction and examination in a number of theological and religious studies languages: New Testament Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Latin, French, German, Spanish, Pali, and Arabic. MTS students, however, are not limited to these. If another language of theological and religious studies scholarship is more appropriate to their studies, they are encouraged to seek instruction in this language through Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences courses. For example, students choosing Buddhist Studies as an area of focus may choose, in addition to Pali, which is offered at HDS, Chinese, Japanese, Sanskrit, or Tibetan to fulfill their language requirement.

Options for demonstrating competency in a language are described in full in the section titled “Language Study.” Students are asked to familiarize themselves with these options and to create a strategy for meeting the language requirement early in their program.

Financial Requirements

MTS students must pay two years of full-time tuition. Students who must enroll for a fifth term in order to complete requirements must pay for that term on a per-course basis at the current per-credit rate. Students who have been approved to be part-time will pay on a per-course basis and must pay for a minimum of 16 courses.

Time to Degree

Completion of all degree requirements ordinarily must be within two and one-half years of matriculation into the MTS program, inclusive of leaves of absence. Transferees from the MDiv program ordinarily must complete the degree within two and one-half years of matriculation into the MDiv program. Visiting Students (formerly named Special Students) who are admitted to the MTS program ordinarily must complete the degree within two and one-half years from matriculation at HDS, inclusive of leaves of absence while an MTS candidate but exclusive of any time not a Special Student or MTS candidate at HDS.

Students who have completed all requirements for the degree and have met the four-term tuition requirement or the prorated equivalent are not permitted to register for an additional semester, should one remain in their time to degree.

Advanced Standing

Advanced standing for work completed at another institution before matriculation at HDS is not applicable to the MTS degree. However, students who have completed coursework at HDS as a Special Student, Resident Fellow, Minister in the Vicinity, or Harvard employee under the Tuition Assistance Program may apply for advanced standing for up to 32 credits (typically eight courses). To apply for advanced standing for courses completed at HDS as a non-degree student, the courses must have been completed no more than three years prior to admission to the MTS degree program. The rules governing advanced standing are explained in full in the section Prior Coursework and Advanced Standing.

Advanced standing for up to 16 credits (typically four courses) may be available to MTS candidates based on concurrent degree candidacy with another school at Harvard or the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. MTS students may also participate in the programs described in the section “Complementary Programs to the MDiv and MTS.” In the case of concurrent degree status and participation in programs in other geographical locations, approval must be obtained in advance from the MTS Curriculum Committee.