Master of Religion and Public Life

Religions have functioned throughout human history to inspire and justify the full range of human agency, both for good and for ill. The widespread failure to understand the power of religion in human experience has significant consequences. It fuels bigotry and prejudice, leads to conflicts and crises, and hinders cooperative endeavors in local, national, and international arenas. There is an urgent need to promote a more sophisticated understanding of religion in public life to mitigate these consequences.

The Master of Religion and Public Life (MRPL) is a one-year graduate degree program designed for experienced professionals who wish to develop in-depth knowledge of the complex ways religion influences public life related to their career areas. The MRPL degree provides an opportunity for mid-career journalists, government officials, humanitarian aid workers, educators, artists, health care professionals, lawyers, and other practitioners to become leaders in their fields who can help foster a better public understanding of religion and address the religious dimensions of some of the most difficult issues of our time.

Specifically, the MRPL degree allows professionals to gain advanced knowledge about religion through coursework, a shared seminar with other professionals, and a final project that will contribute to deepening understanding of religion within their fields. Graduates will be equipped to serve as leaders regarding the public understanding of religion and how it impacts their profession. They will be able to create resources and conduct training workshops and seminars for their peers, either independently or in conjunction with Religion and Public Life at HDS. Students are eligible to take courses from HDS faculty and from other faculties across Harvard to help them develop a course of study that is relevant to their professional interests.

Degree Requirements 

MRPL candidates will plan a coherent program of advanced study with the Director for Religion and Public Life and their faculty advisor. Receipt of the degree is dependent upon the candidate’s fulfillment of the: 

  1. Course and Residency Requirements
  2. Plan of Study Requirement
  3. Final Project Requirement
  4. Oral Examination Requirement
  5. Public Presentation Requirement
  6. Financial Requirements 

Course and Residency Requirements 

MRPL students must satisfactorily complete one year of full-time study (a minimum of eight 4-credit semester courses) within one year from the initial date of registration for the degree, according to the following stipulations: 

  • Both semesters must be spent in full-time study (a minimum of four courses each term) in residence in Cambridge. There are no online or distance learning options for this degree.
  • No course with a grade below B- may be counted toward the degree. Students must earn a cumulative grade average of B or higher to meet graduation requirements.
  • At least five of the eight required courses for the degree must be completed from those offered at HDS.
  • One-half of the total number of courses attempted each semester must be chosen from those offered at HDS.
  • A minimum of four of the eight courses must be taken for a letter grade. 

Students are required to take the following two courses: Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion (fall) and the MRPL Seminar (two 2-credit courses with part A in the fall and part B in the spring).

Plan of Study Requirement 

Each MRPL candidate will determine with their academic advisor a plan of study that will provide adequate engagement with the study of religion relevant to the candidate’s project proposal and background. This plan of study will be submitted at the end of the second week of classes each semester to the Registrar’s office. (Note: There is no expectation that graduates will become “experts” in the study of religion, but they will have enough knowledge through coursework for them to recognize the complexity of religions in particular contexts and the tools to engage in further research as needed.) 

Final Project Requirement 

MRPL students must complete a final project that engages the topic of religion within their profession. The final project will be shaped in consultation with the faculty instructor of the Religion and Public Life Seminar, MRPL candidate peers in the seminar, and the student’s faculty advisor. The final project may take one of the following three forms:

  • A portfolio addressing a particular theme in the intersection of religion and their profession (the  portfolio option could, for example, take the form of a series of case studies, a series of articles, or a portfolio of artistic creations relevant to an articulated theme);
  • Two smaller papers (each normally 20-30 pages in length); or
  • One large paper (normally 40-60 pages in length). 

All options would require approval from the faculty advisor and Director for Religion and Public Life. Final projects could incorporate work done in courses counting toward fulfillment of the MRPL degree requirements but must also represent substantially new material.

Oral Examination Requirement 

Candidates for the MRPL must satisfactorily complete an oral examination administered by a committee comprised of two members of the Harvard faculty (at least one from HDS), with the option to include a member of their profession as a third outside reader. Oral examinations will take place in the spring when the course requirements are nearing completion. A candidate will submit their final project to the examiners prior to the exam. This project will provide a starting point for, or focus of, the questioning at the one-hour final oral examination.

Public Presentation Requirement

Candidates will be required to publicly present an overview of their final projects at a public symposium featuring their work that will be scheduled at the end of academic year following their oral examination.

Financial Requirements

MRPL students pay one year of full-time tuition.