At University of Calgary in Calgary, Canada, MA/MS in Religious Studies is offered as a master's degree in Religious Studies programme. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,859 per semester (CAD 1,225 per semester for local students).
Also offered as: Doctorate
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Religious Studies
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: On Campus
Local tuition: CAD 1,225 / semester
International tuition: CAD 2,859 / semester
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This is a Master of Arts in Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, a thesis-based program delivered on campus. Students complete a minimum of five courses spanning Western religions, Eastern religions, and the nature of religion and critical discourse in religious studies, drawing on anthropological, sociological, historical, philological and philosophical methods. The program offers three areas of specialization: Western Religions, Eastern Religions, and Nature of Religion. Coursework leads to an original research thesis, which students prepare and defend in an open oral examination. As a thesis-based master's degree, it is built around independent research training under faculty supervision rather than coursework alone, and serves as the standard prerequisite for the department's PhD. It suits students with an undergraduate background in religious studies or a related humanities discipline who want to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of religious traditions, whether continuing to doctoral study or moving into careers such as teaching, chaplaincy, journalism, social work or human relations.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.30 / 4.0
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a minimum of 36 units (6.0 full-course equivalents) in Religious Studies, normally including at least one full-course equivalent from each of the Eastern, Western and Nature streams, plus a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale over the past two years of full-time study. Applicants must also show reading knowledge of a modern language other than English, or of a classical language appropriate to the thesis research. The programme page defers English-language proficiency to the Faculty of Graduate Studies' general requirement, published in the UCalgary Graduate Calendar: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 86 with no section below 20, or Duolingo English Test 125 with no sub-score below 105. Applicants must submit a sample of written work and two reference letters; a supervisor is required but not before the programme starts.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:For Fall 2027 entry, the University of Calgary opens undergraduate applications for domestic applicants on 1 October 2026 and for international applicants on 15 August 2026, both closing on the same firm application deadline of 1 March 2027, with supporting documents due by 15 March 2027 and offers accepted by 1 May 2027. International applicants follow the identical March 1 deadline; the university publishes no separate, later international closing date. Applications are not accepted on a rolling basis after the deadline for most direct-entry programmes, though a small number of programmes (e.g. Nursing) run further selection rounds into the summer while space remains. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
