The interdisciplinary graduate program "Early Christian Studies," administered by the Center for the Study of Early Christianity, offers M.A. and Ph.D. courses (the latter degree concluding with a dissertation).

Courses are taught by faculty members in various schools and departments of the University.

Goals and Principles

1. We insist on the need to study the development of early Christianity in its social, political, and cultural context. We reach beyond theological ideas and religious practice (although those are central to our study), and give due attention also to Jewish and other non-Christian influences.

2. We emphasize the importance of language skills - in Greek (compulsory); and in Latin, Syriac, and Coptic. (It is also possible to study at CUA several other languages of the Christian Orient.) Students are expected to read easily in German and in at least one other European language other than English (normally French or Italian).

3. The program is interdisciplinary. The prescribed courses are taught in the Departments of Greek and Latin, and of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures (those being within the School of Arts and Sciences), and in the Schools of Theology and Religious Studies, and of Philosophy. Our aim is to develop within each student the skills proper to a range of disciplines and methodologies.

Funding

Funding awarded to M.A./Ph.D. students consists of a full-tuition scholarship offered by the School of Arts and Sciences and a stipend offered by the Center for the Study of Early Christianity. Financial packages generally require students to serve as Teaching Assistants or Teaching Fellows for a maximum of one course per semester.

Applications

Although the formal University deadline for applications is February 1 (since most of those who succeed in gaining admission will have applied for the M.A./Ph.D. or Ph.D. program and will be expected to begin their courses in the following fall semester), we in the Center begin to consider completed applications in January, and we strongly advise you (especially if you are seeking funding) to submit your application by the end of December. However, letters of acceptance are never sent out (and therefore final decisions never made) before February 1.

Note that we do not normally award a terminal M.A. in Early Christian Studies. Applicants apply either to the M.A./Ph.D. program, or for those with an M.A. in the field of Early Christian Studies, to the Ph.D. program. Also note that no transferred credits are available to students for courses taught in M.A. or other programs at CUA. Transferred credit for the M.A./Ph.D. program (up to a maximum of 24 credits), subject to the Director's approval, can apply only to courses taken at another accredited institution.

All applicants must complete a formal online application through the Graduate Admissions Office: see the Graduate Admission website.

The Program in Early Christian Studies requires applicants to submit GRE scores. It also requires a writing sample of 20-25 pages in length. This will best take the form of a highly graded essay assignment that you completed during a recent course, or a conference paper or article. Particular importance is attached to formation of argument, literary style, breadth of reference, use of ancient and modern languages, and adherence to academic conventions of annotation and format.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Director, William Klingshirn (klingshirn@cua.edu).