Divinity School

Graduate School
1

<p>First of all, I am a sophomore at Western Kentucky University. I have a 3.8 or so. Ultimately, I would like to get my phd (or probably thd) and teach. My biggest concern is how I would get there.</p>

<p>I am either double majoring in RELS/PHIL or triple majoring in RELS/PHIL/HIST. First question, does a triple major help my chances or hurt them? Does it come off as impressive to grad schools or just make my college look strange/easy?</p>

<p>Another option I have is to take some grad level courses in RELS as a undergrad and potentially finish the 1st year of a MA in RELS at WKU before I graduate. That would allow me to get my MA at WKU in 1 year and then apply for a top tier grad school in RELS for my phd or thd. I realize that a MA from WKU isn't exactly impressive. Would I have a shot at a school like duke, harvard, or yale (not sure where I want to go yet, more on that later) with a MA from WKU if I did fairly well? </p>

<p>Another option I have talked about was getting the MA to lead into a MDIV/MTS at those schools and then eventually get my thd there. Is it uncommon to get a MA then a MDIV/MTS? Is it even helpful? </p>

<p>I have done a fair share of reading on divinity schools and learned that each has their own flavor (for example Yale is known for it's narrative theology) and I have read that it is important to align yourself with a school that teaches a flavor you want to learn. However I am finding it hard to know which school teaches what. Is there a good place to find this information? Like what does Duke specialize in? Harvard?</p>

<p>Thanks for the help. I've just been really lost in the whole divinity school mess. If something was unclear just let me know.</p>

2

<p>Do you still need answers? I would actually suggest looking at um, Grad Cafe, another site, because we get more into detail there about the differences in the divinity schools. </p>

<p>As far as getting in to Harvard Divinity, you don’t need an MA to be a strong candidate. What you need is to be a good <em>fit</em> for HDS. It’s not just what the schools teach, it’s how they teach, the culture they have, their general academic vibe. For example, HDS is probably the most eclectic of the “Divinity Ivys.” There are students in many different faith traditions, and it’s a strong place if you want to do interfaith or multireligious work, or if you want to go into non-traditional non-profits of various kinds. It’s also a great place to be a div school atheist. And while Mark Jordan is no longer there, I would say it has the most “alternative” student body, with transfolk, queer students of various kinds, etc.</p>