Admissions

• A Master of Arts in religious studies or related field with a minimum A- standing.
• Applications are reviewed by the Graduate Program Committee, which considers all prior university grades, a statement of research interests and letters of reference.
• Contact a prospective advisor prior to submitting your application.
• Review any additional requirements/considerations applicable as an international applicant.

The first round of applications is considered in early January. Thereafter, applications will continue to be considered until the program is full. If applying after the first phase of applications is considered in early January, consult the PhD Director directly to enquire about further openings in the program. Due to a strong interest in our program, we strongly encourage prospective students to submit their application prior to the deadline.

After you have submitted your OUAC application, paid the non-refundable application fee, and Laurier has received your application, you'll receive an email from gradadmissions@wlu.ca advising you to upload the additional required documentation to Laurier’s Online Registration and Information System (LORIS).

Please note that the application process, including supplemental documentation and references, typically takes two weeks. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early.

An application for admission to our PhD program in Religion, Culture, and Society must include:

• The Application Summary, which is generated after you complete your OUAC application (log back in to OUAC to retrieve it).
• Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. Documents must be dated within the past six months.
• A completed statement of intent.
• A resume of your academic and work experience. Include a history of your publication and scholarly paper activity and any other information you feel will interest the admissions committee.
• A sample of your scholarly writing (10-20 pages in length). This may be a chapter of your master's thesis or a paper written for a graduate course.
• Completed reference forms. Three academic references are required. Note: Reference forms are electronically submitted to Laurier by the referee and do not need to be uploaded.
• A completed Authorization of Information Release (AIR) form is required if you have engaged the services of an education agent/agency. Upload it to your application checklist when you identify your agent in the OUAC application. Visit Step 2 for more information about the AIR.

Visit our Graduate Admissions Toolkit for more information about applying.

The Department of Religion and Culture welcomes international students to the PhD Program. International students who have confirmed funding from a third-party, such as their employer or a scholarship program in their home country, will be considered for admission.

Learn more about admission requirements for international applicants.

Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential to graduate studies at Laurier. Applicants whose language of instruction during their previous postsecondary education was not in English must submit evidence of proficiency in English. If applicable, results from accepted testing services must be uploaded to LORIS.