Starting in Fall 2017, our Master of Arts in Religious Studies program will be offered fully online in addition to the program available on our Hartford campus.

“People from all over the world would love to be part of Hartford Seminary’s unique interfaith environment, and now, through our new online MA program, they can be,” said Professor Brian Clark, who directs the online learning program.

The Master of Arts in Religious Studies is a rigorous academic degree program. It provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to deepen and broaden their faith understandings, to reflect on the challenge of diversity in a dialogical setting, and to meaningfully relate religious theory and spiritual practice to the context in which faith communities exist in daily life, community, and the world at large.

For years, MA in Religious Studies students have been able to take online courses, but starting this fall, the degree can be earned completely online, on-campus, or as a combination of the two.

Focused areas of study for the degree include:

• Islamic Studies/Christian-Muslim Relations
• Biblical Studies
• Spirituality
• Theology and Ethics
• Religious Studies

“One of the things that still amazes me when I teach online is how quickly and deeply a class can form a cooperative community of learning,” Professor Clark said. “People sometimes assume that an online class cannot be as interactive as a face-to-face course. Students are often surprised at how well they get to know each other and the professor.”

The Seminary also offers an online Graduate Certificate in Religious Studies. Students can take all 18 credit hours (six courses) online, and credits from this certificate are often eligible for transfer into our Masters’ degrees.

For more information about how to apply for this or any of our programs, please visit our admissions section.