HDS - Program in Religious Studies and Education

Program in Religious Studies and Education

Requirements

Within the context of their theological study, students in the program will have the opportunity to learn about 1) the constitutional and public policy dimensions of religion and education in the United States in both their historic and contemporary representations; 2) critical educational theory with an emphasis on multicultural (including religious) literacy; 3) a variety of methodologies that inform pedagogical practice; 4) adolescent psychology; and 5) the integration of theory and practice through an immersion experience as an intern in the schools in partnership with a master teacher. Following their internship, students will formulate and pursue a final project on religion and education that is intended to serve as a synthesis of their work at HDS.

The following courses form the intellectual and experiential core of the PRSE and are required for all students enrolled in the program.

Adolescent Psychology

Students in the program are required to take one of the following two courses to fulfill their adolescent psychology requirement: either HDS 2931 or H-236 at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Required Courses

All students must enroll in the following courses in sequence:

Religion, Democracy, and Education (HDS 2916), fall term
Colloquium in Religion and Secondary Education (HDS 2915), spring term
Supervised Teaching Practicum (HDS 4650), fall term
Religious Studies and Education Methods (HDS 2923), fall term

See all PRSE Courses offered at Harvard Divinity School; students may also take courses at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Final Paper on Religion and Education

In addition to the courses listed above, students enrolled in the program are required to complete a major paper (35-50 pages) that focuses on some aspect of the intersection of the study of religion and education. MTS candidates fulfill this requirement by enrolling in the PRSE Research Seminar (HDS 4655) in the spring term following their fall internship in the schools. MDiv candidates fulfill this requirement by either enrolling in the PRSE Research Seminar (HDS 4655) or by choosing to write their MDiv Senior Paper (HDS 4590) on a topic related to religion and education.

State Licensure

Candidates for secondary school certification will also take two licensure exams administered through the Massachusetts Department of Education. One is in general literacy and one is in their chosen subject area: Biology, Chemistry, English, Foreign Language (Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Spanish), History, Latin and the Classical Humanities, and/or Political Science/Political Philosophy.

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