Interreligious Studies Certificate

Certificate in Interreligious Studies

An 11-Month Online Program for Professional Development

The GTU Online Certificate in Interreligious Studies is a fully online and stand-alone post-baccalaureate certificate for individuals who want to explore various religious traditions and their interreligious dimensions. In today’s increasingly pluralistic world there is a growing desire to expand beyond the study of any single tradition to instead learn about the connections between two or more traditions as well as their relation to art, the natural sciences, and the most pressing issues of our time. This program provides a collaborative online space for individuals to learn about different religious traditions and how these traditions intersect.  

Building on the GTU’s long-established leadership in interreligious scholarship, this program can help meet the needs of individuals who desire to pursue the study of religion for a variety of reasons:

  • You are curious about different religions and want to learn more.
  • You are a working professional who wants to learn how to better navigate a diverse workplace environment.
  • You want to learn how to better engage in a changing world with diverse contexts and communities. 
  • You are interested in learning new approaches to cultivating inclusive practices.
  • You are considering pursuing a MA, MTS, or MDiv, and you would like to try out graduate courses in religious studies.
  • You work with church congregations with a strong interest in interfaith dialogue.
  • You are a lifelong learner who wants to pursue knowledge in religious studies.

The 10-month program is comprised of five 7-week long graduate-level introductory courses for 1.5 credits each (7.5 credits total), all administered asynchronously and fully online with some optional synchronous elements. Each course is taken one-by-one and the full program is completed in 11 months. Specific courses will include emphases on Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity, as well as options for pursuing interreligious dimensions in the arts and the natural sciences. The courses for the Online Interreligious Studies Certificate Program are also available to master’s degree- seeking students (MA, MDiv, and MTS) at the GTU.  Therefore, students enrolled in this program will be in robust collaboration and conversation with other graduate students within the GTU consortium.   

The GTU Online Certificate in Interreligious Studies Program Learning Outcomes: 

  1. Accurately describe the principles, beliefs, values, or practices of several different religious traditions.
  2. Critically interpret significant features of multiple religious traditions with appropriate appreciation.
  3. Bring religious traditions into dialogue through comparison of similarities and differences, critical analysis, or evaluation.
  4. Correlate insights from multiple religious traditions with insights from the arts or natural sciences

 

Application Requirements for Interreligious Studies Certificate

  • Must hold an accredited bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
  • All applicants must submit official transcripts from all institutions in which a degree was earned to the Admissions office.
  • International students who have not earned a degree from an English-speaking institution are required to submit official TOEFL scores with an expected minimum score of 79 (internet based). 

For non-California residents, participation in this online program for a Certificate in Interreligious Studies may be subject to another state’s limitations. Visit our State Authorization page for more information. 

Projected Course Schedule for Interreligious Studies Certificate (2023-2024)

Fall Semester 2023              
Weeks 1-7: Judaism and its Interreligious Dimensions 
Weeks 9-15: Islam and its Interreligious Dimensions 

Spring Semester 2024
Weeks 1-7: Christianity and its Interreligious Dimensions 
Weeks 9-15: Hinduism and its Interreligious Dimensions 

Summer 2024
Art and its Interreligious Dimensions 
OR
Science and its Interreligious Dimensions 
 

Please see the most up to date Certificate (per credit) tuition rates HERE

We are offering a special discount for a limited time on the program cost for the 2023-2024 academic year. Get in touch to receive a discount on your first course. 

To access the Certificate Handbook, click HERE 

Contact

For more information on the Online Interreligious Studies Program, contact Dr. Diandra Erickson, program director, at derickson@gtu.edu.

For information about applying to the GTU, contact admissions@gtu.edu.

Final deadline for Fall certificate students is extended to July 15th

View a brief interactive presentation about online learning at the GTU