Master of Arts in
Interreligious Studies
From examining the terminology used by different religions to experiencing faith communities other than your own, our students are immersed in a collective – rather than comparative – application of theological education.
The MA in Interreligious Studies program is an interdisciplinary study of contemporary religious communities in a multifaith classroom. You will graduate with confidence in your knowledge of the foundational concepts of Abrahamic religions and the role of faith in local, social, and political contexts, as well as advanced-level research experience that enables you to articulate this understanding.
While you, like many HIU alumni, can pursue more traditional career paths in faith-based organizations and clergy roles, studying religion in a multi-faith classroom prepares you for interfaith careers that make the world a better place in many shapes and forms.
Program Structure
The MA in Interreligious Studies (MAIRS) is a 36-credit-hour academic graduate degree curriculum built around the engagement of students from different religious traditions who study the various topics and disciplines of religion, and develop skills in religious performance. Students complete core interreligious and interfaith coursework, choose a specialization, and complete a final capstone project or thesis.
Students choose one of four specializations:
- Interreligious Studies
- Islamic Studies
- Ecology and Religion
- Ministerial Studies
Language Proficiency in reading scriptural texts, such as Hebrew, New Testament Greek, or Qur’anic Arabic is highly recommended for students in the Ministerial Studies specialization or the Islamic Studies specialization.
The Value of Experience
Capstone projects, speakers, and opportunities to go into different faith communities give our students a firm grasp of the lived reality of religion.
Students have used their capstone projects to create interfaith clergy networks and research projects to examine questions of religion in contemporary society like “When Did Black Lives Begin to Matter? Race Dynamics and American Muslims” and “Spiritual Connections Between Christians and Muslims in a Hospital Chaplaincy Context.”
Where Your Journey May Lead
MA in Interreligious Studies Career Paths
Start a Non-Profit or NGO
Advocacy & Social Services
International Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs
Teaching in Public & Private Schools
Become a Business Owner
Pathway into Chaplaincy
Who Thrives Here?
Despite coming from different faith, cultural, and professional backgrounds, your interreligious studies peers share your curiosity, willingness to embrace complexity, and love for all of humanity. Our students are characterized by an openness, inspired by a devotion to making a difference, and see faiths of all kinds as a means to connect with and care for others.
Meet Our Program Director
Dr. Lucinda Mosher has a long history of interreligious scholarship and engagement. Among her many books and publications, she edited The Georgetown Companion to Interreligious Studies (2022). She is also the senior editor of the Journal of Interreligious Studies, which is published collaboratively by Hebrew College, Boston University School of Theology, and Hartford International University. Dr. Mosher is the rapporteur of the Building Bridges Seminar — an international dialogue of Christian and Muslim scholars under the stewardship of Georgetown University. She is secretary of the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, a member of the board of directors of the Interfaith Center of Northeast Florida, a member of the leadership committee of the Association of Interreligious/Interfaith Studies, and the chair of the Religion and the Arts Book Award jury of the American Academy of Religion. At HIU, Dr. Mosher is also Senior Scholar for Continuing and Professional Education and an affiliate of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations.
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