Graduate Program

Graduate Program in Religious Studies

Fellowships available to students in the GPRS

Schubert M. Ogden Fellowship for Academic Excellence in Theology

The Schubert M. Ogden Fellowship for Academic Excellence in Theology is a dissertation fellowship. It is awarded each year to the student who, in the judgment of the Steering Committee of the Graduate Program in Religious Studies, best exemplifies academic excellence and shows the greatest promise of significant contribution to the field in general and to his or her sub-field in particular. Students who have completed their field examinations and whose dissertation proposals have been approved are eligible for the award. The award is based on the quality of the student's overall record in the Graduate Program in Religious Studies and on the promise shown by the student's dissertation proposal. In the event that no students meet the requirements of eligibility or satisfy the criteria of selection in a given year, no fellowship will be awarded.

If available funds permit, Ogden Fellowships may be awarded to more than one student. The Ogden Fellowship may be awarded to the same student for a second year if, in the judgment of the Steering Committee, that student continues to be the one who shows the greatest promise of significant contribution to the field and to his or her sub-field. But no student shall hold the fellowship for more than two years. 

Fellowship in Latino/a Christianity and Religions

The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at Southern Methodist University, in cooperation with the Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions at Perkins School of Theology, is pleased to announce the availability of a doctoral fellowship in Latino/a Christianity and Religions for a PhD student entering the program in the fall of 2012.

The fellowship, supported in part by a grant to the Center from the Henry Luce Foundation, will carry an annual stipend of $16,000.00 in addition to a waiver for the full amount of tuition and fees.  It is renewable annually for two additional years beyond the 2012-13 academic year, assuming satisfactory progress toward the degree.   A regular dissertation fellowship, including appropriate stipend support, would normally be available for a fourth year of study.

The fellowship is for a student who aims to give particular attention to some aspect(s) of the Latino/a religious experience during his or her doctoral studies and in his or her subsequent teaching and research.  It is not limited to a particular field of specialization; applicants whose interests are in any of the six fields represented in the Graduate Program—Old Testament / Hebrew Bible, New Testament, the Christian Tradition, Systematic Theology, Religious Ethics, and Religion and Culture—are eligible. 

There is no separate application procedure for the fellowship, apart from the application for admission to the Graduate Program in Religious Studies.  Those interested in being considered for the fellowship should simply indicate this interest clearly in the “statement of purpose” that is to accompany the application for admission. 

 

Students in the GPRS may be eligible for one of these fellowships offered by Perkins School of Theology.

The John Hicks Fellowship

The John Hicks Fellowship was established in memory of Professor John Hicks, former teacher of the Old Testament at Perkins School of Theology. The fellowship is offered to support research in the broad area of biblical studies and is especially concerned to provide travel to the Bible lands to aid that research. The fellowship is open to any qualified student enrolled in a degree program in Perkins (M.Div., C.M.M., M.T.S., M.S.M., D.Min.) or the Graduate Program in Religious Studies (M.A., Ph.D.). The deadline for applications is December 15 or six months prior to the beginning of the project, whichever comes first. The maximum award is ordinarily $2,500. Inquiries should be addressed to any member of the biblical faculty or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

The John M. Moore Fellowships

These fellowships, established by the late Bishop John M. Moore, provide aid for postgraduate work in theology to United Methodist graduates of the theological schools of The United Methodist Church, with preference given to graduates of Perkins. A fellowship is for one year with a stipend ranging from $2,000 to $8,500. The committee and the directorate base their judgments on academic accomplishments, promise of teaching and research ability, and Christian character. Those seniors and recent graduates who wish to be considered must submit their applications by March 1 to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Perkins School of Theology. Information concerning the proper way to make application should be sought in ample time to fulfill all the requirements.