Welcome to the Department for the Study of Religion
The Department for the Study of Religion is home to one of the largest and most diverse undergraduate and graduate religion programs in the world. Our interdisciplinary faculty create an intellectually stimulating environment in which to explore how religions have grown and developed, how they have been understood, and how we can think about them in our pluralistic society. The department is highly regarded internationally for a range of strengths, especially:
- Anthropology of Religion
- Buddhist Studies
- Global Christianities
- Islamic Studies
- Jewish Studies
- Philosophy of Religion
- Religion, Culture, and Politics
- Religions of the Americas and Turtle Island
- Religions of Mediterranean Antiquity
- South Asian Religions
We also offer unique language courses in Hebrew, Sanskrit, Pāli, and Tibetan.
Our graduate programs are interdisciplinary, drawing on the extensive faculty strengths of the University of Toronto as a whole. Entry is competitive, and doctoral funding is guaranteed for the first five years.
Religion at the University of Toronto is taught in three distinct contexts: at UTSG (the downtown campus), with undergraduate and graduate programs in the Study of Religion; at UTM, in the Department of Historical Studies, with undergraduate programs in History of Religions; and in the Department of Humanities at UTSC, with a religion undergraduate minor program. For nearly 50 years, the Department for the Study of Religion (DSR) has fostered scholarly excellence and innovation among faculty, graduate and undergraduate students in the humanities and social sciences at U of T’s three campuses.
Our location in Toronto, one of the most religiously diverse cities in the world, is an important resource and responsibility. The department facilitates intellectually informed and publicly-minded conversations on religion in the public sphere through research, university networks, public events, and student engagement.
Questions about the department? Check out our staff listing and contact details.