4+1 Master's Degree PROGRAMs

Check out the information regarding our 4+1 programs as published on the College of Arts and Sciences website!

office hours

We are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through via remote office hours and resources.

Please contact Tonja Koss, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

If you have an immediate need outside of those hours, you may contact Dr. Steve Covell.

Virtual appointments can be coordinated. Email the individual you need to meet with to set up that appointment. If you are unsure who you need to meet with, contact Tonja Koss for assistance.

research project on the pandemic and religion

Our research project on the pandemic and religion made the local news! The project is just about to move from data gathering to analysis and the creation of pedagogy modules. Stay tuned for more! If you are a teacher and are interested in our pedagogy modules (how to to teach about various aspects of religion and the pandemic), please contact Dr. Steve Covell to let him know. We'd love your feedback.

Great read regarding Dr. Brian Wilson

Read this great article in WMU News regarding Dr. Wilson and his award winning book, "John. E. Fetzer and the Quest for the New Age."

4 + 1 Program with Kalamazoo College and Grand Valley state university

The Department of Comparative Religion is pleased to announce the creation of another 4+1 graduate program! We now partner with the Department of Religion at Grand Valley State University as well as the Department of Religion at Kalamazoo College. Under these programs, students majoring in religion at these schools will be able to transfer up to 12 credit hours of work towards their master's degree in comparative religion at Western Michigan University.

For questions, please contact the graduate advisor Dr. Cynthia Visscher.

Study religion at WMU

Do you want to know more about religion, the role and significance of religion in societies and the ways in which academics think about and analyze religion? Areas of study in Western Michigan University's Department of Comparative Religion provide knowledge and skills relevant to many careers and professions.

There are few things more important to study today than religion

Don't take our word for it, just listen to the US Secretary of State John Kerry: "I often say that if I headed back to college today, I would major in comparative religions rather than political science." This is a great read.

Scholarships available

Take advantage of these great opportunities for funding.