Graduate Program Overview

**Now Accepting Applications For Fall 2023**

Aloha! We are delighted that you are interested in our M.A. program in the Religions of Asia and the Pacific! We believe that we offer one of the best opportunities in the United States (and the world) for in-depth graduate study in the religions of South Asia, China, Japan, Hawai’i, and the Pacific.

As an M.A. student, you will work closely with experts in the field as you gain skills in the study of religion, specific religious traditions, as well as language proficiency in your chosen field. Completion of a traditional thesis (Plan A) or creative project (Plan B) represents the culmination of your academic experience. In both cases, you will engage in original research under the close supervision of a faculty member.

Our graduates emerge well-prepared for future academic study at the Ph.D. level, or for careers in a range of fields including pastoral work, social work, politics, and cultural/creative fields. 

Our recent MA  graduates have gone on to doctoral programs at the University of Denver, the University of Toronto, Ohio State University, Graduate Theological Union, Emory University, the University of Texas Austin, Sophia University in Tokyo, and within related fields here at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.  Alumni from earlier years now teach at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Arizona, Bowdoin College, Allegheny College, Pacific Lutheran University, and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa  Many of our alumni  likewise teach at community colleges here in Hawaiʻi or in the continental United States. Outside the academic world, our alumni work for nonprofits such as CAIR and ʻĀina Momona, pursue careers in counseling, hospital chaplaincy, public health, law and medicine. 

We welcome prospective students to learn more about the details of our Master’s program by exploring the links above. We appreciate your interest in pursuing your graduate education with us, and we encourage you to contact our Graduate Chair with any questions.