Master’s Plan B
**Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2022**
Plan B
The Plan B degree program provides students with a non-thesis opportunity for graduate research and study in Asian or Pacific religions. Plan B is designed for students who wish to articulate the results of their research in innovative ways using various available technologies. In place of a thesis, the culminating requirement is an original research project (see below).
Master’s Plan B Procedures
- Preliminary conference with the graduate chair for the purpose of determining an advisor, proposed courses to fulfill the requirements, and the foreign language for the degree.
- Plan B students must complete three units of REL 688 (Plan B research).
- Candidacy for Plan B students requires a memo from the graduate chair indicating that 12 graduate credits have been taken with a GPA of 3.0 or better and that the student has prepared a preliminary proposal and secured the support of two graduate faculty members from the department to serve on their committee. Committee members will approve, supervise, and evaluate the project as completed in REL 688 (Plan B Research).
- Completion of a research project demonstrating a critical understanding of religion in a particular area of Asia or the Pacific or of a topic within the overall region. The project should reveal original insights into selected religious phenomena or areas of concentration. Students will be expected to present the results of their research in innovative ways that utilize the arts, various media, or developing technologies and thereby show their relevance to scholarly discourse. Research projects will be presented in a public forum during the student’s final semester.