M.A. in Interdisciplinary /Comparative Studies
The M.A. with a concentration in Interdisciplinary or Comparative studies is a flexible program working from an interreligious core that allows students to personalize a course of advanced study and/or practical preparation in multiple areas of interest, one of which must be religious in nature. Working closely with Claremont's innovative faculty, and taking advantage of course offerings at Claremont Graduate University (with faculty approval), students can craft their course of study in a variety of areas in which faculty provide expertise.
Unofficial degree paths have also been developed to demonstrate how you might customize the degree to your interests.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses (56 units; 2 years)
- Interreligious Dialogue and Leadership (3 units)
- Elective in Interreligious Studies (3 units)
- Research Colloquium I and II (1 unit each)
- Summative Exercise (project or thesis)
- Electives: 48 units (12-16 courses)
Electives: In collaboration with a faculty mentor, you can select elective courses from across the curricula of Claremont Lincoln and its affiliate schools that will bring together the insights of the ancient and modern traditions with the interests and needs of your personal interests and professional contexts. To further enhance the interdisciplinary nature of this program, you can cross-enroll for courses at Claremont Graduate University, with faculty permission, in divisions such as the Drucker School of Management, the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, the School of Politics and Economics and the School of Community and Global Health.
Master of Arts Degree Handbook
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OPTIONAL DEGREE PATHS
Religious & Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Spiritual Life and the Workplace
Religion, Politics and Society
We recognize that your “work self” is not separate from your “private self”. We are whole people; our work lives and private lives are intertwined. Claremont Lincoln takes this into account and provides opportunities for professional and personal development to explore more deeply the intellectual, practical, and spiritual aspects of life and work.
Developed around the core values of intellectual rigor, wisdom and interreligious understanding, this flexible degree program allows you to work with your advisor to develop a professional program that takes seriously your personal life —especially your spirituality—as the backdrop for your work life. It can be the perfect way for you to take stock in your life, rethink your work, and prepare for whatever comes next.
Religious and Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
We often like to think of the workplace as a “sterile” environment, free from personal issues and concerns. But your co-workers’ religious beliefs, practices, and ethical commitments often come to bear in all aspects of life, including the workplace. This degree path provides you with a basic level of religious literacy about various religious traditions as well as deeper exploration into modern issues of religious diversity, pluralism, and social harmony.
Sample Courses Offered in 2010-12:
- Religious Diversity: Ethical, Political, and Philosophical Perspectives
- Beyond Pluralism: Engaging Religion in Contemporary America
- Spiritual Leadership for a Diverse World
- Religious Relativity and World Theology
- Evil and Suffering: Globalizing Religions
- Interreligious Leadership
- Race, Religion, and Nation
- Religious Pluralism in Cultural Context: African American Religions
- Introduction to Christian Ethics
- Post-Holocaust Jewish Thought
- Islamic Ethics
Spiritual Life and the Workplace
With competing demands of work, marriage, family, friends, and other community commitments, it can be difficult to develop positive habits of focus and prioritization. This can lead to distraction in any one of these spheres, which can have negative effects on you and those around you. Drawing on the wisdom and practices of the ancient and modern traditions, this degree path will help you develop a deeper awareness of your self as an individual and social being while you cultivate healthy patterns of focus and prioritization in your life. It can also prepare those in human resource positions to help guide other professionals through personal and professional struggles from a more holistic perspective. With faculty permission, students may also cross-enroll in courses at the Drucker School of Management and the School for Behavioral and Organizational Studies at Claremont Graduate University.
Sample Courses Offered in 2010-12:
- Psycho-spiritual Approaches to Contemplative Transformation
- Contemplative and Spiritual Living
- Cultivating Wholeness Through Relational Practice
- Spirituality for Compassionate Social Engagement
- Cultivating Empowerment through Ecologies of Care
- Embodied Spirituality: The Psycho-Physiology of Contemplative Practice
- Teaching Contemplative Practices
- Spiritual Formation
- Christian Spiritualities Across the Ages
- Buddhism and Christianity
- Visionaries and Mystics in Jewish Literature
- Spirituality and Torah
Religion, Politics and Society
In a post-9/11 world, religion in the public sphere has become an increasingly important aspect of discussions in areas as diverse as international affairs and development, domestic security, and the development and delivery of civic services. This degree path will educate you about the contemporary religions while also providing depth of perspective about religious diversity in liberal democracies, local communities, and around the world.
Sample Courses Offered in 2010-12:
- Religious Diversity: Ethical, Political, and Philosophical Perspectives
- Beyond Pluralism: Engaging Religion in Contemporary America
- Religion and the Law in the U.S.
- Introduction to Public Policy
- Evil and Suffering: Globalizing Religions
- Religion and Liberal Democracy
- Religion and Human Rights
- Leadership in Urban Contexts
- Race, Religion, and Nation
- Religion and Violence
- Christian Perspectives on War and Peace
- Religious Relativity and World Theology
- Ethics of Globalization
- Islam in America