GTU MA RESEARCH METHODS (MA-8100)

This course introduces students to master’s level research methods and writing for religious studies. The course will begin with a brief introduction to religious studies as an academic discipline, focusing on major theorists, methodological and theoretical approaches, and bibliographic resources. The remainder of the course will address effective reading and research methods; clear, graduate-level academic writing; and the construction, from start to finish, of well-researched papers that contain a solid thesis, supporting evidence, original voice, suitable style, and correct citations. By the end of this course each student will complete several short writing assignments, a draft thesis proposal, and a 10-12-page research paper in the student’s area of interest.  This course is intended primarily for GTU MA students but is also open to other master’s level students focusing on academic research. This course is offered every semester, either in-person or fully online. If online, this version of the class will be conducted asynchronously through Moodle and will be highly participatory, with regular student posts (in a variety of media formats) supplemented by interactive and collaborative activities and audio-visual resources. Course is taught by PhD student Christian Suba with a Newhall award, under the supervision of Wendy Arce. [Auditors excluded]