Established in 1821, McGill University is an English-language university located in Montreal, Quebec. The University is recognized as the most internationally-oriented university in Canada. During the nineteenth century, several theological colleges in Montreal became affiliated with McGill University. In 1912, they formed a joint board for the academic study of Theology, leaving each denomination
al college to provide its own professional training for Christian ministry. This relationship between the colleges and the University led naturally to the creation, in 1948 of a Faculty of Divinity which assumed the academic functions of the Joint Board. In keeping with this goal the University Faculty offers the Bachelor of Theology and several graduate degree programs. The original Faculty of Divinity taught theological courses for ordinands and also engaged in teaching undergraduates in other faculties a selection of courses of more general interest, such as philosophy and psychology of religion, and comparative religion. This selection grew over the years into the present BA Honours, Major and Minor programs in Religious Studies within the Faculty of Arts. In 1970 the name of the Faculty was changed to the Faculty of Religious Studies in order to reflect the new emphasis on the the academic study of religion. Currently, the Faculty of Religious Studies offers or contributes to six degrees—BA, Bachelor of Theology, MDiv, STM, MA and PhD—and offers both graduate and undergraduate courses of study on most of the world's major religions. Undergraduate programs include BA specializations with Major Concentrations in World Religions, Scriptures and Interpretation, Philosophy and Western Religions as well as Honours in Religious Studies, Joint Honours, Minor Concentration in World Religions, Minor Concentration in Scriptural Languages. with and without thesis are available. An MA with thesis is also available in Religious Studies with specialization in Bioethics. Graduate programs are available specializing in Buddhism, Church History, Bioethics and Comparative Religion, Hinduism, New Testament, Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible, Philosophy of Religion, and Theology. Graduate degree programs include STM, MA with thesis, MA without thesis, MA (Bioethics) and PhD
