Chair of the Graduate Program and Graduate Advisor for 2024-2025
Prof. Archana Venkatesan, 
avenkatesan@ucdavis.edu

WELCOME to the website for the Graduate Program in the Study of Religion (GREL). I am glad you've found us and I invite you to explore our graduate program through our website. On this site, you'll find information about Admissions, PhD degree requirements, funding, the research interests of our current graduate students, and the career paths of our graduates, our course offerings and much more. 
We are proud to introduce our program, which offers students a personalized path combining specialization in their chosen area of research with a broad, interdisciplinary training in religious studies. Our home is in the Religious Studies Department and our deep pool of affiliated faculty allow students to explore a wide-range of disciplinary approaches and regional specializations. Our graduate seminars and research workshops encourage students to work closely with faculty and their fellow students to push the boundaries of modern scholarship. Our goal is to equip students with the knowledge, analytical sophistication, and highest level of communication skills necessary to achieve success in the academy as well as in the public and private sectors.

You can reach me at: avenkatesan@ucdavis.edu

Follow the links below to learn more about:

• the quality of our faculty
• the richness and diversity of the research programs of our current students
• the resources for living in Davis, with Sacramento just 20 minutes away and the San Francisco Bay area an easy trip on the Capitol Corridor train, not to mention the stunning majesty and outdoor opportunities of the Sierras and Lake Tahoe. 
• Finally, listen to several of our students talk about their research.

Finally, listen to two of our students talk about their research.