Overview
The PhD in Religious Studies provides training in early Judaism, Christian origins, and religions of the Late Antique Mediterranean.
Students develop range and breadth through coursework and comprehensive examinations in Years 1 and 2 of the program; after that, students will be encouraged and enabled to narrow their focus so that they become world experts in their chosen dissertation topic.
Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (AMNE) department will be hosting a virtual open house event for students interested in applying to our MA and PhD graduate programs to join our Fall 2026 cohort on Tuesday, November 4, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm PST over Zoom. Faculty members and current graduate students will be present to meet prospective students. Interested students may register on the AMNE Admissions website (https://amne.ubc.ca/amne-virtual-open-house-for-prospective-students/).
If you have any questions about our graduate programs or the application process, please reach out to Sheri, the graduate program advisor, at amne.grad@ubc.ca.
What makes the program unique?
The PhD if Religious Studies is the only program in Canada to offer students the opportunity to focus on the early religious traditions of the Mediterranean and Middle East. PhD students engage in a broad range of coursework and pursue multi-disciplinary research on the material culture, religious beliefs, languages and histories of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. We have four full-time faculty specializing in Hebrew Bible studies, Jewish studies, and early Christianity and New Testament Studies. Our other faculty in Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies are interdisciplinary researchers whose work regularly engages with religion and myth, including the archaeology of Roman religion and Greek mythology.
Quick Facts
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
- Bablitz, Leanne (Roman history, Roman law, Roman courtrooms, , Roman social history and law, Roman topography, Roman legal procedure)
- Cooper, Elisabeth (Archaeology of greater Mesopotamia)
- Daniels, Megan (Archaeology of Greece and the broader eastern Mediterranean; Late Bronze Age to Hellenistic Period; Ancient religion, sanctuaries, votive objects; Cross-cultural interaction; Ancient economies and trade; Divine kingship; Digital/data science approaches to the ancient world, particularly ancient religion; Migration and mobility across Eurasia; Phoenician culture; Ceramic analysis; Archaeology of Greece and the broader eastern Mediterranean, Late Bronze Age to Hellenistic Period, Ancient religion, sanctuaries, votive objects, Cross-cultural interaction, Ancient economies and trade, Divine kingship, Digital/data science approaches to the ancient world, particularly ancient religion, Migration and mobility across Eurasia, Phoenician culture, Ceramic analysis)
- De Angelis, Franco (Ancient Greek world history, environment, urbanism, developmnet of societies, colonization, economics, ancient literature)
- Fisher, Kevin (Archeological Data Analysis; Archeological Excavation Methods and Techniques; architecture; built environments; digital archaeology; Dynamics of Social Transformations; Mediterranean archaeology; Near Eastern archaeology; power; Social Life / Societal Life; social interaction; Urban Spaces and Urbanity; urbanism; Archeological Data Analysis, Archeological Excavation Methods and Techniques, Architecture, Built environments, Digital archaeology, Dynamics of Social Transformations, Mediterranean archaeology, Near Eastern archaeology, Power, Social Life / Societal Life, Social interaction, Urban Spaces and Urbanity, Urbanism)
- Gardner, Gregg (Judaism, Rabbinic Literature, Rabbinic Judaism, Mishnah, Talmud, Jewish Studies, Jewish Law, Jewish Ethics, Charity, Jewish Ethics, Archaeology of Israel, Archaeology and Hebrew Bible, Archaeology of Jerusalemn)
- Griffin, Michael (Greek philosophy, Ancient philosophy, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Proclus, Neoplatonism, Ancient logic)
- Huemoeller, Katharine (Ancient law (in theory and in practice); Documentary texts; gender and sexuality; Non-urban life in antiquity; Roman social history; Slavery (ancient and comparative); Ancient law (in theory and in practice), Documentary texts, Gender and sexuality, Non-urban life in antiquity, Roman social history, Slavery (ancient and comparative))
- Marshall, Toph (Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Performance and Theatrical Productions; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis, Performance and Theatrical Productions)
- McCarty, Matthew (Roman archaeology; Roman history; Africa; Europe; postcolonialism; Marginalized peoples; Religion; Roman archaeology, Roman history, Africa, Europe, Postcolonialism , Marginalized peoples, Religion)
- McElduff, Siobhan (Ancient and modern translation, history of the book)
- Milstein, Sara (biblical and cuneiform law; Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Studies; History of Major Eras, Great Civilisations or Geographical Corpuses; literary history of the Bible; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Mesopotamian literature; Near Eastern scribal culture; Religious Contexts; Biblical and cuneiform law, Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Studies, History of Major Eras, Great Civilisations or Geographical Corpuses, Literary history of the Bible, Literary or Artistic Works Analysis, Mesopotamian literature, Near Eastern scribal culture, Religious Contexts)
- Philbrick, Rachel (Latin poetry; Greek poetry; genre; Textual authority and credibility; Intertextuality; Latin poetry, Greek poetry, Genre, Textual authority and credibility, Intertextuality)
- Schneider, Thomas (Egyptian history and phonoly)
- Soon, Isaac (Early Christianity and New Testament; Early Christianity and New Testament)
- Yoo, Philip (Religion and religious studies; Hebrew Bible; Second Temple Judaism; Religion and religious studies, Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism)
- Yoon, Florence (heralds and the representation of the absent; anonymity and naming, particularly in Greek Tragedy; props and silent characters in Greek drama)
Intake
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Supervisor Search
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