I am Joseph Prabhu [Prabhu Maria Jesudass] living in India, Tamilnadu, and Coimbatore I am 26 years old. My parents are living in Coimbatore. I have one elder sister and she is married and working as a teacher in a Government school, her husband also working as a teacher in a Government school. I have done my UG courses in English Literature and done my Computer Graphical designing in Advance. I am pursuing my PG course also. 
 
After completing my schooling I went and joined in capuchin seminary and I stayed their nine full years. I have completed my Philosophy in the seminary. I have come out of the capuchin seminary.
 
Now I am working at LOYOLA engineering College as an English Lecturer and also supporting the Administrative Works and also acting as the Counselor for the students and the staffs.
 
Even after coming out of the seminary I still feel the urge to work to evangelize the Word of God. 
 
Basically I am interested in many things. I am good at counseling the youth and family members and organizing many functions for various occasions. I can play keyboard, tabala and guitar. I organize many choirs in the church for the different church functions. And also in the college. I can help people diplomatically to solve the problems in very logic forms
 
Now I am requesting you to take me as a member of your Congregation [Order]. I assert you all that I will work only for the work of GOD and for the Church.
 
I am also interested in working for the Gospel please accept my invitation and give me a invitation to visit your church and to become true member of your church and to work for the best upliftment of the church . I am waiting for your call letter
 
Kindly accept my favor and give me chance work for the GOSPEL.
 
I shall send all the recommendation letters from my provincial, parish priest and from the Bishops of my Diocese after your kind consideration
 
My mobile no. 91+0+9976133441
 
Eagerly waiting for the reply.
 
Yours in Christ
Joseph Prabhu

Blessings,

Greg S. in NJ

My masters degree was not only helpful in getting into a Ph.D. program…it was essential! It is extremely rare for someone to get into a Ph.D. in religious studies with only a bachelors degree, and when they do it is usually to one of the few schools that offer an M.A. that turns into a Ph.D. program if you do well in the M.A. program. I am aware of one person at Claremont that entered as an M.A. student and switched to the Ph.D. program after a semester – but again this is very rare. And if you are able to do it you have to do an extra year of coursework at the doctoral level, so you don’t save much time by doing it.

After going through my masters program I now know I was nowhere near ready for a Ph.D. program straight out of undergrad. My advice would be to do a masters and then apply for a Ph.D. program if you are still interested. I can’t tell you how many people entered a masters program with me with the full intention of pursuing a Ph.D. who have now decided they would hate doing so.

If you are already convinced you want to go straight to a Ph.D. program I’d recommend applying to some schools in the UK as they are more likely to accept someone without a masters, but they expect you to have a research topic right away.

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you!

One question: do you think having your M.A. gave you an advantage? I’d like to enter a Ph.D. program with a B.A. in Religion, but am also considering Masters programs as ‘back up’.

Thanks!