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Using Your Degree

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A background in religious thought, practices, and cultures, along with transferable skills in analysis, critical thinking and writing, will be assets in any number of professions and jobs, including:

  • Non-government organizations (NGOs)
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Government, U.S. State Department
  • Multinational corporate position that requires deep understanding of cultures
  • Professions such as law, medicine, and business.
  • Relief agencies and teaching programs
  • Marketing agencies, Peace Corps, Fulbright Fellowships, teaching programs, and graduate schools
  • Environmental education and government policy

Calm sea with distant rainbow on horizonWhat do religious studies majors and minors do after graduating? A Religious Studies degree prepares students for a variety of careers. A study on the long term impacts of majoring in religious studies found that 20% of majors worked for a religious organization, 13% in college faculty or administration, 9.6% in education K-12, 8.7% in non-profit or community organizing, 8% in business or finance, 5.9% in law and 5.2% in medicine and nursing. A minor in religious studies complements any university major with writing, analytical, and social/cultural awareness and interpersonal skills.

The benefits of small class sizes: Many of our classes are small, enabling rich conversations to develop over the course of a semester, with active engagement between students, their classmates and faculty. If you are thinking about applying to graduate school, our small class sizes will not only help you get to know professors, but will help you build the skills you will need to pursue an advanced degree, including critical thinking, and written and oral communication.

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How religious studies majors and minors use their training after graduating: Research shows that the skills you develop in the religious studies classroom are skills that will benefit you as a job seeker and as an employee. In a national survey of religious studies majors conducted by the Teagle Foundation in 2015, 59% of respondents said they put their ability to work with diverse populations on their resume, 89% said they discussed it in the interview, and 98% said they used it on the job.

Majorities of participants with degrees in religious studies also reported that they used other skills developed while pursuing their major—communication competency, the ability to interpret data in a critical manner, and the ability to analyze problems from a critical perspective—both on the job market and on the job.