Why major in Religious Studies?

As a religious studies major at UPIKE, you’ll explore profound questions that shape the human experience. In your study, you can explore three tracks: Ways of Reading the Bible, Ways of Being Religious, and Ways of Engaging Society. Respectively, these areas of focus guide you to a deeper understanding of Biblical texts, appreciation of religious diversity, and practical and meaningful engagement with the world. This major provides you with opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning, service, collaboration, and leadership. Courses like Bible and Trauma, Science and Religion, and Finding Your Way will engage you in interdisciplinary learning and equip you with the tools necessary for navigating a complex world. Whether you aspire to enter fields like education, healthcare, or public service, a degree in Religious Studies can strongly support your goals.

Student speaking during a group discussion.

Program Distinctives

Our society is focused on the question, “What do you want to be or do?” In the Religious Studies program, we supplement that career focus by also asking you, “What kind of person do you want to be?” and “What problems in the world would you like to solve?” In the classroom, faculty may lecture from time to time, but you’ll usually be engaged in active learning by:

  Traveling to diverse religious sites and conferences
  Dialoguing with people of many faiths
  Participating in service projects and mission trips
  Discussing contemporary issues
  Researching and collaborating on research topics of your interest
  Growing in your own spirituality and faith tradition

religion professor james browning talking to students

Interesting Courses

REL 430 Spirituality in World Religions
Explore the spiritual practices of the world religions such as meditation, yoga and the Enneagram.

REL 383 Religion and Science
Discuss the ways in which religion and science interface through dialogue, discussion, and exploration of a variety of perspectives.

REL 387 Religion and Popular Culture
Explore the ways in which religion and popular culture affect, maintain, change and create one another. The course critically engages contemporary world issues such as hashtag activism, war and religious conflict, changing religious demographics, climate change, immigration, consumerism and human rights. These issues are explored via music, television, literature, social media and art.

Student listening to another student during a group discussion.

Student Learning Outcomes

After earning a degree in Religious Studies from UPIKE, you’ll be able to analyze literature from a variety of perspectives, formulate and present oral and written arguments, and respect opposing points of view.

Career paths in Religious Studies

Chaplain
Christian Educator
Nonprofit Leadership
Law
Counselor
Pastor
Youth Ministry
Theologian
Journalism
Volunteer Coordinator
Community Organizer
Public Relations
Museum/Archival work
PeaceCorp
Foreign Service/NGO work

Where Recent Graduates have gone to work or study

Big Sandy Community Technical College Instructor
Pastor, Elkhorn City Church
Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law
Pickens Presbyterian Church
Pikeville Medical Center
University of Pikeville
Vanderbilt University Divinity School

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

“When I began my studies at UPIKE, I was unsure of what I wanted to major in. As an “undecided” student, I was told I needed to complete two religion courses. I fell in love with the subject matter and declared my major as Religious Studies right away. I loved how many of the classes contained elements of other subjects I was passionate about like history, philosophy, anthropology and theology. As someone who grew up in the Christian tradition, something I’ll forever be grateful for that I received from the Religious Studies program at UPIKE is the knowledge of other religions and the importance of interfaith dialogue. I’ll never forget the value of interfaith panels, guest lectures from Sikhs in the community and opportunities to visit the local Mosque. In my own life, this has taught me the invaluable skill of ‘holy envy’ – being able to look at the different religious traditions of my neighbors and friends with generosity, curiosity and appreciation while seeking to see the good in them. I now feel a real connection to that group of Presbyterian ministers who founded the university in 1889 and share their thought that education is a vehicle of reforming the church and that the more we know about the world, the more we can know about God.”

SCOT ROBINSON /CLASS OF 2016 /MASTERS IN DIVINITY STUDENT /VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY DIVINITY SCHOOL

Contact

Sumer Bingham Musick , MPhi

Division Chair – Humanities, Associate Professor of Religion
(606) 218-5008