Career Paths

There are many opportunities that can follow learning in Womanist Religious Studies.  As an interdisciplinary academic major, the study of religion is like a history or English major – it imposes no limitations. A graduate of Womanist Religious Studies is well-prepared for graduate study with many possible specializations. The critical thinking skills and open perspective offered by this program allows students to pursue professional degrees in a wide variety of fields.  The program’s content gives students a strong foundation for attaining a master’s of divinity or master’s of theological studies degree in seminaries, schools of theology and divinity schools.  Outside of formalized ministry, students will also have the skills to succeed in law, medicine, public health, public administration, and education.

Some graduates of the program may choose a career in academia through doctoral study.  Although a student may begin to focus on a specific area as an undergraduate, as graduate study unfolds, this area becomes more and more specific. Some common areas of specialization within religious studies are the following:

• African and African American Studies

• American Studies

• Arts, Literature, and Religion

• Early Christian Literature/ New Testament

• East Asian Religion (primarily China and Japan)

• Ethics

• Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament

• History of Christianity/ Church History

• Islamic Studies

• Judaic Studies

• Philosophy/ Philosophy of Religion 

• Racial/ Ethic Studies in Religion

• Religions of Africa and Oceania

• Religions of North America

• Religion of South America and the Caribbean

• South and Southeast Asian Religions

• Social Scientific Studies of Religion
  (primarily anthropology, psychology, and sociology)

• Theology

• Women's Studies

Religion majors have successfully gone on to careers in:

Education and media:

Author of inspirational texts and music
Consultant to plays and films
Magazine editor
Producer of religious television programming
Religion editor of newspaper
Reporter on the religion and community beat
Teacher at a parochial or independent school
 

Global ecumenism:

National Council of Churches
World Council of Churches

Formal Ministry:

College chaplaincy
Hospital chaplaincy
Ordained parish ministry
Marriage and family counselor
Military chaplaincy
National campus ministry organizations
Lay parish ministry
Pastoral care counselor
Prison chaplaincy
Retreat director
Spiritual consultant for corporate businesses
Youth minister
 

Non-profit organizations:

After school programs
HIV/ AIDS advocacy organizations
Peace Corps
Planned Parenthood
Programs helping to meet the needs of the homeless
Victim advocate in domestic violence shelter
Victim advocate in rape crisis center
 

Public Service:

City council
Community relations
Foreign service
Public school board

Links:

Africana Women’s Studies
http://www.bennett.edu/academics/newprograms.htm
ITC’s BWCS
United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries
http://gbgm-umc.org/
United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
http://gbhem.org/highed.html
Reasons to Study Religion
http://www.studyreligion.org/
Fund for Theological Education Undergraduate Fellowships
http://www.thefund.org/programs/undergraduates.phtml
American Academy of Religion (AAR)
http://www.aarweb.org/
Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)
http://www.sbl-site.org/
Southeastern Commission on the Study of Religion (SECSOR)
http://www.utc.edu/Research/SoutheasternCommission
For The Study Of Religion/
National Council of Churches USA
http://www.ncccusa.org/
Mellon Foundation
http://www.mellon.org/
Symbolic Designs
http://www.symbolicdesigns.com/