Religious Studies

Program Overview.

Religious studies majors and minors examine religious beliefs, institutions, and practices using approaches from the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences. This is your opportunity to understand new dimensions of the human experience. It may help you better understand your faith (if you have one) or understand the powerful ways religions shape our world. Religious studies, combined with appropriate courses in other fields, provides an excellent background for any professional career—including law, engineering, medicine and health care professions, journalism, social work, and others—and for graduate studies in a number of fields.

About Religious Studies at Morningside:

Gain skills in cross-cultural understanding, empathy, and flexibility of mind.
Enhance your research methods, communication skills, and critical thinking abilities.
Prepare for a wide variety of career fields like business, education, and human services professions, careers particularly in ministry, teaching, nonprofit work, social work, religious research, chaplaincy, law, human resources, journalism and mass communication, marriage and family therapy, medicine and nursing, and much more.
Become a better global citizen by understanding the power of religion in today’s world.

Make It Your Own

Morningside religious studies majors can expect to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. You may choose to focus on a minor to deepen a particular area of interest. It’s also possible to add more than one major or minor. Click on the names of the majors and minors below to see the coursework required for each.

Majors

Religious Studies

Minors

Religious Studies

Meet The Faculty

Elizabeth Coody

Experience
Learning By Doing

Morningside University has made a commitment to extend education beyond the confines of the classroom by providing a variety of experiential learning opportunities to students.

SEE ACADEMICS

INTERNSHIPS

Opportunities exist for students to take on internships both on and off campus in a variety of Morningside departments and services, local and national nonprofit and community organizations, churches, religious organizations, and more. Final senior projects ask individual students to apply what they have learned about religious studies to real life situations to further their academic or professional careers.

Experiential Learning

STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Religious Studies Club
Theta Alpha Kappa (Religious and Theological Studies Honor Society)

TRAVEL

You will have the opportunity to travel regionally, nationally, and even internationally for professional conferences, industry field trips, or May Term courses. Travel grants and special scholarship eligibility may be available.

RESEARCH AND ACTIVE LEARNING

Research is encouraged and celebrated at Morningside. You may choose to study alongside a professor, pursue independent research, or participate in events such as the Palmer Research Symposium.

Visit local congregations, churches, synagogues, mosques, and sacred sites. Discuss important religious issues at Religious Studies Club. Take in visits from religious leaders, service and social justice groups, and nonprofit organizations.

NETWORK

You may frequently interact with professionals throughout the industry developing relationships and building skills. Opportunities include:

Industry-leading speakers
Club meetings and college-wide seminars
Interviews
Internships
Travel to conferences

Learn By Doing

A religious studies degree adapts to goals that are academic, faith-based or professional. Students may use these skills in traditional religious leadership roles, as an aid to their personal growth, or in any professional career —including law, engineering, medicine and health care, journalism, social work and many others.

Discover

13:1

student:faculty ratio, so you're assured a quality education focused directly on you.

65+

majors & pre-professional
programs available.

Job Outlook

A religious studies major or minor gives students tools to work with people of different backgrounds and facilitate their cooperation. Professionals need to be comfortable with religious and cultural diversity to do their jobs well. Religious studies provides a meaningful background for a professional career and graduate studies in a number of fields.

Possible Job Titles

Nonprofit Officer, Community Development Organizer
Minister, Clergy Person, or Religious Leader
Medical, Business, Military, Campus, or Organizational Chaplain
Social Worker, Counselor, or Therapist
Teacher, Religious Education Director, Youth Director
Lawyer, Politics, and Public policy Executive
Human Resources Manager or Public Relations Specialist
Journalist or Communications Manager
International Relations Director, Missionary, Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) Administrator

Learn how students are set up for success

Meet A Mustang

Krista Waite ‘19

Nonprofit Management and Religious Studies
Cedar Rapids, IA

Why Morningside

“I love this area and I am beyond blessed because of the opportunities Morningside has offered me.”

All Undergraduates
Receive Financial Aid

100% of Morningside undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

LEARN ABOUT AID

Simple Application
Process

Apply for Morningside’s undergrad programs.

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Morningside’s counselors are here to assist you with any academic or career needs.

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