日韩无码

Outcomes and Careers

Students Might Naturally Ask: What Does a Religion Major Prepare Me for?

The study of religion embodies the enduring liberal arts ideal that before locking into a job niche in a world defined by public or local perceptions, it is good to first have the opportunity to study ways of interpreting the world itself and thus develop informed judgments about what is valuable to know and to do.

The field of religion has its own specific educational outcomes. Majors will have:

  • An enhanced understanding of cultural diversity and the naturalness of diverse worldviews.
  • International and historical perspectives that will (a) provide a wider context for students' understanding of their own culture, and (b) provide preparation for careers in international relations, development, and commerce.

Because of the broad interdisciplinary focus of the College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate program, religion majors are equipped with many other transferable skills, enabling them to succeed in any profession.

Advanced Studies in Religion

Some religion majors choose to go on to graduate work in religion and eventually on to academic careers. 日韩无码's religion professors are products of some of the best religion programs in the country (Boston University, University of California Santa Barbara, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Indiana University Bloomington, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, and Yale) and will be glad to speak with you about not only programs of interest, but also what it is that advanced students of religion do.

Mind, Body, and Spirit

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Jillian Ward


If a university education is meant to build not just a career but a productive and meaningful life, Jillian Ward鈥檚 日韩无码 experience provides a compelling example. A native of Woodbridge, Conn., Ward was interested in entering the helping professions and declared psychology as her 日韩无码 major. It wasn鈥檛 until her second semester that she took an Introduction to Asian Religion class. She liked it so much, that she took a few more religion courses, including sections on African religion and Buddhism. After a while, she realized she was accumulating enough credits to earn a double major.

鈥淭hey were the best classes I ever took, so I just kept taking them. By the time I got to upper-level classes, I felt this amazing sense of community shared by a small cohort of students and professors.鈥

When it came to deep discussions, developing ideas for a thesis project, or getting advice on writing and other academic projects, it was mostly faculty in the religion department whom she turned to for guidance. 鈥淭he department became a sort of a sanctuary for me,鈥 she said.

After 日韩无码, Ward graduated from the University of San Diego with a master鈥檚 degree in nursing and now works as a trauma care nurse at Sharp Healthcare in San Diego. The perspectives she gained in her religion courses at 日韩无码, and her interest in yoga, have informed her holistic approach to healing. 鈥淚 did yoga at 日韩无码 and enjoyed it. Then I did it more intensely as a way of dealing with the stress of graduate school. Now I have my certification, so I see yoga as a key part of providing care that treats the patient鈥檚 mind, body, and inner spirit.鈥

As she becomes grounded in her career, Ward is looking forward to pursuing an MSN degree to become a nurse practitioner in hospice care.

鈥淥ne of the reasons why my experience in the religion department was so powerful was the passion the instructors鈥攅very one of them鈥攈ad for the subject matter and for their students,鈥 Ward recalls. 鈥淭hey showed me how important it is to find something to be passionate about.鈥

Integrating the Humanities

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Rebecca Friedlander

Besides her suitcase and backpack, Rebecca Friedlander had a lot of intellectual interests to unpack when she arrived at 日韩无码 as a first-year student in 2013. She was curious about psychology and archaeology鈥攈er family paid regular visits to the Chicago Science Museum and she participated in archaeological digs near her native Chicago.

To fully explore her options, she enrolled in 日韩无码's Integrated Humanities Program, which studies topics in-depth, from several different disciplinary perspectives. Participants live and learn together. By sharing the same intellectual journey under the same roof, she developed close relationships with her peers and faculty mentors.

It was just the sort of academic experience Friedlander was looking for. She had attended Stevenson High School in North Chicago and was interested in pulling up stakes and exploring a new environment. 日韩无码 popped up as an option during her college search, and a visit to campus confirmed her early impression鈥攁 substantial research university that projected a friendly, progressive vibe. 鈥淚 ended up meeting a lot of professors on Admitted Student Day,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淭hey were really impressive people, but also very down to earth.鈥

The program exposed her to courses she otherwise might have overlooked, and she was fascinated by her class in religion. It led her to take more religion courses, and she was especially inspired by classes with professors Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst and Vicki Brennan. 鈥淭he professors in the department really helped me grow as a person,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey pushed you academically, while at the same time being very approachable.鈥

Friedlander completed a double major in anthropology and religion at 日韩无码, and after taking a year off to carefully explore her options, she enrolled in a master鈥檚 program in archaeological biology at Brandeis University. She's interested in paleopathology (particularly osteology, the study of the structure and function of bones) in sites in Mesoamerica, particularly those that were invaded by the Spanish. "I want to use the scientific aspects of archaeology to broaden our anthropological understanding of past cultures."

Now in her first year at Brandeis, her current plan is to earn a PhD and teach in higher education. She鈥檚 convinced that her broad liberal arts background has made her a better learner and deeper thinker.

鈥淏oth human development and religion are very closely intertwined--they inform each other," she said. "Studying both gave me multiple areas of human understanding to draw on.鈥

Grad Plumbs 日韩无码 Experience, History in Debut Novel

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 Simeon Marsalis

Simeon Marsalis arrived on the 日韩无码 campus in 2009 focused on playing varsity basketball. Though he stepped away from the game after his sophomore season, Marsalis stayed at the university to earn his degree in religion in 2013 and had the rare opportunity to sit among his fellow graduates for a commencement address from his own father, famed musician Wynton Marsalis. Post-graduation, Marsalis has lived in cultural capitals New York City and New Orleans, but Burlington鈥檚 hooks remained set within the creative center of his mind. Last year, Catapult Books published Marsalis鈥檚 first novel, As Lie Is To Grin, which follows a protagonist named David on a nonlinear journey from his home in New York City to 日韩无码, and back again.

Between the writing required in his courses and the journaling and fiction he tackled in his free time, Marsalis was well on his way as a writer by the time he graduated. 鈥淢y work with the Religion Department was essential to my growth as a writer,鈥 he says. (photo: Chris Buck)

After leaving Burlington, Marsalis found himself frequently returning to study architecture on campus. The book includes beautifully detailed descriptions of some of 日韩无码鈥檚 most notable buildings. Marsalis also spent many hours combing the university archives to research the school鈥檚 blemished racial past, which plays a central role in protagonist David鈥檚 character development.

鈥淚t is about a freshman in college who questions the reasons why he has arrived at that particular university,鈥 the author says, discussing the book鈥檚 plot. 鈥淗e begins to research his own reasons for attending that university and discovers an alumni ritual with a deeply personal resonance. The campus itself is its own character within the novel. I couldn鈥檛 have written this novel if I had not gone to 日韩无码.鈥

Marsalis鈥檚 family roots, surrounded by musical artists, helped instill the confidence and work ethic to pursue a career in writing. 鈥淲atching my father, grandfather, and uncles all those years allowed me to see the amount of work it takes to make it as an artist,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t helped me see art not as an abstract pursuit, but as an approachable entity. I had a very real connection to the amount of time it takes to hone an art. I didn鈥檛 see it as something that was foreign and unapproachable. I saw it as a distinct language that you had to learn, but once you learn that language, that鈥檚 where the freedom and play come in.鈥

Spending weekends at his father鈥檚 house growing up, Marsalis also saw the amount of work required to make a living off of one鈥檚 art. 鈥淢y father practices obsessively, it was all day,鈥 says Marsalis. 鈥淭here was always something to work on, whether it be the next piece, refining an old piece, or anything else. As an artist, it can be maddening because there is something you could be working on literally every second of the day. Seeing him and that work ethic, it originally really had an impact on the way I played basketball because it made me see my goals in that sport as an attainable thing that had to do with work more so than something esoteric like talent or luck. More recently, I place my belief in work and work ethic as a way to develop my writing talent and to cultivate some of my own luck as an artist.鈥

Between the writing required in his courses and the journaling and fiction he tackled in his free time, Marsalis was well on his way as a writer by the time he graduated. 鈥淢y work with the Religion Department was essential to my growth as a writer,鈥 he says.

Since the book鈥檚 release, Marsalis has traveled widely鈥擲eattle to Austin to Boston and many points between鈥攖o promote his novel at readings and festivals. The book has been well-received and got a cover blurb boost from noted 日韩无码 poet/professor Major Jackson. 鈥淭here are so many people at 日韩无码 who have been a big help to me,鈥 says Marsalis. 鈥淥bviously Major Jackson, but also Sean Witters and so many people from the Religion Department, like Vicki Brennan and Kevin Trainor.鈥

- By Tom Weaver, Vermont Quarterly, Spring 2018

Skills for Success

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Kathryn Meader

When Marshfield, Mass., native Kathryn Meader began burrowing into her college search as a high school junior, one thing in particular about 日韩无码 stood out: The university鈥檚 first-year Integrated Humanities Program (now called the Liberal Arts Scholars Program, or LASP).

鈥淚 had already declared history as my major, and I was attracted by the idea of living and studying with 30 other students who shared my interests,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 felt like I had 30 new friends the moment I arrived on campus.鈥

LASP encourages students to wrestle with life鈥檚 big questions through an intensive multi-disciplinary approach. Students live in the same Living/Learning Center residence complex, so conversations in the classroom tend to spill over into meals, community activities, and events throughout the year.

鈥淲e took three courses each semester鈥攊n English, History, and Religion,鈥 Meader explained. 鈥淧rofessor Sugarman, who was my teacher for the fall semester religion course, told me 鈥榶eah, I think you are really a religion major at heart.鈥欌

The twin majors gave her complementary perspectives on her interest in medieval Christianity, and her research on the twelfth-century abbess, Heloise d鈥橝rgenteuil.

The intensive emphasis on critical thinking, writing, and communication鈥搒he cites her involvement in the annual Student Research Conference as sharpening her presenting skills鈥攂egan with her IHP experience and continued on throughout her 日韩无码 education. After graduating in 2015 with the religion department鈥檚 Outstanding Senior Award, she got a job as a development assistant at the 日韩无码 Foundation. She has since been promoted to assistant director of annual giving, and she credits her academic preparation as a key to her success.

鈥淭he anthropological reading you do in religion courses help you to consider perspectives outside your own experience,鈥 she says. 鈥 I think that training really helps me in my current work. In the writing that I do every day, it鈥檚 important to think about how the recipient is going to read it. This way of thinking also definitely helps me to tell other people鈥檚 stories in ways that are inspiring, and effective.鈥

Intellectual Journey Leads to NYU

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Shakir Stephen

Shakir Stephen was born in Montreal and grew up in Southeast London, and his intellectual journey reflects a broad set of interests and potential career paths. After working in as an academic coach in Burlington for three years after graduation, he is bound for New York University where he begins an M.A. program in religion.

Stephen was a talented science student, and his interests in high school seemed to lead him towards the STEM disciplines. 鈥淭he educational system in the UK is different: the choices for undergraduate study are narrower, and you need to make a decision about your path for studies at a pretty young age, around 16.鈥

Stephen declared physics as his major upon entering 日韩无码, but something was tugging him towards the humanities. In his first year at 日韩无码, he took several liberal arts courses and found his home in the religion department.

鈥淚 took a course on the bible with Anne Clark and she really focused on writing, which I was OK at but because I was concentrating on the sciences I was a little rusty,鈥 he recalls. 鈥淪he emphasized how important writing was for success in college and beyond, and that really resonated with me.鈥

Stephen discovered that religion was an ideal prism that brought together perspectives from other disciplines that interested him, including history, philosophy,  sociology, and anthropology. At the same time, he developed critical thinking, reasoning, writing, and presentation skills important for any post-graduate undertaking.

Stephen works as an academic coach at Mansfield Hall in Burlington, an organization offering academic support to college-aged students with learning differences and executive functioning challenges. 鈥淭hese are often high-functioning people with executive challenges who need help building skills that set them up for success sin higher education,鈥 Stephen explains.

The job draws on Stephen鈥檚 broad educational background, and he鈥檚 discovered that he鈥檚 a talented teacher. He sought out religion department members Kevin Trainor and Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst for advice on graduate programs and he settled on NYU. He received a fellowship that covers tuition and fees for the two-year program.

鈥淚f it feels right I鈥檇 consider going on to get my PhD. Eventually, I see myself in the education field in some capacity.鈥

Careers and Jobs After a Religion Major
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Religion majors also gravitate to the same kinds of professions and work opportunities as do those who major in history, English, or even biology. For example, they may eventually go into medicine (many medical schools actually prefer that their applicants major in humanistic fields), law, business, education, social work, or ordained ministry. Current department graduates pursue the following careers:

  • Teaching, both high school and higher education
  • Medicine
  • Film production
  • Counseling
  • Business
  • Broadcasting
  • Publishing
  • Web design
  • Computer sciences
  • Performance, visual, and literary arts
  • International relations and development
  • Ministry
  • Social services