About

Overview

Religious Studies at DePaul reflects the international, urban character of Chicago itself. Today, the whole world lives in Chicago. Here, there are more Thai Buddhists than Episcopalians, more Muslims than Jews. Among the Christian community, there are distinctions between Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox. There are also many Hindu Temples and one Zoroastrian center; active and practicing communities among the Bahai's, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and many others; and a host of interreligious organizations. All of this amid further differentiations by race and ethnicity, city and suburb. Students can take advantage of this broad range of opportunities through a variety of interdisciplinary programs, special classes, and courses offered at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.

The Department of Religious Studies is committed to DePaul's Catholic, Vincentian heritage and invites all its majors to take advantage of the unique opportunity to explore the history, culture and thought of the Roman Catholic tradition. Departmental majors will find a deeper understanding of Catholic Christian worldviews in courses offered by the department as well as those in the Catholic Studies Program. The Vincentian and Catholic background of DePaul University are expressed in a distinct institutional identity, which respects engaged pluralistic inquiry toward all religious traditions. The department is committed to offering a wide range of courses investigating various world religious traditions, great and small. The department makes its multicultural commitments evident through rich offerings in the Roman Catholic tradition, other monotheistic systems, and religions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.

What to do with a Religious Studies major

Religious Studies prepares you for a variety of careers. Our emphasis on developing critical thinking and writing skills prepare you for almost any career.  Moreover, given the centrality of religion to the conflicts and debates of the contemporary world, a religious studies major prepares you for:

• A legal career:  a lawyer specializing in human rights, cultural and religious rights, immigration, anti-discrimination etc.
• A career in conflict resolution here and abroad: With your knowledge of the world’s religions and cultures, you could lend your expertise to many different organizations from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to the United States government to social movement organizations like the Interfaith Youth Core.
• A career in government: If you have wanted to join the foreign service, run for political office, or work in social services, then a religious studies major might be right for you.
• A career as a teacher or a professor.
• The medical profession: Doctors, nurses, hospital administrators face religious diversity every day. A religious studies major helps you understand different worldviews and might enable you to help your patients and clients more effectively.