Religious studies is a uniquely comparative, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary way to study the world’s religious communities. Students develop a broad knowledge of the world’s religions past and present, along with the opportunity for critical analysis of the role of religion in relation to other social and cultural domains: history, politics, art, literature, science, technology, the media.

Why choose religious studies?

Religious Studies at Ohio State is an interdisciplinary field, which requires the active involvement of faculty from numerous different departments, from the arts to the hard sciences. Studying religion includes the study of written texts and spoken languages, works of art, architecture, music and drama as well as myriad social practices and institutions.

Religion runs throughout the fabric of human life. We cannot fully understand culture, politics, economics, morality, or social change without considering how religion has influenced them. The academic study of religion does not favor any particular religious standpoint. Instead, it enables students to explore traditions ranging from antiquity to the present, from the local to the global.

What can you do with this degree?

With faculty from disciplines across the university, the religious studies major and minor nurture the critical thinking skills and sensitivity to cultural difference relevant in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic world. Some graduates have taken jobs where such qualities can be put to use immediately. Others have gone on to advanced degrees not only in religious studies or divinity, but also in law, business, education and global studies.