Religious Studies Dalhousie University

Overview

Many societies and people around the world organize their lives within the framework of religious beliefs and practices. You'll explore religious texts and traditions in a rigorous academic environment. With lively, interesting courses in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and many other topics, there is much to engage the curious, questioning student.

Dalhousie University 's Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies  programme may strengthen, broaden, or challenge your personal beliefs. In courses, you’re encouraged to be open to the intellectual adventure available to you.

Programme options

Courses in Religious Studies are administered by the Classics Department. Religious Studies at Dalhousie offers the full range of electives and degree programmes: minors, majors, and honours for bachelor’s degrees. There are minors in Religious Studies, Abrahamic Religions, and Middle East and South Asian Studies.

The following Religious Studies programme options are offered by Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Connect with an academic advisor after you start your studies to explore options such as:

• Bachelor of Arts with Major in Religious Studies

• Bachelor of Arts with Double Major in Religious Studies

• Bachelor of Science with Major, Second Subject in Religious Studies

• BA Combined Honours in Religious Studies

• Bachelor of Science Combined Honours, Second Subject in Religious Studies

• Minor in Religious Studies

What you will learn

Religious Studies is an academic discipline that examines the world's religious cultures and expressions, both historical and contemporary. It involves the study of religious institutions, rituals, forms of social organization, theology, philosophy, mythology, and artistic expression.

Scholars of Religious Studies try to understand human religious culture by various means: conducting fieldwork and interviews with living religious societies, mastering ancient and modern languages, examining textual sources, and studying archaeological, art-historical, and other non-textual evidence. As such it intersects with other arts, humanities, and social science disciplines at the university.

Careers

Those completing Religious Studies degrees often pursue careers within universities and post-secondary educational environments. However, the cultural fluency provided by Religious Studies is highly valued in many career environments where effective interaction with the public is necessary.

Possible careers include:

• university professor

• social worker

• policy advisor

• public service