Overview

The academic study of religion is about trying to understand the complex ways that people imagine themselves, organize their worlds, and relate to that which they consider “sacred” – including human beings, divine beings, and non-human beings.

Most of us think we know what “religion” is until we try to define it. At that point we realize it is not as simple as we might have assumed. Religion can be viewed in terms of beliefs, prayers, texts, communities, and rituals, but it can also be about bodies, money, power, the environment, death, family, or gender. 

At Alma College, the Religious Studies program includes a diversity of voices and perspectives. Our conversations are enriched by “insiders” – who may be well-informed or devout religious practitioners – as well as “outsiders” – including atheists, agnostics, or religious people who are studying religions other than their own. We make no assumptions about our students’ religious commitments or past experiences; our only requirement is that students enter conversations fully, inquisitively, and respectfully.

Career

As such, the graduates go on to a wide variety of graduate programs and jobs after Alma. Many join the pre-ministry program and apply to seminaries or divinity schools in preparation for careers in ministry, whether in churches, prisons, hospitals, or the military. Some pursue master’s degrees in fields like social work, law, or museum studies, while others have done overseas internships, taken positions in AmeriCorps/Vista or other areas of higher education, or gone directly to work in the for-profit sector.