Religious Studies B.A. / Minor

Study the beliefs that shape people, cultures, and the world around you.

Religion shapes how people live, work, vote, and make sense of the world, and understanding it is useful in almost any career. Manhattan University's Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies explores the world's religious traditions and the questions that cut across them, from bioethics and environmental justice to gender, science, and spirituality, using approaches that range from sociology to theology. New York City, one of the world's most religiously diverse cities, is part of the classroom. And because every Manhattan student already takes three religious studies courses, the major and the 15-credit minor are among the easiest to pair with another program.

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Credit Hours

120

Time to Complete

4 Years

Bible study concept showcasing peace, hope, spirituality and religion

This program is part of Religion and Philosophy

The Manhattan University Difference

What Sets Us Apart

You can study religion anywhere, but few places let you see it lived the way New York City does. Nearly every tradition you'll read about has a congregation, a history, and a neighborhood here. The Department of Religion and Philosophy pairs that setting with faculty who are known in their fields and spend their time teaching and mentoring undergraduates, and with two campus centers that bring scholars, faith leaders, and activists to campus every semester. And because three religious studies courses are already part of every Manhattan student's degree, adding the major or minor takes fewer extra courses than you might expect.

A Head Start on the Major

Every Manhattan student takes three religious studies courses, and all nine credits count toward the program. That leaves two more courses for the minor and seven for the major, making it an easy double major.

New York City as Your Classroom

With churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples a subway ride from campus, courses like Religion in New York let you study traditions where they are practiced, in one of the world's most religiously diverse cities.

Two Centers on Campus

The Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center and the Dorothy Day Center connect you with leaders of faith-based organizations working on interfaith dialogue, Holocaust studies, and social justice organizing, with speakers and events every semester.

A Global Lasallian Network

Manhattan belongs to a worldwide family of Lasallian schools and universities. Those relationships connect religious studies students to projects and programs in more than 80 countries, so your studies can reach well beyond campus.

Scholars Who Teach

Our faculty are respected nationally and internationally as leaders in their disciplines, and their focus is on undergraduates. The scholars shaping the field are the same people teaching your classes and advising your research.

Learning Beyond Campus

Faculty regularly lead study abroad trips to places from Japan to Venice and teach Community Engaged Learning courses where you work directly on social justice efforts in New York City with the people leading them.

Buddha statue meditating at the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia

The Manhattan Advantage

Why Study Religious Studies at Manhattan University

The program starts from a simple observation: religion is everywhere, and it's hard to fully understand politics, culture, medicine, or business without understanding what people believe and why. As a religious studies major, you'll learn to study religion the way scholars do, describing it, comparing it, and questioning it, with approaches drawn from sociology, theology, and the close reading of texts. Some courses go deep into a single tradition, such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or the religions of India. Others follow one question across many traditions and ask what religion has to say about science, the environment, gender, death, or justice.

The curriculum is built to be flexible. Catholic Studies courses explore the Catholic intellectual tradition, from the Bible and the mystics to Catholic social teaching and theologies of liberation. Global Studies and Contemporary Issues courses take up the world's religions and the questions they raise today. Beyond one course from each group, the choices are yours, which is why the major pairs so easily with another one. Pre-med and pre-law students use it to stand out. Students headed into business, communication, politics, or public service find it helps them understand what motivates people, and so do those drawn to counseling, psychology, or social work.

You'll finish the major with a seminar, an independent study, or, if your cumulative GPA is 3.5 or higher, a year-long honors thesis guided by two faculty readers. Outside class, students get involved in Campus Ministry and clubs like Just Peace, attend the lectures our two centers host each semester, and join faculty on study abroad trips and Community Engaged Learning courses. Graduates go on to careers in nonprofits, education, social services, and faith-based organizations, where several alumni have become leaders, and to graduate school and careers in law, medicine, and business.

Academics

Curriculum & Courses

The Religious Studies major is 30 credits, or ten courses, within the 120-credit B.A. You'll take the introductory course, at least one course in Catholic Studies, at least one in Global Studies and Contemporary Issues, and a 400-level capstone, then choose six more courses from either group. The minor is 15 credits: the same first three courses plus two more of your choice. Because those first three courses are already part of every Manhattan student's core, you may be closer to finishing than you think.

These are a sample of some of the courses you can take with the Religious Studies major. To view the complete curriculum, please visit our academic catalog or contact an admissions counselor for more information.

Honors Thesis

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher can complete a year-long independent research project with a major reader and a second reader from the faculty. You'll research and write in the fall, then present your completed and revised thesis in the spring.

The Nature and Experience of Religion
Catholicism and Change
Religion and Social Justice
Trends in Catholic Theology
Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies
Saints and Catholic Imagination
Judaism
Native American Religions
Religion and the Holocaust
Religions of India
Religion and Science
Religious Studies Honors Thesis (two semesters)

Religious Studies Minor

The minor is 15 credits: The Nature and Experience of Religion, one Catholic Studies course, one Global Studies and Contemporary Issues course, and two more religious studies courses of your choice. A minimum grade of C is required for a course to count toward the minor.

Religious Studies: From Sacred Texts to Social Justice

A religious studies education at Manhattan University builds skills that carry into any field where understanding people matters. Every course strengthens one of six core competencies, developed through discussion, close reading, research, and engagement with New York City's religious communities rather than lecture alone. Together they produce graduates who can read carefully, listen across differences, and explain what motivates the people around them.

Interfaith Understanding

Learn the beliefs, practices, and histories of the world's religious traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, well enough to understand how each one makes sense to the people who live it.

Reading Religious Texts

Sacred texts reward careful readers. Learn to interpret scripture and theology in historical and cultural context, compare competing readings, and explain what a passage meant when written and what it means to communities now.

Critical Thinking

Religion raises questions with no easy answers. Learn to weigh evidence, test arguments, and examine your assumptions as you analyze religious ideas, organizations, and movements using methods from the humanities and social sciences.

Dialogue and Peacebuilding

Practice talking across big differences. Courses on peace, justice, and interfaith dialogue teach you to listen closely, find common ground, and keep hard conversations productive, which is a skill that every workplace and community needs.

Ethics and Social Justice

Compare how Christianity and other traditions approach suffering, human purpose, and the ethical life. Then apply those ideas to real questions in bioethics, environmental justice, criminal justice, and work, in keeping with our Lasallian mission.

Research and Writing

Build an argument and support it. Through seminar papers, independent study, and the optional honors thesis, learn to frame a question, find and evaluate sources, and write clearly for readers inside and outside the field.

Learn From Faculty Who Lead Their Fields

Religious Studies students learn from the faculty of the Department of Religion and Philosophy, scholars who are respected nationally and internationally in their disciplines and who keep their attention on undergraduates. Faculty in our two centers, the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center and the Dorothy Day Center, work regularly with scholars, faith leaders, and activists in New York and around the world, and they bring those guests to campus each semester through the centers' events and the department's annual lecture series. They also teach in small classes, lead study abroad trips and Community Engaged Learning courses, and guide honors students through the thesis from first question to final draft.

Meet the Religion and Philosophy Faculty

Career Outcomes

Potential Careers

Because Religious Studies pairs so easily with another major or a pre-professional track, graduates take it in many directions. Many build careers in nonprofits, education, social services, and faith-based organizations, and others go on to graduate school and careers in law, medicine, and business. Some of the roles below require graduate or professional study, which the major prepares you for.

Attorney
Campus Minister
Chaplain
Community Organizer
Faith-Based Organization Director
Human Rights Advocate
Mental Health Counselor
Nonprofit Program Manager
Policy Analyst
Professor of Religious Studies
Social Worker
High School Teacher

Program Costs & Financial Aid

Manhattan University is committed to making a high-quality, career-focused education accessible and affordable. Through a combination of competitive tuition, robust financial aid, and our Jasper Guarantee, students and families can plan their education with confidence. The Jasper Guarantee locks your tuition rate for all four years—ensuring financial stability and eliminating unexpected increases as you work toward your degree.

More than 90% of Manhattan University students receive some form of financial assistance, including merit scholarships, grants, and need-based aid, significantly reducing the overall cost of attendance.

Tuition & Fees: View current undergraduate rates
Financial Aid: 90%+ of students receive aid
Scholarships: Multiple merit- and need-based opportunities
Jasper Guarantee: Your tuition rate is locked for all four years

A Manhattan University education is an investment in your future, and we are dedicated to helping you access the resources that make it possible.

Learn More About Costs and Financial Aid

Admissions Information for Manhattan University

Start Your Journey in Religious Studies
Applying to Manhattan University is designed to be clear and accessible. Review the requirements below to take the next step toward your degree.

Requirements: