---
title: "Religious Studies B.A. / Minor"
url: "/academics/programs/religious-studies"
type: program
date: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-02
---
# Religious Studies B.A. / Minor
# 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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[ Request Information ](/admissions/undergraduate/request-information) [ Apply to Manhattan University ](/admissions/undergraduate/apply)
Credit Hours120
Time to Complete4 Years
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This program is part of [Religion and Philosophy](/academics/kakos/departments/religion-philosophy)
What Set's Us Apart 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.
Why Study Religious Studies Image
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.
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Curriculum & Courses
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## Why Study in New York City
New York City has debated religious freedom since 1657, when residents of Flushing, Queens, signed a petition defending their Quaker neighbors, and it has brought the world's religions together ever since. St. Patrick's Cathedral, Temple Emanu-El, the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, and the Hindu Temple Society of North America are all a subway ride from campus. So are Union Theological Seminary and the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Interfaith Center of New York, and the Catholic Worker, the movement Dorothy Day co-founded here in 1933. For religious studies students, that means the traditions, institutions, and social justice movements you study in class are part of the city you live in, and so are the internships, service work, and first jobs that grow out of them.
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## 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.
Explore Faculty ## **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](/academics/kakos/departments/religion-philosophy/faculty)
Careers & Outcomes
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About
## Kakos School of Arts and Sciences
The B.A. and minor in Religious Studies make their home in the Department of Religion and Philosophy within the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. The Kakos School is the largest of Manhattan University's three schools, offering 33 undergraduate majors, six graduate programs, and six combined degrees across the humanities, natural and social sciences, and professional fields. Grounded in the University's Lasallian Catholic mission and located near the heart of New York City, the School pairs rigorous academics with small classes, close faculty mentorship, and real-world experience throughout the five boroughs and beyond. That foundation delivers: Manhattan University ranks in the top 3% nationally for salary impact (Wall Street Journal, 2026), a measure of how strongly a degree here translates into graduates' career earnings.
[ Explore Kakos School of Arts and Sciences ](/academics/kakos)
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Program Costs & Financial Aid ## 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/financial-aid/)
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A Smarter Investment in Your Future
## Jasper Guarantee
At Manhattan University, every undergraduate student is protected by the Jasper Guarantee, which locks your tuition rate for all four years—ensuring clarity, stability, and peace of mind as you plan your education. This promise reflects our commitment to affordability and to supporting students and families throughout their academic journey.
[ Learn More About the Jasper Guarantee ](/admissions/undergraduate/jasper-guarantee)
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Admission Information ## 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:**
- Application & transcript
- SAT/ACT optional
- Personal statement
- Letter(s) of recommendation
**Deadlines:**
- Early Action: November 15
- Regular Decision: February 1
[Admission and Application Process](/admissions/financial-aid/)
### International Students:
Support available for visas, documentation, and English-language assessments.
[Learn More about International Financial Aid](/admissions/international/financial-aid/)
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## Prepare for the Real World
At Manhattan University, your education is built around who you are and where you want to go. Whether you’re ready to apply or just starting to explore, take the next step when you’re ready — we’re here to help.
[Visit Manhattan University](/admissions/visit)
[Apply Today](/admissions/apply)
[Request Information](/admissions/request-information)
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## Related Programs
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[Peace & Justice Studies B.A. / Minor](/academics/programs/peace-justice-studies)
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[Philosophy B.S. / B.A. / Minor](/academics/programs/philosophy)
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[History B.A. / Minor](/academics/programs/history)