Religious Studies Graduate Certificate
Join us to study the world’s religious traditions through a scholarly and comparative lens with a Religious Studies Graduate Certificate. By understanding diverse traditions—such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and indigenous practices—across regions like the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Ancient Mediterranean, you will discover the complexity of religious expression. Explore themes like politics, gender, violence, media, art, and the environment while adding intellectual tools to navigate today’s interconnected world.
Program Overview
The Religious Studies Graduate Certificate teaches research skills and explores how religion shapes society’s values, power structures, and ideals.
Designed as an add-on certificate, this program equips students with the cultural competency and analytical skills necessary to understand the role that religion plays in all aspects of society. Whether you are interested in a professional career or pursuing doctoral study, you’ll graduate ready to spark meaningful conversations.
The graduate certificate in religious studies is a great fit for students interested in enhancing their primary field of study with knowledge of the complexity of religious beliefs, practices, and communities.
Why Study Religious Studies?
At UT, a graduate certificate in religious studies won’t just teach you research and analytical skills for your own scholarship; you’ll also have the unique opportunity to attend an ample number of lectures in the Department of Religious Studies. These lectures include the Distinguished Lecture in Religious Studies, the Karen and Pace Robinson Lecture in Judaic Studies, the Siddiqi Lecture in Islamic Studies, and the Anjali Lecture in Hindu Studies, all of which bring top scholars from their fields to the university.
The Department of Religious Studies also boasts the Fern and Manfred Steinfeld Program in Judaic Studies, a center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, focused on the study of Jews and Judaism. These unique experiential learning opportunities allow students to tailor their pathway to fit their unique interests, all while deepening their engagement with faculty and scholars from around the country.
What Can You Do with a Graduate Certificate in Religious Studies After Graduation?
A certificate in religious studies provides various opportunities for your career. Many religious studies graduates go into business or law to be a human resources associate, legal assistant, mediation coordinator, or foreign service officer. In fields of communications or education, you could become a nonprofit program manager, a journalist or researcher, an admissions counselor, or even a cultural affairs specialist internationally. Whether you go into these disciplines or any other, the knowledge you gain from this degree path will set you up for success in a multitude of different concentrations.
Featured Courses
REST 510 Method and Theory in Religious Studies
This course covers the sources and methods used in the study of religion and religions. Students will also engage in an analysis of approaches to the study of religion.
REST 523 Seminar in Early Christianity
This course covers a thematic study of early Christianity from the second to the seventh century. Themes will vary.
REST 530 Religions and Nature
Topics in this course include an investigation of the efforts of religious communities in addressing environmental issues around the world with special emphasis on themes of environmental justice.
REST 581 Public Health in Holocaust Ghettos
Students will explore a myriad of public health issues connected with incarceration in ghettos during World War II. Students will engage in research on the topic using primary source materials including oral histories, documents, and other available resources.
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