Religious Studies, BA
Why do religions inspire social movements, shape cultures, and motivate people to serve others? The Religious Studies BA explores diverse religious traditions and their influence on history, identity, and contemporary society. Students can also pursue a focus in Religion and Nonprofit Leadership, examining how beliefs and values inspire community organizations, social change, and ethical leadership in a complex, interconnected world.
Program Overview
A BA in religious studies teaches religious understanding, its importance, and impact, exploring art, architecture, the Bible, global religions, and more.
Our program engages students in interdisciplinary coursework examining how religious beliefs, practices, and communities shape human experience across time and place. The program equips students with analytical and interpretive tools to investigate the complex relationships among religion, culture, and society in both historical and contemporary contexts.
Students may also pursue a concentration in Religion and Nonprofit Leadership, which combines the academic study of religion with practical leadership training and real-world experience through an internship in the nonprofit sector.
Graduates develop critical thinking, cultural literacy, and professional skills that prepare them for meaningful careers and informed engagement in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.
Concentrations
Whether you’re interested in using your knowledge of religion to contribute to nonprofit organizations or want to explore how religion, race, and ethnicity intersect, our concentrations allow you to tailor your interests or keep them as generalized as you want.
Our current available concentrations include:
- Religious Studies, BA (general)
- Religion and Nonprofit Leadership
- Religion, Race, and Ethnicity
Minors
Our program also offers minor options for all three concentrations offered in the bachelor’s degree. These minors pair especially well with other professionally-oriented degrees, including law, business, medicine, psychology, political science, history, and more.
Our current available minors include:
- Religious Studies minor
- Religion and Nonprofit Leadership minor
- Religion, Race, and Ethnicity minor
Online Programs – Vols Online
The Religious Studies, BA is also offered through Vols Online, UT’s distance education program which has been ranked #10 nationally for online bachelor’s programs. This unique option allows you to earn your bachelor’s degree completely online.
Why Study Religious Studies?
The bachelor’s degree in religious studies at UT is especially customizable, allowing students to choose from three concentrations, all of which are available as minor options. Whether you choose to make religious studies your primary field or utilize it as a supplementary degree, you’ll graduate with a breadth of understanding that sets you apart.
Plus, the BA in religious studies also offers online degree opportunities, meaning students interested in a general religious studies degree or the religion and nonprofit leadership concentration can complete their degrees fully online.
This flexibility empowers you to customize your academic journey to whatever your needs are, preparing you for diverse careers in non-profits, policy development, humanitarian services, or even pursuing a graduate degree.
What Can You Do with an BA in Religious Studies After Graduation?
A degree 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.
Many of our graduates have also on to work in nonprofit leadership, ministry and pastoral care, law and political, as well as public policy or communications.
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 310: Religion and Gameworlds
Discover how video games shape, and are shaped by, religious narratives in REST 310: Religion and Gameworlds. This innovative course uses interactive gaming as a powerful tool to decode modern culture. By analyzing hit titles like Black Myth: Wukong, Raji, and Civilization VI, you will explore diverse mythologies, pantheons, and cosmic systems. Level up your cultural literacy and see how global religions operate today!
REST 301: Religion and Nonprofit Leadership
Why do religious communities build hospitals, launch social movements, and create charities? Explore how religion shapes nonprofit organizations, social change, and leadership. REST 301 combines history, real-world case studies, and practical leadership strategies to prepare students to lead and serve in an increasingly diverse world.
Rest 344 Religions in Appalachia
This course examines who Appalachian stereotypes and identities have been constructed through US history, how they have impacted the experiences and opportunities of Appalachian residents, and how the region remains a central site of many of the most pressing issues of the 21st century
REST 360: Witchcraft, Magic, & Religion
Are you curious about the histories of witchcraft? Ever wonder how people distinguish between “magic” and “religion”? What’s happening on #witchtok? Learn about these topics and more in REST360: Witchcraft, Magic, & Religion!
Complementary Minors and Certificates
Looking for avenues to expand your knowledge of world religion, history, and culture? Check out programs that might pair well below:
- Anthropology Minor
- Political Science minor
- Sociology minor
Looking For More Options?
The College of Arts and Sciences offers students the broadest range of academic programs and opportunities for research and creative activities at the University of Tennessee, powered by faculty expertise across every discipline.
Admissions and Aid
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