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2. What are the
advantages of studying in this
field?
Studying in this areas brings
you close to the most basic issues
of life, issues which can give
depth, direction and light to some
of the most important decisions a
person can ever make. It is of
immense personal value to the
student and to their future
families, a value to which all
majors would testify.
Religious studies also involve
the student in the liberal arts,
broadening their interests, skills,
areas of knowledge. The world of the
human is explored in many ways. The
person skilled in the liberal arts
is of benefit to any corporation,
institution, family and community.
A person who has majored in
religious studies has pursued
through major concentration and
electives a broad range of areas so
that they bring to any job a breadth
and sophistication which should
benefit any company. Articles have
been written on the benefits liberal
arts majors bring to business
corporations.
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3. Can I major in Religious Studies
and another major at the same time?
About half of our majors are
double majors, some in the liberal
arts, such as history and
philosophy. Other combine majors
you might not expect, e.g., physics
or engineering, communications or
music. Since the university has
several general education courses
all students take, no matter what
their major, you do not do double
the work in getting two majors.
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4. How often is
graduate school needed to pursue a
career in this field?
Graduate school is a normal
path in Religious Studies; but it is
not essential, at least at the
beginning. Someone could be hired in
a parish, a diocesan center or a
school with a bachelor's degree.
Ordinarily though, anyone with these
jobs will turn their thoughts to a
master's degree as a way of
progressing in their careers as well
as a means of developing their own
knowledge and skills. Naturally,
wherever there is a tight job
market, the people with the greater
qualifications will be ahead of the
game. Likewise, there are also
different levels of competition for
jobs in different geographic areas
and dioceses.
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5.
For what careers can
a Religious Studies major prepare
me?
Religious Studies is a point
of entry for a wide variety of
careers, some traditionally
associated with the field and others
which might surprise you. Religious
Studies is, of course, a good major
for people who intend to pursue
careers in ministry, social justice
and education, but it is also
helpful as a stepping stone for
people interested in publishing,
social work, public relations, and
any field which values critical
thinking, the ability to interpret
texts and to see the world
empathetically.
Some current occupations for
Religious Studies graduates and
representative salaries from the
tri-state area are:
|
OCCUPATION |
SALARY |
COMMENTS |
|
Catholic
School |
$28,000 -
$60,000 |
Higher In
Some States |
|
School
Administrator |
$21,000 -
$75,000 |
|
|
Director Of
Parish Religious Education |
$34,000 -
$42,000 |
|
|
Coordinator
Of Religious Education |
$29,250 -
$36,250 |
Smaller
Parishes PT |
|
Pastoral
Music Directors |
$29,000 -
$63,000 |
|
|
University
Professors |
$40,000s |
Beginning In
The Low |
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6. What is the
current job outlook?
The job market is not wide
open, but there are jobs and
students are getting them. Parish
work is not a high paying job, but
the direction is certainly positive.
More and more people accept and
value very highly the religious
education work done for young people
and adults. Those positions are now
indispensable in parishes. Catholic
schools are not as numerous as they
used to be; but religion is a course
everyone takes for four years, so
there are many of those positions,
and teaching is a career which is
possible to undertake on a part-time
basis for people who are raising a
family. This is another advantage--
part-time work and a flexible
workweek. Some salaries in a local
Catholic high school:
|
Beginning B.A., no
experience: |
$18,000 |
|
10 years experience: |
$29,000 |
|
25 years experience +
updating: |
$39,000 |
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7. What are the different
concentrations available within
this major?
There are multiple tracks
found in the Department's
offerings. These include:
-
Ministry
track— for those
preparing for lay or
ordained ministry in a
Christian Church
-
Catholic
Schools track—for those
planning to teach in
elementary or secondary
schools.
-
Graduate
School Preparation
track—for those
intending to do graduate
work in theology, church
history, ethics, etc.
-
World
Religions track—for
those interested in the
religious traditions of
humanity or intending to
do graduate work in
comparative religion or
traditions other than
Christianity.
-
General
track—for those
interested in majoring
in Religious Studies to
broaden their own
horizons or who need to
compose their own course
of study.
We have a broad range of
courses in Catholicism in
particular and Christianity in
general. However, the University
strongly supports the right of
the student to be able to study
the religious nature of human
life without being limited to
the study of anyone particular
religion . There is, then, a
wide scope of studies in various
religious traditions, religion
and the arts, and religion as it
interfaces with other
disciplines. Such a rich
curriculum offers a wide variety
of possibilities for your major.
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8. If a student
were interested in this major,
but were not really sure, what
course or courses could a
student take in order to find
out more?
I think that several courses
would be very enlightening and
give the student an idea of what
values a major might bring to
them now and in the future.
First there are the introductory
courses Introduction to
Religion, the broad course or
the Catholic option. There are
also introductions to the
Bible--New Testament and Old
Testament in modern study. Many
students take Christian Ethics
to pursue the moral outlook on
the numerous challenges of our
age. The study of world
religions is very broadening,
and the history of Christianity
is a great help to understanding
why we are the way we are and
how we got here.
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9. Will
I have to go to graduate school
to get a job in the field?
Some majors in Religious
Studies do not go to graduate
school. These people hold
positions where a degree in the
humanities is valued for the
critical thinking and writing
skills it inculcates. Students
who intend to teach in
elementary or secondary schools
will need more than simply a
bachelor's degree in Religious
Studies. They will take
undergraduate or graduate work
in education. The University of
Dayton's Lalanne Program can
help them achieve their goals.
Some positions in parish
ministry require only a
bachelor's degree but others
require at least the commitment
to work on a master's degree.
The University has a Fall/Winter
and a Summers only programs in
Graduate Study leading to the
Master's in Pastoral Ministry
and Theology and to the Ph.D. in
Theology to assist professionals
in the early years of their
graduate work. Our students
have gone on to graduate
programs here at the University
of Dayton and to prestigious
universities elsewhere.
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