Religious Studies
Religions are an integral part of the human experience. They have inspired great ideas, political and social movements, and works of literature and art. They have also contributed to tremendous suffering and destruction. The religious studies program instructs students in the critical analysis of religious ideas, practices, and institutions, and employs theoretical models for a better understanding of these systems. Courses examine the historical development of major religions and their influence on contemporary issues–such as violence, the role of women, and the environment–that affect all human beings. Graduates in religious studies have gone on to top doctoral programs, professional schools including law and medicine, and work in non-profit organizations. Majoring in religious studies, it’s divine!
Religious Studies is a cooperative program offered jointly by Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, Pomona, and Scripps Colleges. Students may enroll in religious studies courses offered at the undergraduate colleges, and advanced students may, with permission, enroll in master's-level courses in their area of specialization at The Claremont Graduate University.
Our program offers over 50 courses taught by a dozen scholars specializing in various historical religious traditions, geographical and cultural areas of the world, philosophical and critical approaches to the study of religion, and thematic and comparative studies of religious phenomena. While recognizing the importance and legitimacy of personal involvement in the study of religion, the religious studies cooperative program does not represent or advocate any particular religion as normative. Our aim is to make possible an informed knowledge of the fundamental importance of the religious dimension in all human societies–Eastern and Western, ancient and modern.
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