Religious Studies
Mount Saint Mary's College
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Religious Studies

What can I do with my degree?

Generally those people interested in religious work versus secular work possess deep faith, want more than filling own personal needs, and want to make a difference. A Bachelor's degree provides a background for careers in many fields including many religious-affiliated organizations, while preparing students for professional and graduate study in business, law, medicine, counseling, higher education, and other fields. However, dual majors are required for some of those specialized areas. Listed below are several employment and service opportunities where you can put your degree to use.

LOCAL MINISTRIES

Gain employment with local churches, synagogues, and mosques, various religious organizations, and denominational boards in the following areas:

  • Youth Ministries 
  • Adult Ministries
  • Leisure Ministries
  • Counseling/Recovery
  • Religious Education
  • Day Care, Children and Adult
  • Missionary Outreach
  • Food Bank / Emergency Ministries
  • Family Life Center Management
  • Journalism
  • Public Relations
  • Television, Radio, and Films
  • Publishing
  • Music

SOCIAL SERVICES

Gain employment with nonprofit organizations including United Way, Red Cross, Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, etc., churches, synagogues, mosques, religious hospitals and hospices, correctional institutions, shelters, nursing homes, youth organizations and camps including YMCA, YWCA, Young Life, etc., adoption agencies / foster care, and religious political organizations in the following areas:

  • Administration
  • Vocational Training
  • Retail
  • Public Relations
  • Programming
  • Counseling
  • Advocacy
  • Crisis Services (pregnancy, housing, etc.)
  • Financial / Debt Counseling
  • Lobbying

HEALTH AND WELFARE MINISTRIES

Gain employment with hospitals, mental health treatment facilities, nursing homes, retirement homes, assisted living homes, and children/youth homes in the following areas:

  • Administration
  • Social Services
  • Residential Living
  • Religious Activities / Programming
  • Chaplaincy
  • Counseling: Mental Health or Pastoral

CLERGY

Gain employment with local churches, synagogues, mosques, religious organizations, denominational boards, agencies, and monasteries in the following areas:

  • Buddhist
  • Catholic
  • Jewish
  • Protestant

CHAPLAINCY

Gain employment with all branches of military, hospitals, hospices, homes for children, youth and senior citizens, correctional institutions, police and fire departments in the following areas:

  • Military
  • Institutional

MISSIONS

Gain employment with denominational boards or agencies, mission boards, local churches, religious institutions, evangelical organizations such as Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in the following areas:

  • Church and Community Development
  • Education
  • Medical
  • Metropolitan Ministries
  • Community Centers
  • Evangelism

EDUCATION

Gain employment with religiously affiliated schools, preparatory schools, private, public, or religiously affiliated colleges and universities, schools of theology / seminaries, organizations such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Crusade for Christ, Muslim Student Association, Hillel, and Buddhist Monasteries such as Chuang Yen Monastery in the following areas:

  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Counseling
  • Administration / Staff
  • Chaplaincy
  • Religious Life Programming
  • Campus Ministry

BUSINESS

Gain employment with local churches, synagogues, and mosques, religious bookstores, religious publishers, denominational boards/agencies, seminaries/schools of theology, religiously affiliated schools, denominational hospitals, homes, schools, boards, and agencies in the following areas:

  • Administration / Management
  • Human Resources
  • Building Managment
  • Research

COMMUNICATIONS

Gain employment with denominational boards/agencies, interdenominational organizations, local churches, synagogues, and mosques, denominational publishing houses of books and magazines, secular publishing houses, and secular radio, television, and film industry in the following areas:

  • Writing
  • Editing
  • Publishing
  • Television/Film
  • Radio
  • Advertising
  • Public Relations
  • Sales
  • Commercial Art

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITES

Join or work for denominational groups including:

  • Roman Catholic (Nuns and Monks)
  • Episcopal
  • Greek Orthodox
  • Buddhist

LOCAL DIOCESES: