About the College
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Did you know that Islam is the fastest growing religion on the planet with over a billion followers? Understanding Islam and the questions of modernity is crucial to anyone living and working in the 21st century.
Shiva Vinadara-Dakshinamurti 11th c. C.E.
It is impossible to open a newspaper, listen to the radio, or watch television without being bombarded by debates about the religious and ethical dimensions of cloning, animal rights, terrorism, capital punishment, and a host of other issues that fiercely divide the public both in this country and abroad.
Religion is a major force in human experience. It has shaped the world's history, literature, art, culture, politics, ethics, and economics. Religion has proven to be one of the greatest threats to world peace and prosperity, but has also laid the foundation for human rights, social justice, toleration, and world peace. Since moral and ethical issues are at the heart of every religious tradition, encouraging students to discuss them in an academic setting is of the greatest importance in creating educated, thinking individuals.
The Religious Studies Program offers courses in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Chinese and Japanese religions. In addition, the program has developed cross-cultural courses dealing with religious symbols, myths, and rituals as they appear in written texts, art and architecture, theater, and film as well as thematic courses dealing with religious attitudes to the body, religion and violence, and the rise of fundamentalism.
Because critical thinking, writing, and reading skills are essential in any field, students who major in Religious Studies are well prepared to enter a variety of careers, including the health professions, law, business, government, and teaching. In an increasingly global society university graduates cannot know where their life and careers may take them. But wherever students end up, knowledge of the religious traditions of the people with whom they interact is essential. As we have learned from the events of 9/11 as well as from our own political debates, religion is potent force in the world today.
Here are a few examples of what our alumni are doing now:
Tibetan Wheel of Life
The Religious Studies faculty is recognized for its dedication to students and teaching. Majors are encouraged to write an honors thesis, which gives them the opportunity to work closely with faculty on a project of their own choice. Because we are one of the smaller majors on campus, majors in Religious studies have the opportunity to get to know the faculty and students in their major.
Here are a few comments excerpted from student course evaluations:
"Religious Studies courses have forced me (in a good way) to read a lot about different religions and it has exposed me to new ideas, which I never thought were out there. I wish I could go back four years and change my major to Religious Studies."
"Studying religion has enlightened my mind and allowed me to dig deeper into what I believe. It has allowed me to discover a part of myself that I have never felt before."
"Religious Studies classes remain the most interesting and provocative classes offered (on campus). Religion penetrates every aspect of human culture."
Further information about majoring in Religious Studies can be found on the departmental website at:
http://religions.ucdavis.edu/
For more information about this and other majors, visit our Departments, Programs and Centers page.