Religion

Types of Degrees Religion Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many religion/religious studies graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	2,291
Master’s Degree	350
Doctor’s Degree	199
Associate Degree	84
Basic Certificate	39
Graduate Certificate	17
Undergraduate Certificate	17

What Religion Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to religion and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Religion Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills for Religion Majors

When studying religion, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Religion Majors

As you progress with your religion degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Religion Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with religion:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 51% of the graduates are women, and 49% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of religion majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	78
Black or African American	210
Hispanic or Latino	191
White	1,482
International Students	39
Other Races/Ethnicities	291

Geographic Diversity

Religion appeals to people across the globe. About 1.7% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Religion

Some careers associated with religion require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to religion have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Master’s Degree	12.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.6%
Doctoral Degree	72.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	12.3%

Online Religion Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	12	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	41	9
Bachelor’s Degree	18	10
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	110	24
Post-Master’s	7	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	42	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	3	2

Majors Related to Religion

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to religion.

Major	Number of Grads
Talmudic Studies	4,406
Jewish Studies	1,285
Christian Studies	745
Other Religion/Religious Studies	81
Catholic Studies	42
Islamic Studies	26
Buddhist Studies	5

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Sowlos under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.