Mission and Student Learning Outcomes

Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Department of Religious Studies is to provide students with an exemplary liberal arts education through courses and programs dedicated to the academic study of the human religious experience in its manifold and multiple expressions.  In order to foster a critical and disciplined understanding of the various roles of religion in human societies, the department assumes no confessional position, nor are its courses and programs designed to advocate for or against particular religious beliefs or practices. Rather, the department seeks to provide students with the opportunities to explore some of the fundamental questions of human existence from a variety of perspectives, and to seek to understand the ways in which religious ideas, practices, and communities have contributed to the construction of meaning, both historically and within contemporary cultures and societies.

Student Learning Outcomes

Critical Thinking, Communication, and Information Literacy: Students exemplify skills in objective inquiry and critical thinking as illustrated through their abilities to access and to evaluate information critically, and to communicate their ideas and arguments effectively, both orally and in writing.

Religious Literacy: Students demonstrate an understanding of the core tenets and practices of the world’s major religious traditions and the various roles that religions assume in both historical and contemporary cultural contexts.

Theoretical and Methodological Proficiency: Students understand a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of religion and can incorporate these as appropriate in their research and writing.

Diversity and Global Citizenship: Students demonstrate an awareness of the diversity of religious ideas and practices, and appreciate the ways in which respect for diversity can inform and encourage global citizenship.

• University Mission Statement
• University Student Learning Outcomes