Department of Religious Studies

The Department of Religious Studies was established in 1995 and inaugurated an MA in 1996. Instruction is offered in all of the major religions of the world and in a number of thematic areas. The department is closely linked with a number of interdisciplinary programs, including: African-New World studies, Asian studies, Environmental Studies, Judaic Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Women's Studies. Established in 1972, FIU is one of the fastest - growing, most diverse and dynamic universities in the nation. It is a doctoral/Research University Extensive, and is the youngest institution in the United States with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. The Religious Studies major serves as a basis for students who wish to pursue the study of religion or theology as a career, for students preparing for a career in counseling, education, business, law or medicine, or for students who wish to undertake a dual major in a related field. The major is designed to allow students to focus either on comparative topics, using a critical approach to understanding religious phenomena and their relation to society in a broad cultural context, or on the theory and practice of a specific religious tradition in its historical setting.