The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies offers two majors, one in philosophy and the other in religious studies. While the two majors complement and enhance each other, they retain separate identities and missions. In both programs, Spelman students learn how to read critically, write cogently, identify and interrogate historical and contemporary discourses, apply discipline-specific research methods, conduct and present their research in their courses, and employ inquiry-based learning to take ultimate responsibility for their academic potential.
Why not? Seriously. Philosophy is a college-only experience that engages and develops your intellectual critical thinking abilities and enhances any professional path. All Ph.D.s are doctors of philosophy, which means they have expanded their knowledge within their field. If you intend to expand the knowledge base of any discipline, or if you enjoy reading the ideas that have shaped our world, then a philosophy major will not disappoint you.
According to a recent article in Forbes, "Philosophy majors earn significantly more than most majors, especially in the long term..." Philosophy also helps you to better understand and create a context for and analyze your ideas, intellectual views, positions and arguments, as well as those of others. In doing so, a philosophy major strengthens her reading, writing, oral and argumentation skills. Finally, philosophy majors are taught to be at home with diverse ideas and points of view and be confident in expressing/arguing their perspectives.
As the academic and interdisciplinary study of religion, religious studies at Spelman College provides insights into the ways in which religious worldviews interact with social, political and cultural life in diverse settings. It also offers students the opportunity to identify and critically assess their participation in religious traditions and institutions as Black women and to develop knowledge about and competency to interact with diverse views of the world. Religious studies majors develop key skills and abilities, such as critical thinking, analytic reasoning, conducting empirical study, interpretive thinking, competency in written and oral communication, self-awareness and cultural competency for a variety of careers in today’s global society.
“… the academic study of religion reveals just how extensively religion pervades all aspects of our complex and diverse human world.” -- Debra Majeed, “How to Study Religion” in Introduction to Religious Studies.
“If I went back to college today, I think I would probably major in comparative religion because that’s how integrated it is in everything that we are working on and deciding and thinking about in life today." -- John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State.
Declare the major (or the minor). This involves meeting with the department chair and completing official paperwork declaring philosophy as your major. To schedule a meeting with the department chair, Dr. Nami Kim, please email nkim@spelman.edu.
Philosophy is an excellent preparation for law, medicine, post-secondary education (including a Masters or a Ph.D. in Philosophy, or any discipline, including STEM), public policy, marketing, business, statistics, social media, AI, tech or journalism. A degree in philosophy is considered both a specialization in critical thinking/logic and creative thinking. Many corporations, non-profit organizations, law schools and medical schools reserve spots for philosophy majors and minors.
The major in religious studies focuses on critical thinking, critical writing and empirical study about the diverse worldviews that influence human identities and activity. It is an excellent preparation for graduate study (e.g., the Ph.D. in religious studies, anthropology, sociology, history, and other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences) as well as pursuing professions for which autonomous and synthetic thinking and writing are required, such as law, public policy, non-profit leadership, social justice and organizing, social work, mental health, diplomacy, public service, managing virtual and physical information systems and libraries, marketing, journalism, military/hospital/institutional chaplaincy and ministry.
Spelman has graduated more Black women in philosophy than any other undergraduate institution. Our majors have become professors and administrators and serve in various academic, nongovernmental and nonprofit institutions. Recent Spelman philosophy graduates have also worked in corporate finance, public health, international relations and community development. Many also go on to professional careers in law, medicine and business.
Religious studies graduates over the past 10 to 15 years are successfully pursuing careers as college professors, attorneys, administrators in higher education, non-profit managers, priests and ministers, military chaplains, social justice advocates, entrepreneurs and more.
You will be assigned an academic advisor once you are officially registered as a philosophy major or a religious studies major.
Yes. As long as you plan thoughtfully, a double major can be intellectually enriching. It can also expand your career opportunities. Please meet with your academic advisor to discuss your interest in a double major.
Jauhara Ferguson Uses her Religious Studies Minor to Stand Firmly for Justice
January 2021
Jauhara Ferguson is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology at Rice University, where she works with the RPLP and the Racism and Racial Experiences (RARE) work group.
Her research interests focus on the intersection between race and religion, specifically examining inter-racial/ethnic divides within Muslim American communities. As a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellow, she previously conducted research on “Radical Narratives of Muslim Male Youth: A Critical Investigation of The Media Rhetoric of Radicalization.” She is an alumnae of Spelman College, where she completed her bachelor's degree in international studies with a minor in religious studies.
Motivated by faith, Ferguson seeks to "stand firmly for justice," aspiring to use her education and talents to build her community and ultimately impact the world.
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