The religious studies department at Gettysburg College is a hidden secret for the school. The program is amazing and students leave having gotten a lot out of it, but it is a small major that many people don’t consider. Here are five reasons why you should change that.
- The department is small
-
Religious studies is the definition of small but mighty. With four professors total, you are bound to get close to most of them and all of them are willing to help and support you anytime. Small classes also mean you get to know your fellow students well and you’ll rarely take a class full of strangers.
- Classes include religions from around the world
-
Religious studies offers classes on Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Native American beliefs. Such a wide breadth lets you find things that interest you and helps you get to know other cultures!
- Classes often touch on multiple disciplinaries
-
While you spend a lot of time studying religious traditions, most classes will have you look at the political and cultural aspects of each practice and also explore how religions interact with each other.
- It’s perfect for a double major
-
Gettysburg College students are often double majors and religious studies complements many majors including philosophy, political science, anthropology, and foreign languages. The interdisciplinary approach in many religious studies classes makes creating connections across majors that much easier.
- It’s an easy major to schedule
-
While no major is inherently easier or harder than another, the religious studies major is easy to put into your schedule as the only required classes are methods and the senior capstone. All other requirements can be met through a combination of whatever 200 level and 300 level classes interest you.
Even if you can’t fit in a religious studies major, I highly recommend taking a few classes in the department!