Schools that offer religious programs provide students with the opportunity to study the diversity of human beliefs and the role religion has played in helping humans understand different aspects of spirituality and the concepts of life and death. Religious studies expose students to these issues as they develop understandings of how societies have embraced different religions in the search for some of life’s most basic and most complex questions. Many schools feature small classes and the possibility of studying abroad. There is a difference between religious studies and theological studies. That difference is the amount of focus on God (or deities) themselves. Religious studies center more on religious behavior and are conducted from outside any particular religious stance.
Fortunately, there are many career options from which to choose. Some of them are more closely associated with a degree in religious studies than others. These include but are by no means limited to the following.
Administrative Coordinator, Charity Coordinator, Child & Youth Worker, Clergyperson, Community Center Director, Human Rights Advocate, International Aid Worker, Minister, Missionary, Non-Profit Administrator, Social Service Worker, Teacher, Victim’s Advocate
Positions that are more loosely related to religious studies include fundraising and diplomacy, among others.
The most popular jobs in this field include: (1) Teacher/Educator; (2) Charity Officer (for a non-profit); (3) Missionary; (4) Chaplain; (5) Youth Director; (6) Technical Writer. Salaries for these types of positions usually range between $40,000 and $60,000.
Most religious studies graduates apply the skills they acquire to find satisfying careers in the public, nonprofit, government, or private sector. Many graduates spend time working for social service programs such as the Peace Corps or Teach for Americas. Some students go on to pursue graduate studies in religion, anthropology, history, literature, philosophy, sociology, or other related fields.
The overall job outlook for activities or education directors have increased by nearly 57% since 2004. The average annual growth rate is 3.56% per year. Religious activities and education directors work within faith communities in conjunction with clergy and other faith leaders and officials to create goals and encourage attendance in religious education programs and activities. The need for activities and education directors is going up with an expected demand for 142, 890 new jobs by 2029. This represents an increase of more than 80% over the next few years.
There are at least 640 postsecondary career schools or colleges that offer programs in religious studies in the United States. Typically, about 4000 religious studies degrees are conferred in a given year. Notably, in-state tuition for religious studies at private schools is, on average, 3.9 times more expensive than that in a career school, postsecondary public school or university.
Regardless of the programs they offer, schools depend on good student information and record keeping software and management systems to operate. STARS® is a very comprehensive system which minimizes the need for additional third-party software. It includes a “built-in” and exclusive learning management system (LMS) that incorporates data stored in the management system. Because it runs on a state-of-the-art IBMi Power9 server, STARS is the most dependable and secure system available. This is crucial since educational institutions are among the most threatened by on-line hackers. STARS has an uptime of 99.99% and has no record of being violated by hackers.
Click here to learn more about how STARS can help Religious Studies Schools.
*STARS is an acronym for Student Tracking and Accounting Records System. This type of software is also referred to as a student management system, career college management system, student information management system, school administrative software, campus management software, school information management system, college management system, student record management system, campus management system, student information system software, online student management software, vocational school management system, etc.
