Career opportunities for those who have done courses in religious studies

Courses in religion can prepare students for university religion programs if they are interested in teaching religious studies at the high school, CEGEP or university levels.

Because religion courses introduce students to the great diversity of beliefs and values held by fellow Canadians, such courses provide a good background for work in hospitals, community agencies, correctional institutions, public service, guidance counseling, social work and journalism. Working with youth organizations, adult education programs, non-profit organizations and government agencies offer additional career possibilities.

The study of religion also provides a good background for a variety of university programs, such as programs in literature, history, philosophy, the arts, education, and the social sciences.

Preparation for an unknown professional future:

Many students are undecided about their future career path. And even those who have made certain decisions in this regard may very well end up in a field they could not have anticipated. One of the best preparations for an unpredictable professional future is to have been exposed to a variety of educational experiences. Because courses in religion introduce students to such a great variety of the world’s religious cultures and a wide range of interpretive theories (such as literary, historical, philosophical, psychological, sociological, anthropological), religion courses are ideal for cultivating in students the capacity for looking at phenomena from multiple perspectives, a capacity that will enable them to take advantage of unanticipated future professional opportunities.

Value of religious studies apart from training for a career:

Finally it should be noted that while a very important function of education is to prepare students for a future career, there are other purposes to education in general and to individual courses in particular.

One of goals of education is to foster good citizenship, at the neighbourhood, municipal, provincial, federal and international levels. By taking courses in religion students will develop an understanding and appreciation for people of different cultural expressions, values and ideas. Such an understanding will make it much easier to collaborate with other groups of people in the project of creating a better world.

Yet another goal of education is to help students discover their own unique purpose in life and the way to personal happiness. Courses in religion will provide students with information and theoretical perspectives that can act as a basis for examination of, and reflection upon, their own values, beliefs and sense of meaning or purpose.