BA in Theology & Religious Studies

As a Theology & Religious Studies major at Sacred Heart, you will engage with the core questions of life as you gain a deeper understanding of what religion is, how it develops, and the tenets of various religious traditions.

Why Earn Your BA in Theology & Religious Studies at Sacred Heart?

The Theology and Religious Studies bachelor’s degree at Sacred Heart provides a rigorous curriculum that is relevant for today’s 21st century learners. You will develop critical thinking skills while analyzing contemporary issues in science, culture, ethics, and politics from a religious perspective.

Through this study, you will be prepared for successful careers in law, business, Christian ministry, and health science to name a few.

With a Theology and Religious Studies degree, you will also:

• Benefit from small classes sizes taught by accomplished faculty who are active in their fields and dedicated to teaching, mentoring, and developing the student as a whole person
• Study the religious impulse and its various manifestations over many centuries of human history, and how that impulse still inspires religious movements.
• Explore Christian theology, with emphasis on the Catholic intellectual traditions
• Examine Catholicism, including its doctrines, practices, and methods of reasoning (theology)
• Apply ethical concepts to a broad range of situations while broadening your awareness and understanding of the complexities of the human condition.
• Learn to read, analyze and interpret complicated texts, think critically, and articulate your own complex ideas in writing
• Complete an internship with local Diocese, charities, social advocacy organizations, and local Catholic high schools, and serve as a teaching assistant and tutor on campus
• Write original research papers and complete a senior capstone project
• Be eligible to join Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honors society for Theology and Religious Studies, and Delta Epsilon Sigma, a national honor society for student at colleges and universities with a Catholic tradition
• Have the opportunity to study abroad

Fast track your studies with an accelerated degree

3 + 3 Bachelor's & JD Program

Students who wish to continue on to law school can apply to the 3+3 Bachelor’s & JD program, a collaboration between SHU and Seton Hall University or Villanova University.

Dual Degree Program Options for Theology & Religious Studies Major 

Sacred Heart University’s dual degree programs provide a defined pathway for incoming freshmen to move seamlessly from an undergraduate to a graduate degree.

While some of our dual degree programs require specific undergraduate majors, others are open to almost all undergraduate disciplines. Apply to a dual degree program as an incoming freshman and you’ll have the opportunity to be admitted directly into the graduate program of your choice at the same time as your admission as an undergraduate student. Students are encouraged to reach out to your admissions counselor to discuss dual degree options.

Launch your career or further your study

Religious Studies graduates often pursue careers in:

• Non-profit sectors at community, national, or international levels
• Federal, state, or local government, in policy or administrative capacities
• Local or international business
• Teaching
• Campus and youth ministry
• Church administration

SHU Religious Studies majors have obtained full-time positions with:

• St. Joseph High School, Trumbull, CT 
• St. Augustine School, Hartford, CT 
• School of the Holy Child, Rye, NY 
• The ONE Campaign
• Inspirca, Stamford, CT 
• Habitat for Humanity

Other SHU alumni have pursued graduate studies at:

• Sacred Heart University
• Yale Divinity School
• Arizona State University
• Catholic University of America