Department of Religious Studies

Welcome to the Department of Religious Studies

The Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of specializations within the study of religion. With particular strengths in the study of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and the African-American religious experience, the department emphasizes descriptive, historical, critical and theoretical approaches to the study of religion.

The department maintains close ties with a large number of other programs and institutes at the University of Pennsylvania and beyond, and provides students with access to a wealth of library, museum and linguistic resources. At the same time, Penn's Department of Religious Studies is a small body in which students receive a great deal of individual attention from faculty members and the opportunity to interact with students from diverse subfields. Within this context of extensive resources and personalized guidance, each student works with an advisor to design his or her own course of study.

Penn's Department of Religious Studies has been a pioneer in the incorporation of computer technology in the humanities.