What Does a Religion Major Do After Graduating?

Cassie J. (2012) is teaching English in Shenzhen, China.

Kristina W. (2012) returned from a spending a month in Taiwan, where she traveled and spent time learning about Buddhism. She completed a Masters degree at DePaul University and works for Illinois Action for Children in Chicago. 

Amanda H. (Dec. 2011) will begin the Masters of Divinity Program at Princeton Theological Seminary starting September 2012. Amanda will pursue a Dual Degree Program with Rutgers University for a combined Masters in Divinity and Masters in Social Work.

Dan D. (2011) went on to the University of Iowa, Carver, College of Medicine after graduating from IWU. Read Dan's Research Honors project, "The Sick Person and Science . . ."

Aislinn L. (2010), a religion minor, is a Donor Relations and Special Events Coordinator at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Her work includes co-leading the aquarium's iguana research in the Bahamas (2012-13) that focuses on the endangered rock iguanas inhabiting the Exuma Islands and the island of Andros.

Thomas Y. (2010) attended Garrett Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. Thomas has worked part time at two different churches as a children's pastor and as a youth pastor. He has also led two mission trips to Mexico. Future plans include ordination after seminary and pursuing further education after receiving his Master's, possibly a Ph.D. or D.Min. Thomas would like to start or join a non-profit group (Alternative Spring Break, Habitat for Humanity) that regularly sends high school students on humanitarian trips to foreign countries.

Kari I. (2009) completed the American Institute of Indian Studies Advanced Hindi Language Program, in Jaipur, India, 2009-10. She then moved to New York where she started an online publishing zine and worked as an editor. Kari has since moved to Palentine, IL, and is a new member of the Daily Herald Media Group's niche sales and marketing team.

Charlie W. (2008) attended Lincoln Christian Seminary (Lincoln, IL)  to pursue a Masters of Divinity and then a Ph.D. Future plans included missions work (possibly abroad), and maybe to teach as a professor or become a pastor of a church.

Abby M. (12/07) attended McCormick Seminary (Chicago, IL) to pursue a Masters of Divinity. There, she continued research in ecotheology and worked to end domestic violence.  Beginning in 2012, she served as Faith Community Outreach Worker at Puente de la Costa Sur and Pastoral Intern at First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, CA.

Drew S. (2007) joined Teach for America spending three years teaching second grade in the Mississippi Delta (Coahoma County). He stayed on after he earned his teaching certificate and fulfilled his two-year commitment to the program. He has moved to Washington, DC, to teach at DC Prep, a public charter school. In July 2012, Drew married Maria R. (2010) in Jacksonville, IL

Melissa M., Drew S., and Patrick H. (2007) all joined Teach For America in summer 2007. Melissa  taught in Baton Rouge, LA., and Drew  worked in the Mississippi Delta region, while Patrick  taught in the St. Louis area.

Laura A. (2007) moved to Atlanta in Fall 2007 to pursue a Master’s program at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. A candidate for ordination in the the United Church of Christ, she has worked in Atlanta, GA, as a chaplain at Grady Memorial Hospital for the women and infant services department.

Bryan C. (2006) attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earning a Master’s Degree in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Austin B. (2006) attended Claremont Graduate University in Fall 2007 to complete a Master's Degree with a concentration in the Religions of North America. He continued for the Ph.D. in Women's Studies in Religion with a research focus on witchcraft and paganism.

Dan G. (2005) enrolled at the Divinity School of Harvard University, completing a Master's of theological studies. In 2012, following further studies in Computer Science, he worked as Associate Programmer at a financial services company.

Josh E. (2005)  worked for two years in a Catholic campus ministry organization called FOCUS, and resumed academic studies at Yale Divinity School in Fall 2007,and earned a Master’s Degree with a concentration on gender studies.

Jo (W.) C. (2004) moved to Atlanta and started graduate school at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and earned a Masters of Divinity. After finishing her first year of seminary, she took a job as an associate pastor at a Methodist church in Marietta, GA.

Jared C. (2003) completed his M.A. in Religion in 2005 at Columbia University and his Ph.D. in the History of Religions in Late Antiquity in 2010. Jared was the  Morton Smith Fellow at Columbia (2005-07), served as the Graduate Student Coordinator for the Department of Religion, and taught at IWU. Jared returned to IWU as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Religion Department for the 2010-2011, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013 academic years.

Kwang O. (2001) After working in the sciences for nearly a decade (cancer and Alzheimer's disease), Kwang has circled around to return to theological studies. He was accepted to Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary for the Master of Theological Studies degree. His plan included looking at soul language and how that works in Christianity. Other plans included working up some discussions around a theology of disease.

Cari F. (1996) was approved for ordination in the Christian church (Disciples of Christ) and has worked in the pastoral care program at Saint Louis University Hospital and St. Elizabeth's Hospital.