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Exploring religious traditions in all of their complexity

Religious Studies Program

We explore religious traditions through comparative, contextual and thematic studies. Our courses are built on the established scholarly tradition of the study of religion as an academic, as opposed to a confessional, pursuit.

Engage & Support

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Major in religious studies

Interested in a specific religious tradition? Want to learn more about religious rituals throughout history and in the contemporary world? Consider an undergraduate major or minor in religious studies!

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Take a class

Start with "Religion and Ecological Sustainability" (RELST 2273) or "Sensational Religion" (RELST 2276) or take one of the many other classes we offer.

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Add a graduate minor in religious studies 

Cornell graduate students working in fields related to the study of religion are welcome to apply for the Religious Studies Graduate Minor in the Cornell Graduate School

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Support religious studies at Cornell

Your support enables the program to enhance the experience for undergraduate students. Gifts can help fund lectures and conferences, student research, distinguished speakers, and other program priorities. We will greatly appreciate and immediately put into use any gift, no matter the amount.

Give to Religious Studies

Undergraduate Funding

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Weiner Family Summer Prize

This prize is given in honor of Gelek Rimpoche. It supports funding for summer experiential learning and research for a Cornell undergraduate student studying Buddhist practice in Asia. Funding is limited to travel, research materials, and living expenses. Preference will be given to a student with strong coursework in religious studies and Asian religions.

For more information about this prize contact the Director of Religious Studies.

Application deadline is March 14, 2025

Religious Studies News

More News

New Courses Spring 2025

Ezra Cornell statue facing A.D. White statue and Goldwin Smith Hall, fall color on the trees
  • Sex and Sexuality in Islam (RELST 2555) MW 10:10-11:25

  • Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism in Historical Perspective (RELST 2656) MW 10:10-11:25

  • Gospel & The Blues: A Black Women's History II, 1973-2023 (RELST 3422/6422) W 11:15-1:45

  • Islamic Mysticism: Life, Love, and History (RELST 3448/6338) MW 1:25-2:40

  • Religion and Social Life (RELST 4110) W 2:00-4:30

  • Topics in South Asian Culture and Literature (RELST 4414/6602) W 12:20-2:15

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. (RELST 6865) F 11:15-1:45

Spring 2025 Class Roster

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