The Department of Religion was established in 1946 and is the second-oldest religion department at a public university in America. The department’s founder and first chair, Professor Delton Schudder, was a graduate of Yale University. Much of the department’s early focus revolved around Christianity. The department’s profile developed significantly in the decades that followed, with a more rigorous academic focus and the inclusion of religious traditions beyond Christianity to the curriculum. Today, the department offers a broad array of courses at undergraduate and graduate levels and has a thriving PhD program – established in 2003.
The department has a diverse group of highly recognized faculty with expertise in a number of different areas. Among its strengths are the study of Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as the study of religion in the American hemisphere, including both North as well as South America. Another focus for research and teaching is the area of Religion and Nature, dealing with questions related to environmentalism, ethics, and sustainability. The department has also built its strength in Islamic studies with a focus on Islam as a global religion and a particular attention to Islam in Africa and South Asia. We also offer courses in the Hebrew Bible and Christianity, new religious movement, and contemporary spirituality and are also developing a focus on modern Jewish philosophy and experience.
We are a relatively small department, which allows for close contacts between faculty and undergraduate and graduate students. Religion faculty collaborate actively with other units on campus, such as the Department of Philosophy, the Center for African Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, as well as the Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere. It also has particular close connections to the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions, the Center for Jewish Studies, and the Center for Global Islamic Studies.
We welcome students from all walks of life and can offer a welcoming academic and social community. Both our undergraduate and graduate students have moved on to successful careers, demonstrating the continued relevance of the religion major. For more information, please contact the department chair, Terje Ostebo (ostebo@ufl.edu), the undergraduate coordinator, Erin Prophet (eprophet@ufl.edu), or the graduate coordinator, Vasudha Narayanan (vasu@ufl.edu).
Also, check out our Professional Development Advisory Board – and feel free to contact its members, who can give advice and counseling on the many career paths that can lead from the study of religion.