Philosophy and Religious Studies at Franklin College

speaker for MLK Day and professor meeting with student
In the Franklin College Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, students learn how to ask life’s most important questions while exploring their own values and the values of other cultures. We specialize in helping others seek out and understand lives of meaning.

Join us, not in the pursuit for answers, but in the pursuit of asking great questions.

Download the Religious Studies Major Handout (PDF)
Download the Philosophy Major Handout (PDF)

Departmental Highlights

  • Philosophy majors can debate with the best of them. Perhaps more than any other academic discipline, philosophy trains students to develop thought-provoking, reasonable, arguments while also helping students recognize the faults in others’ positions. Philosophy students are particularly skilled at seeing social issues from a variety of different perspectives as they develop their lines of argumentation. A truly a valuable skill for any career!
  • Philosophy majors score consistently high on the LSAT entrance exams for law school. A major component of the LSAT exam includes logical reasoning, a topic which is a consistent theme throughout the philosophy curriculum at Franklin College. Students who take philosophy courses usually score higher on their LSAT exams than those who don’t.
  • Philosophy majors know how to apply the study of ethics in the real world. Questions of morality never go out of style. Yet, it is often difficult to find an individual who can discuss ethical issues with more than an opinionated response. Philosophy majors are trained to apply different ethical theories to everyday situations so that students can argue what the best, “moral” choice is in a given situation. Some of our strongest philosophy students have gone to have careers in business, insurance, and financial advising.
  • Philosophy majors receive an individualized education. Because the requirements for a major or minor in philosophy are so flexible, we are able to work one-on-one with students to cultivate personal learning experiences based upon student interests. Many of our students double-major in another academic discipline; as such, we work to integrate independent studies, senior projects, and internships to include both philosophy and a student’s other major to make them more marketable post-graduation.

Special Programs

Religion and Nonprofits Track

As of 2016, the Franklin College Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies implemented a Religion and Nonprofits track within its curriculum. This major track focuses on preparing students for entry into the nonprofit workforce through a curriculum of diverse courses that explore the history of religion and social movements within the United States, nonprofit leadership, faith-based organizations, and the role of giving in religion. The track was designed specifically to make minoring in Nonprofit Leadership through the department of sociology especially accessible for students within the major. Prospective and current students interested in careers within faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and ministry should consider this major track.

  • Raphaela Mueller

    Religious Studies works really well with other majors and helps me see the connections between other disciplines, which is pretty much the point of a liberal arts education. - Raphaela Mueller '16

Meet Our Faculty