Overview
Manchester University's interdisciplinary major in psychology and religious culture meets the latest employer demands for cross-cultural competency, international business and psychological practices that treat the whole person. Strong candidates for this major include students who flourish in personal interactions, are committed to human healing, are interested in using psychology in business negotiation and marketing, and drawn to the intersection between faith, spirituality and psychological health.
Students majoring in Psychology and Religious Culture will:
- develop a deeper understanding of their own cultural and spiritual identities, as well as the social forces that contribute to conflicting business perspectives, political orientations and family trauma
- learn how to employ contemporary evidence-based practices to meet these conflicting forces
- command groundbreaking psychological and contemplative approaches that have a profound impact on the relief of human suffering
This major is designed to equip students with knowledge of the world’s major religious traditions and practices so that they can attend to all the dimensions of the human experience. Students are enabled to utilize innovative approaches for the alleviation of personal distress. This major will also equip students with skills that are meaningful for their lives, including those relevant to marriage and family harmony, organizational thinking, and healthy social interaction.
Careers for a Psychology and Religious Culture Major
- Counseling Psychologist
- International and Multicultural Manager
- Clinical Psychologist
- Pastoral Counselor
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor
- School Psychologist
- Hospital and Corrections Chaplaincy
- Forensic Psychologist
- Sports Psychologist
- Lawyer
- Non-profit management
- Work in educational environments
Program Highlights
- This major attends to the often-conflicting desires that define the human person. This is especially helpful for students interested in sales and marketing. Unconscious motivation and appeal is essential to successful marketing campaigns.
- Students with an interest in international business will gain knowledge of the cultures they will interact with and how to use this knowledge to forge trusting alliances. Students will learn how to manage culturally different organizational hierarchies and workplace etiquette.
- Students are encouraged to study abroad through a selection of several January session or summer session classes, for example, Culture Psychology in France or Hawaii; Ancient and Medieval Christianity in Egypt, Palestine, Greece, Central and Eastern Europe or Turkey.
Why Manchester?
Manchester has a rich history in religious diversity and valuing the infinite worth of every individual. Manchester is one of the few universities in the country to link psychology and religion to provide undergraduate students with a broad understanding of some of the factors that make life more meaningful and satisfying.
Our liberal arts curriculum instills superior critical thinking skills, writing aptitude, quantitative reasoning proficiency, and an appreciation for cultural differences, all skills highly valued by graduate schools and employers.