The Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies encourages students to recognize
and understand human diversity as well as the diversity of ideas, institutions, philosophies,
moral codes, and ethical principles. Exposure to such differences helps students take
seriously the perspectives of others by raising students' awareness of the wider world
and fostering more critical self-awareness as well.
One of the many ways our department pursues this goal involves periodically offering short-term Philosophy or Religion courses that include travel abroad. Recently, students and faculty have visited Greece and Italy.
For more complete immersion in another culture, we strongly recommend that students participate in long term (one semester or one year) study abroad during their undergraduate careers. With proper planning, a semester or year abroad can be seamlessly integrated into a four-year degree plan allowing students to experience the world and graduate on time. Our major requirements offer a great deal of flexibility for students to incorporate a variety of courses from study abroad sites around the globe.
For many semester and academic year programs, study abroad is comparably priced to study on campus here at Winthrop, and you can also explore scholarship opportunities to help pay for study abroad. Several study abroad sites also offer a number of courses satisfying Touchstone (general education) courses, as well as interesting elective courses to deepen your knowledge of Philosophy or Religious Studies. For example, taking a course on the History of Philosophy in Greece, or a course on Shinto while in Japan, can enrich both your study and your life while simultaneously moving you a step closer to graduation.
In every case, dream big, but consult with your academic advisor to fully understand how your study abroad fits into your major. For assurance of program credit transfer, be sure to consult with a member of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department. If you find a course in a study abroad program for which you would like to receive Philosophy and Religious Studies credit, just ask us! Our department will be glad to grant credit when a reasonable correlate to a department course can be found.
Students interested in studying Philosophy or Religious Studies abroad should contact both the International Studies Center and a member of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Read more about International Study Abroad suggested plans of study.
