Preface to Mission Statement & Goals

Before you commit to a religious studies major in any university, you should be aware of the mission and goals to which your program is committed. During the fall of 2005, the Department of Religious Studies at CSU, Chico reviewed its commitment to students and developed a new mission statement, eight student goals, and several correlative student learning outcomes. Our mission statement defines the broad contours and philosophy of our program; our goals tell you what we want you to know when you graduate from our program; and our student learning outcomes tell you how we plan to help you achieve those goals. Our goals, we believe, are essential elements in any good religious studies program. Of course, we also encourage you to consider additional activities in the completion of your major. These might include developing competence in a foreign language; studying abroad for a semester or a year; pursuing an honors thesis; or tackling an internship in the US or overseas. Additionally, we recommend a minor in a discipline that will enhance your preparation for graduate school or a chosen career. All of these programs are in place at CSU, Chico; and we will do what we can to help you build these activities into your schedule. See the Academic Advisor for more information.