PHILOSOPHY & RELIGIOUS
STUDIES | NYC/PLV
The Philosophy and Religious Studies Department at Pace University’s New York
City and Pleasantville campuses offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy
and Religious Studies and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies.
We offer minors in Philosophy, Religious Studies, Environmental Studies and Classical
and Medieval Studies. Our program introduces students to a variety of ideas
from the philosophical tradition, enhances critical and conceptual thinking,
prepares students for graduate and professional study, careers in government,
business and non-profit organizations, and gives them strong analytic, problemsolving and writing skills.
BA IN PHILOSOPHY AND
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Philosophy is the love of wisdom, the
pursuit of knowledge, and a critical
analysis of what we think we know
about ourselves, our society, and our
universe. In the uncertain world in
which we live, it is more important
than ever to understand the beliefs of
others. By finding out how others think
and reason, the world in which we live
can become more meaningful and
the distance between different cultures
and belief systems could be narrowed.
Our program lets you combine a broad
survey of major figures and ideas in
philosophy as well as in the major
world religions, with in-depth studies
of specific philosophers or particular
religions. You may concentrate on either
philosophy or religious studies and pursue
a course of study that prepares you to
go to graduate school or directly into a
rewarding career. The Philosophy and
Religious Studies major may be combined
in an accelerated program with Pace
School of Law leading to a BA and a JD
in 6 years.
INNOVATIVE LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
We lead the way in offering
Learning Communities taught by
two faculty from different disciplines,
discussing the same topics or
issues from different disciplinary
perspectives. Our courses are
offered on every level, from basic
100-level courses that students
can use to satisfy any of the Areas
of Knowledge to our 400-level
capstone courses for seniors.
Our faculty also offers out-ofclass learning experiences. Every
summer, Dr. Larry Hundersmarck
leads a group of Pace students
to Rome, Italy, for a five-week
course, which is taught together
with faculty from the University
of Rome. The course focuses on
the diverse sides of the ancient
city, including its religion, architecture,
history and culture. Other faculty
members periodically teach travelstudy courses in locations such
as Greece or Israel.
www.pace.edu/dyson/philosophy
PHILOSOPHY & RELIGIOUS
STUDIES | NYC/PLV
SUCCESS STARTS HERE
Taylor Petrey was the first student
to graduate from Pace University
with a BA in Philosophy and
Religious Studies, in 2001. Taylor
later earned a Doctor of Divinity
degree from Harvard University
and is now an Assistant Professor of
Religious Studies at Kalamazoo
College, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
CAPSTONE COURSES
In their senior year, students majoring in both Philosophy and Religious Studies
or in Environmental Studies will register for a Capstone class, for which they will
write their senior thesis. Working with a faculty mentor, each student will decide
upon a topic, thoroughly research that topic, and then write a major research
paper. This experience, involving the strengthening of all of the intellectual and
analytic skills developed in four years at Pace, will serve the student very well in
all of his or her future personal and professional lives.
BA IN ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES
Environmental issues touch most aspects
of our lives and thus require close
examination.
Following Socrates’
injunction that the unexamined life
is not worth living, our program
critically analyzes key issues such
as population, pollution, poverty,
biodiversity, and resource use, with
the goal of equipping you with the
knowledge and skills needed to help
find solutions with a strong values
orientation. Our interdisciplinary approach
provides the educational vehicle to
thoroughly examine issues from a variety
of perspectives – economic, ethical,
political, historical, scientific, and
theological. Our graduates have gone
on to careers in environmental law,
environmental journalism, environmental
education, and have worked as lobbyists
on the state and federal level. The
environmental studies major can be
combined with a Pace Law degree or
a Master’s of Public Administration. For
information on our undergraduate
and graduate programs in Environmental
Science, please visit www.pace.edu/
dyson/envstudies.
Michal Klincewicz was our second
graduate, in 2002, earning dual
degrees in Philosophy and
Religious Studies and Computer
Science. In 2013, Michal earned
a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from
the Graduate Center of the City
University of New York. He will
soon be leaving for Berlin,
Germany, to begin post-doctoral
studies at the prestigious
Humboldt University.
Christopher Schweitzer, a second
-year law student at the Pace
University School of Law, completed
his undergraduate requirements
in three years. He was then
accepted to the Law School and
after completing his first year,
was awarded a BA in Philosophy
and Religious Studies. As he was
completing his second year, he
was offered a half-dozen internships
by different law firms in New
York City. He accepted an internship
with the New York Legal Assistance
Group, part of the General Legal
Services Unit, doing public benefits
work.
www.pace.edu/dyson/philosophy