Redefining. It’s in our core.

“Religious studies wasn’t something I planned to major in. I didn’t really know it was a field of study that existed. I started college as a pre-med major, studying biology.

I found my way here from taking a Core class, and I absolutely fell in love with it. My friends were already making fun of me because I kept talking about religion randomly. In class we read Émile Durkheim’s The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, and that framing of religion as a collective really clicked for me. It’s a pretty small major, which is really fun. The professors are really supportive and every class I’ve taken has been so amazing.”

Claire Weber, Class of 2024, was drawn to UChicago for the combination of a strong liberal arts curriculum and access to research opportunities. A double major in psychology and religious studies, she’s done four different types of research—from working in a lab, to working with a professor, fellowships and now doing her independent thesis research for religious studies. She loves Hyde Park and exploring all the city has to offer, including hockey games at the United Center (although we have yet to turn this Dallas native into a Blackhawks fan).