We encourage all our graduate students to prepare for both the faculty job market and one or two alt-ac career paths, and we provide concrete steps throughout the program to guide this preparation. We take a realistic approach to career preparation because we think this is in the best interests of our students. Therefore, we acknowledge the reality that it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure faculty positions in Religion. At the same time, we know that anyone who completes an MA or PhD in Religion will do interesting research and develop valuable skills. We believe our MA and PhD graduates are able to use those skills, help others, and have an impact on society in a variety of possible careers, whether inside or outside a university. Our graduates make a difference. The American Academy of Religion Our largest professional organizations, the American Academy of Religion (AAR), has gathered anecdotal evidence in recent webinAARs that those Religion graduates who take jobs outside academia report being able to use their graduate skills in rewarding ways and advance more quickly through promotions. Influential graduate skills include, for example, understanding others’ perspectives, asking good questions, making sound judgments about complex social phenomena, and speaking and writing well. One recent webinAAR addressed "Preparing Graduate Students for a Variety of Futures" and another discussed the book The New PhD. We take this advice seriously and have adapted it in ways that make sense within our program and for our students. Career Preparation The Religion Department provides a tailored template for an Individual Development Plan to each graduate student in their first semester. We encourage each student to fill out the plan with action steps that fit with their own goals and life circumstances, in conversation with their major professor and the Director of Graduate Studies. In addition, UGA offers a wealth of career resources for graduate students, including graduate leadership development and graduate student internships (on a competitive basis) through initiatives organized by the Graduate School. Placements Our MA and PhD graduates have gone on to make important contributions in a wide range of jobs, such as: Daryl Bloodsaw PhD, 2025 Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Athens Sarah Cook PhD, 2025 Senior Coordinator of Examinations, Canadian Institute of Actuaries Eduardo Mendez MA, 2025 Manager, UGA Libraries Hisham Qureshi PhD, 2024 Director of Religious Studies and Spiritual Care, Madina Institute Samaria Divine PhD, 2024 Director of Community Engagement for Doctoral Initiatives, Forum for Theological Engagement Bashir Mundi PhD, 2024 Imam, the Masjid Al-Furqan - West Cobb Islamic Center Nathan Fleeson PhD, 2023 English Language Arts Teacher, Peachtree Ridge High School Jessica Couch PhD, 2023 Academic Advisor, History at UGA Sarah Burns MA, 2023 Administrative Associate, UGA School of Law Abderrahim Er-Ragragi MA, 2022 PhD student in Middle East Studies at the University of Michigan Drew Craver PhD, 2020 Academic Advisor, Exploratory Center at UGA Anderson Moss-Weaver MA, 2019 Went on to do a PhD at the University of Virginia, now Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Bates College Raleigh Heth MA, 2016 Went on to do a PhD at the University of Notre Dame, now Assistant Teaching Professor in the Cornerstone Liberal Arts program at Perdue University Umesh Patel MA, 2013 Director of Career Development and Programs, UGA Career Center
