Nearly 4,000 students are enrolled in undergraduate studies in the U of M’s faculty of arts, which is home to more than 40 departments, including the department of religion.
The department of religion offers three different types of courses: tradition-based, focusing on specific religions; thematic courses, which cover several religions around a common theme such as sexuality; and method and theory courses, which focus on theoretical thinking. Courses in religion and other humanities have seen high enrolment rates, but this has not necessarily translated into many students choosing religion as a major.
Dr. Kenneth MacKendrick became head of the religion department in 2019, with plans to revitalize a program struggling to grow and attract new students. According to MacKendrick, in the early 2000s, there were around 40 students majoring in religion. That number began to decline rapidly in the following years, exacerbated by events such as the global financial crisis in 2008 and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the 2008 global financial crisis, “a lot of people decided to sort of retool and think about their futures a little bit differently,” MacKendrick said.
He opined that the crisis led many students to be attracted to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) courses and business fields, thinking they offered more job security. This trend has only increased in recent years due to the pandemic.
“It’s a real struggle to show people that […] a degree in religion, which I think a lot of people would find really fascinating and interesting, is going to be a humanities degree that they can pivot to a number of different jobs,” he said. “A lot of people may not be aware of the advantages of taking a humanities degree and what you can do with it.”
He added that religion majors have gone on to pursue careers in law, publishing, education, social work, counselling and archival work.
MacKendrick says that things are looking up for the department of religion. This year, there are around 17 or 18 students majoring in religion, which MacKendrick said is the highest number since he became department head. With COVID-19 restrictions lifted in 2023, the department is now working to revive interest in studying religion through social events.
“We started doing coffee and donuts in the [2023] fall term, and we packed the room.” MacKendrick said. “The student lounge was completely filled with people […] very often, in the course of two hours, we got upwards of 50 people that came through the room.”
In the winter term, the department shifted from morning coffee and donuts to serving pizza and beverages at lunch, booking a larger room to accommodate the crowd. Students and professors alike attended, which offered an opportunity to get to know people outside of their courses.
“We just ordered 10 pizzas […] and it would all go,” MacKendrick stated.
Other events hosted by the department included a movie night, a colloquium presentation, and a Dungeons & Dragons charity event, with a newsletter being started as well. The student lounge was updated with a new couch, tables and artwork.
MacKendrick said that most of the events from the previous year will be continued for the 2024-25 school year. Upcoming events include a movie night on Oct. 30 in the Tier building, and a coffee and snacks event on Nov. 9 in the religion student lounge.
For more information on the religion department and its upcoming events, contact Dr. Kenneth MacKendrick at Kenneth.Mackendrick@umanitoba.ca.
