What are some useful college degrees for religious life?

[Carson]

I would like to go to college, mainly because my parents would like me to, but also because it is good for growing up. Im not sure of anything, but as of now im leaning towards becoming a contemplative nun. Would there be any degrees that would be useful within the convent?

[chrysostom]

I'm sure someone else would have more useful things to say but I would simply advise to study something that captures your interest.  If you love music, study that.  If you do happen to become a contemplative nun you might reap the benefits of a music degree in many situations.  If you love philosophy, study that.  Should you ever need to teach, for example, that would be useful.  Or study education.  Or a hard science.  Or finance.  All of them have possible applications in religious life.  As part of "growing up" you will need something you need to be able to commit to.  That is the main thing.

Love God and do what you will.

[Gabriela]

I question the assumption that college helps you grow up. I think it does the opposite. I'd suggest volunteer work with a Catholic organization instead.

If you insist on college, I'd say philosophy or theology.

[vee]

nursing degree

[truthfinder]

Yeah, I second Gabriela in regards to growing up.  Depending on what order you might be looking at, various degrees could be good.  If you're looking at a nursing order, then definitely sciences that could go towards a nursing degree (different places do nursing degrees differently), or general humanities with a specialization for teaching.  That being said, various business degrees could also be useful; your knowledge may be used in the community.  

Working a job and holding a regular school schedule will help you grow up.  Having fun, but not being part of the raucous college scene, is important. But keeping a regular schedule is certainly important. 

[TheresaThoma]

Honestly choose something that you are interested in. I have a degree that is part aviation part physics. On first glance it doesn't seem like that would apply to much in religious life. I'm still discerning but work for a Catholic nonprofit. I find that many of the problem solving skills and general ways of thinking that I developed while pursuing my degree help immensely. Convents need all types, administation, financial, tech, healthcare (even just for the Sisters) etc. Theology And philosophy are definitely not the only thing that will be useful in religious life!

[veritasluxmea]

Have you talked with any contemplative communities about this? It's not uncommon for parents to want their kids to get a college education before making any life choices, like joining a convent or getting married, and if you're under twenty it's probably true you need some real-world experience before joining a convent. But talking to the vocation director for a community can really help, I'd recommend calling one for a community you like and explaining how you're looking into college, why you're looking into college but are interested in a vocation later on, and if they have any advice for your situation or things to work on. 

[Luigi]

Mechanical engineering. Contemplative nuns shouldn't be at the mercy of volunteers or high-priced consulting firms to tell them when the walls need to be tuckpointed or when the furnace needs to be replaced or how to reduce their gas & electric bills. Your superior might even lend you out to the daughter houses as a consultant!

[Spem in alium]

I would study what you're interested in. As for usefulness within religious life, my feeling is that it would depend on the particular order you apply to. A teaching degree may never be directly used in an order that works primarily with the elderly, for example, but at the same time through studying a person can acquire many skills that are transferable across many different jobs or ministries. I was an English major, with History and Theology minors. Now I'm doing postgraduate research in Art History. I may never use this degree directly as part of my ministry -- I may never lecture at university, teach, or be an academic -- but I will be able to use the skills and qualities I've acquired through learning and studying.

And as for theology and philosophy -- I took theology as a minor as part of my undergraduate degree, and also studied a few philosophy and ethics units, but now am taking theology courses as part of my formation.  There are always new things to learn. Some of the things I am studying now are not new to me, but I've gained a lot through exploring them in a new way. My point here is that I wouldn't simply assume that studying things like theology and philosophy before entrance is the be-all-and-end-all, because the future can be full of surprises. 

 

[clk]

If you are discerning with a particular order, I would ask them.  When I was discerning with a Carmelite community, they asked me to get a degree in nursing.

[tinytherese]

Please be very careful how you fund your college education so that you don't go into debt. Some have to post-pone the religious life because they have to pay off huge amount of debt.

Also, I know that it's the norm to go to college after high school, but it isn't what's right for everyone. Some people don't ever go or drop out, but are successful in providing for themselves anyway. Others after high school work, volunteer for a place like NET, or join the military and then start college. 

It may be a good idea to look into a community college, not just because it can save you money, but some find that they prefer to study a trade which only takes one or two years to earn a degree for.

Attending college doesn't always help people mature. It depends on the student, the choices they make, and other events. (Like if someone starts off making poor decisions there and then something happens that leads them to realize that they need to change. Say they're a partier who refuses to attend classes and they fail they're classes. Their parents then refuse to pay for tuition if they don't shape up or they get kicked out. Then they realize that they need to make better decisions.) 

If you do decide to attend college, I recommend choosing a program that you could use in case the religious life doesn't work out for you. Job shadowing, interviewing people with the jobs that you're interested in, volunteering to do some tasks related to the field that you're interested in, and doing research into careers can be really helpful. I made the mistake of not doing most of those things and I regret it. 

[Thijs]

First thing to consider, less college debt as much as possible right after you graduate.

For contemplative vocation; theology, animal husbandry, agriculture, accounting, nursing or related health sciences for geriatric care,  chemical engineering or chemistry.

For active vocations, it depends upon the thrusts of your congregation. Teaching, nursing, accounting, social work, medicine, theology, philosophy, psychology, medicine even law

[Luigi]

On 11/26/2015, 12:05:08, Luigi said:

Mechanical engineering. Contemplative nuns shouldn't be at the mercy of volunteers or high-priced consulting firms to tell them when the walls need to be tuckpointed or when the furnace needs to be replaced or how to reduce their gas & electric bills. Your superior might even lend you out to the daughter houses as a consultant!

With a minor in music. Religious communities always need organists, and there just aren't as many these days as there used to be. 

[nikita92]

Music and some sort of instrument