By Liesel Enke
Utah Valley State College''s efforts to start a religious studies major have left some feeling it won''t do much for potential Church Educational System employees.
UVSC recently approved an emphasis in religious studies for the school''s integrated studies major and is working to start a four-year degree.
BYU offers courses on world religions, Judaism and Islam, as well as a religious masters program for current employees of the Church Educational System. However, BYU does not offer a four-year degree for religious studies.
'Degrees have to have some practical use, and there just aren''t a lot of jobs for LDS people out there who have a degree in religion from an LDS university,' said Richard Holzapfel, editor-in-chief of the Religious Educator.
BYU students are required to enroll in 14 hours of religion courses for any four-year degree.
'To make it a degree does not fit in with the philosophy we''re trying to achieve,' said Matthew Richardson, associate dean of religious education. 'You''re not going to have someone majoring in Book of Mormon from BYU. That was never the intent.'
Brian Birch, associate UVSC humanities director, is working to start a four-year religious studies degree.
Some concerns with UVSC''s program stem from the state school being tied too closely with religion, Birch said. '(The school is) committed to quality scholarship rather than serving a specific ideological agenda, whether it be critical or apologetic,' he said.
Birch said he feels the program would be of interest to returned Latter-day Saint missionaries interested in a prominent religion from the area they served.
Not all BYU students feel UVSC''s program could benefit them.
Laurie Williams, 25, a graduate student from Englewood, Colo., said she does not feel the program would help her or other students preparing to work for the Church Educational System.
'I think anything you know is helpful, but people can''t just expect that you can be an effective teacher of the gospel because you major in world religions,' she said.
Holzapfel said he agrees that students with a degree in religious studies will not hold a competitive edge in entering the CES program.
'The church has never had the opinion that to be a Relief Society president or a bishop you need a divinity degree,' he said.
While the degree may not help students pursuing the CES path, Holzapfel said BYU would benefit from what UVSC has to offer.
'BYU has benefited from a symbiotic relationship with UVSC,' he said.
He said he feels both schools offer programs and courses where the other falls short.