The University of Southern Mississippi has launched a new interdisciplinary major, Philosophy, Religion and Law, to meet growing student interest in programs that build strong analytical, ethical and communication skills while allowing for specialization across multiple fields.
Housed in the School of Humanities, the degree brings together three long-established areas of study and provides structured pathways that prepare students for professional school, graduate study and a range of careers.
The program was developed to address both the loss of the former religion major and the evolving needs of students seeking rigorous training in reasoning and interpretation.
“We thought this major would interest students because philosophy majors are really well prepared for all sorts of various areas of career choices,” said Dr. Paula Smithka, program coordinator.
She noted that philosophy majors consistently perform well on graduate admissions exams.
“Philosophy majors tend to score the highest on the LSAT, and they tend to score high on the analytical skills of other graduate exams, particularly the GRE,” she said.
The PRL curriculum is organized into three guided pathways: Religion and World Cultures, Ethics, and Philosophy and Law. These options allow students to concentrate their coursework while still developing shared core skills in critical thinking, argumentation and reading comprehension.
Smithka explained that the Religion pathway focuses on global traditions and requires additional upper-division coursework. The Ethics pathway supports students pursuing fields such as healthcare or business. The Philosophy and Law pathway includes courses across legal studies, political science, economics and philosophy, offering a foundation for students interested in law school.
This interdisciplinary structure reinforces the department’s belief that philosophical training strengthens a wide range of professional objectives. Smithka described the versatility of the major by emphasizing its focus on reasoning and analysis.
“Students learn how to essentially think outside of the box, to make arguments, reasoned arguments as well as being able to just problem solve,” she said.
Student response demonstrates how the degree’s flexibility appeals to those with multiple academic interests. PRL major Austin Love said the coursework in philosophy and religion gives him an advantage in other classes, noting that he is “more familiar with trains of thought, logic and ethics than I would have been without this major.”
In addition to coursework in philosophy of law, critical thinking, ethics and world religions, students encounter topics such as artificial intelligence, healthcare ethics, religion and violence, and cultural analysis. These classes build skills relevant to business, education, public policy, legal practice, healthcare fields and religious or nonprofit work.
Smithka emphasized that the program is distinctive even among other interdisciplinary degrees.
“We did research before we proposed it, and we didn’t find anybody else that really has this combination of philosophy, religion and law,” she said.
The major’s structure allows students to explore three disciplines while still developing a focused academic identity.
As societal challenges become more complex, the need for graduates who can read carefully, weigh arguments and understand cultural perspectives continues to grow. The PRL major responds to that need by offering a flexible curriculum built on analytical reasoning and ethical reflection. It provides students with practical skills for a range of professions while inviting them to examine the larger questions that shape human life and social institutions.