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A theology degree can empower women to deepen their faith and serve in roles like ministry, education, counseling and nonprofit work. It’s a path for those seeking to grow spiritually while making a meaningful impact.
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Approved and verified accurate by the dean of the College of Theology on Jan. 16, 2025.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
You pray often, attend worship services regularly and desire to know and serve God more closely. Why not earn a theology degree? Both women and men can indeed take theology classes and pursue career paths that serve God and their faith communities.
What can a woman do with a theology degree, exactly? There are many different possibilities, both in religious settings and beyond. Even if you aren’t quite sure what you would like to do with your theology degree now, you’ll have opportunities to reflect upon and refine your career goals throughout your degree program.
Women can pursue many different positions in religious settings. Consider the following jobs for Christian women:
Women are prohibited from serving as Catholic priests; however, they may serve as pastors in a variety of other faith denominations. Becoming a pastor is one option that may be available to you after you earn a degree in Christian theology.1 As a pastor, you would be responsible for leading your congregation in worship services and for overseeing all other activities of your church.
If you decide to pursue a career as a pastor, you will select scriptures to discuss during worship services, write and deliver sermons, perform religious rituals like baptisms and lead group classes, such as Bible studies. You might also lead religious retreats and counsel individuals and couples by providing spiritual guidance. Serving as a pastor — the main source of spiritual guidance for your congregation — is a major responsibility, but you may find it to be a meaningful career choice.
Do you enjoy working with children and teens and feel called to help them grow in their faith? Instead of becoming a pastor responsible for the entire church, you might decide to specialize as a youth pastor. A theology degree program can teach you how to tackle the challenges associated with serving as a youth pastor and to serve your church community with wisdom and integrity.1
Youth pastors focus on developing and implementing religious programs for the faith community's children and teens. They also develop or select curriculum for religious education classes and develop after-school activities. Some youth pastors get kids and teens involved in community service activities, and some serve as chaperones for youth retreats or trips.
Earning a theology degree may also enable you to pursue a career as a missionary.1Becoming a missionary may be a good fit for you if you are interested in serving God internationally and connecting with people from different cultures. As a missionary, you might be sent to a wide range of locations, such as Asia, South America, Africa or Europe. (Note that some missionaries may work in their own country.)
Missionaries have a broad list of job responsibilities. Ultimately, their goal is to bring people to Christ. They lead religious services and help the local population understand Christian doctrine and theology. Missionaries also usually work on service projects intended to improve the community, such as digging trenches to lay water lines, building schools or hospitals and distributing aid supplies.
A religious education teacher will typically teach classes in a private school that is affiliated with a particular church group or faith denomination.1 These teachers are charged with helping students develop their faith by learning more about Christian beliefs, religious practices and church history.
A religious education teacher may work with students of varying age ranges. They may share religious stories and counsel students by providing spiritual guidance.
The exact requirements to become a religious education teacher can vary from one school to the next. Although aspiring teachers are required to earn a state-issued certification or license if they plan on teaching in public schools, this is not a legal requirement for those who plan to teach in private schools. However, some private schools may still prefer to hire teachers who have an education degree.2
You could still earn a bachelor’s degree in theology if you plan on becoming a religious education teacher. If you’d like to pursue an education credential, you might then decide to enroll in a master’s degree that leads to initial teacher licensure. One example is the Master of Education in Elementary Education degree program at GCU.
Beyond churches, missionary nonprofits, religious schools and similar settings, there are plenty of other jobs for Christian women to consider. Some of them include:
Nonprofit coordinators work for nonprofits which may or may not be affiliated with a particular faith tradition. These professionals are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the group. Tasks can vary widely, depending on the organization, but may include the following:
A theology degree may teach the foundational concepts and soft skills necessary to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector.1
If you like the thought of working for a nonprofit but aren't sure that a job as a coordinator is quite right for you, you might consider becoming a grant writer instead. It's one more possible career outcome you might pursue after earning a theology degree.1
Grant writers are responsible for searching through grant databases and identifying possible opportunities that could be a good fit for their organization or initiative. They then develop grant proposals, which aim to show potential donors how grant money would be used and why the program or initiative is a worthwhile endeavor for the community.
Another potential career outcome you might work toward with a theology degree is becoming a program director.1 Program directors for community services organizations are tasked with developing and overseeing programs intended to benefit the community. For example, a program director might work for a regional food bank, local homeless shelter or women’s domestic violence shelter.
As a program director for a community services group, your duties might include budgeting, project planning, establishing goals and assessing personnel requirements. This type of job requires both leadership and strong communication skills.1
While there are many interesting career paths for you to consider after earning a bachelor’s degree in theology or Christian studies, you might one day decide to further your education. One option is to attend seminary school. Can women go to seminary school? Absolutely!
Admission policies vary from one school to the next, of course, but there are certainly seminary schools that do consider female applicants. Grand Canyon Theological Seminary (GCTS), for example, invites men and women to apply to our degree programs and graduate certificate programs. Our mission is to prepare Christian leaders to serve their communities with integrity in Christ’s name.
Women in seminary school have priceless opportunities to develop their biblical knowledge and strengthen their relationship with God. You can strive to become someone who leads others to God, regardless of your occupation. Whether you feel you’re being called to the ministry or to a different career path altogether, the biblical truths you’ll explore in seminary may help shed light on the challenges you’ll face.
No matter what God intends for your future, you can build a foundation for pursuing it at Grand Canyon University. Our private Christian university strives to nurture our students’ faith and build their Christ-like character through curriculum built from the Christian worldview and on-campus worship activities. Explore our wide range of theology majors, including degrees in Christian studies, worship arts and Christian ministry.
