The Department of Religious Studies was established in 1995 and inaugurated an MA in 1996. Instruction is offered in all of the major religions of the world and in a number of thematic areas. The department is closely linked with a number of interdisciplinary programs, including: African-New World studies, Asian studies, Environmental Studies, Judaic Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Women's Studies. Established in 1972, FIU is one of the fastest - growing, most diverse and dynamic universities in the nation. It is a doctoral/Research University Extensive, and is the youngest institution in the United States with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. The Religious Studies major serves as a basis for students who wish to pursue the study of religion or theology as a career, for students preparing for a career in counseling, education, business, law or medicine, or for students who wish to undertake a dual major in a related field. The major is designed to allow students to focus either on comparative topics, using a critical approach to understanding religious phenomena and their relation to society in a broad cultural context, or on the theory and practice of a specific religious tradition in its historical setting.