• Cultural Literacy: Gain a deeper understanding of major world religions and belief systems, enhancing your ability to navigate diverse cultural and spiritual contexts. 
• Dialogue & Empathy: Develop respectful communication and active listening skills through interfaith dialogue that fosters empathy and mutual understanding. 
• Real-World Relevance: Apply interfaith principles to contemporary issues in education, healthcare, public service, and community leadership. 
• Professional Development: Earn a certificate and digital badge to showcase your interfaith literacy and cultural competence on resumes and professional platforms. 
• Personal Growth: Explore your own values while learning to appreciate the beliefs of others, broadening your worldview and deepening your sense of shared humanity. 

• Those that are religiously or spiritually curious and want to understand different world views. 
• HR managers interested in working with religiously diverse employees 
• K-12 teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, city personnel, and others who work with diverse populations  

• Foster interfaith literacy and cultural competency 
• Promote respectful dialogue across religious and secular worldviews 
• Strengthen university-community partnerships through engagement with local interfaith organizations 
• Equip participants with practical skills for navigating religious diversity in professional settings 
• Explore the worldviews, values, and ethics—not just religious beliefs—that shape communication, decision-making, and community dynamics. 
• Build the skills to engage with religion and spirituality as complex, real-world factors that influence personal identity, professional environments, and societal structures. 
• Develop empathy and cultural awareness to navigate conversations that may be challenging, but are essential to equity and inclusion. 

This introductory course provides a theoretical foundation exploring the motivations and frameworks that inspire collaboration across diverse faith traditions. The course will encourage students to reflect on their own faith traditions while learning to appreciate and understand others, fostering a mindset of mutual respect and curiosity. 

Key topics include: 

• Historical and contemporary impetuses for interfaith dialogue 
• Paradigms and models developed by prominent interfaith leaders 
• Critical engagement with theological, philosophical, and ethical perspectives that support interfaith cooperation. 

Building on the theoretical groundwork laid in the first course, this second course will focus on the practical application of interfaith collaboration. This course emphasizes experiential learning and civic engagement, encouraging students to become agents of positive change through interfaith action. 

Key topics include: 

• Case studies highlighting successful interfaith initiatives, particularly in conflict resolution and community building 
• Hands-on service-learning component involving active engagement with diverse faith communities in the Long Beach area 
• Relationship-building with local religious organizations to foster long-term partnerships and community impact

This course is open to students, professionals, and community members from all backgrounds — no prior religious studies experience is required. It’s ideal for those in education, public service, healthcare, nonprofit work, or anyone interested in cultural literacy. 

The course explores a range of traditions including (but not limited to) Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Indigenous spiritualities, and secular worldviews. Emphasis is placed on both common values and unique perspectives. 

The Interfaith Studies certificate program is delivered fully online and primarily asynchronous, allowing you to complete coursework on your own schedule. The program consists of two 8-week courses, taken at the same time. Each course includes approximately 30 hours of total instruction, with an expected 2-3 hours of work per week. 

No, not at all. The course welcomes participants of all faiths as well as those with no particular faith. It’s designed to be inclusive, respectful, and exploratory — not prescriptive or evangelistic. 

Assignments may include reflective writing assignments, group discussions, case studies, and a final project that applies interfaith principles to a real-world issue or community initiative. 

You’ll gain practical, transferable skills that help you navigate religious and cultural diversity in both personal and professional settings. These skills include: 

• Cultural literacy across a range of religious and secular worldviews
• Empathetic communication and active listening
• Inclusive leadership and conflict resolution strategies
• Critical thinking around ethics, values, and belief systems
• Real-world application of interfaith principles in your workplace or community 

Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate of completion along with a digital badge for each course that can be shared on LinkedIn or included in resumes. 

Each course — Theoretical Frameworks for Interfaith Engagement and Religious Pluralism and An Interfaith Call to Action: Practices Towards the Common Good — can be taken independently and in any order. However, to earn the Interfaith Studies Certificate, participants must complete both courses successfully. There is no degree associated with this program. 

No, we do not provide job placement. However, jobs may be shared with students on Canvas, our online learning management system, as well as via social media channels such as LinkedIn.