Mullin completes master’s of divinity at University of Chicago

As a master’s student at The University of Chicago Divinity School, Matt Mullin found himself well-prepared by his Cornell undergraduate studies.

“The Cornell religion department offered me challenging courses that thoroughly covered a wide range of topics; in graduate school I almost never found myself completely unfamiliar with the content of my courses,” he says. “Most importantly, the department of religion faculty made the subject so engaging that I wanted to continue studying it.”

Mullin adds that the Cornell liberal arts experience “proved invaluable” in areas beyond religion.

“I arrived in graduate school with a robust understanding of many disciplines in which I had not majored,” he says. “For example, I think I had a much deeper understanding of Marxist theory or evolutionary biology than many of my peers.”

But the best part of his Cornell experience, he says, was the open-minded, respectful approach to religious studies.

“At Cornell, I found myself studying religion in an environment that always had a healthy respect for the importance and personal significance of religion in people’s lives. This atmosphere made possible inter-religious dialog, which I regard as one of the most important outcomes of studying religion.”

Mullin completed his M.A. in Divinity in 2007, focusing on the history of Asian religions with an emphasis on Buddhism.  He now plans to pursue a doctoral degree and one day become a professor of religion.