Berkley Center

The Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs Minor (REWA) is an academic program run by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. As a core project of the center’s student programs, the REWA minor invites Georgetown students to learn about the many ways in which religious traditions have been uniquely intertwined with the everchanging world around us. From historical analyses, to present-day connections, to personal reflections, the Berkley Center has continued to expand its undergraduate research and education opportunities since it first launched REWA as a School of Foreign Service certificate program in 2011.

For over a decade, more than 100 students have been involved with the REWA program from the College of Arts & Sciences, the McDonough School of Business, the School of Foreign Service, and the School of Health at Georgetown. With hundreds of courses to choose from, the minor has inspired a vast array of research initiatives and reflective conversations among its students.

Alice Bolandhemat (SFS’24) was a REWA minor during her time at Georgetown, and she found the coursework to be a rewarding experience that has helped her build her career after graduating. 

Being a REWA minor challenged me to ask better questions, engage deeply with diverse perspectives, and approach complexity with humility every day.

Thematic Disciplines and Goals Shaped by Students

The REWA minor requires students to complete a total of six courses: one course in each of the program’s three thematic areas, two elective courses, and one capstone course. The thematic areas focus on faith and ethics in international relations, religion and politics in comparative perspective, and religion, history, and intercultural dialogue.

The Berkley Center’s director of student programs, Nick Scrimenti, leads the REWA program and serves as an advisor and mentor for students who have declared the minor. He believes the minor offers an open space for leadership and ingenuity, noting,

We encourage students to carve their own academic paths—that’s why we have nearly 500 courses to choose from.

“Their paths are shaped in conversation with their larger academic, career, and vocational goals,” Scrimenti added, “and we offer mentorship and accompaniment to help students more clearly define those goals.”

For REWA minor Toby Shu (C’28), the program has helped him shape his path through the Georgetown undergraduate curriculum.

“For me, REWA provides an organizing principle for my electives, giving me the latitude to explore differing approaches across departments while working towards a minor and gaining a deeper understanding of a specific theme,” said Shu.

They have been among my favorite classes at Georgetown, reframing my worldview and deepening my understanding of other cultures.

The program culminates in a capstone seminar and a research symposium where students can come together and share their unique experiences as REWA minors.

Student Research through Interdisciplinary Exploration

The final requirement for all REWA minors is the capstone seminar alternately taught by Berkley Center Senior Fellows Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J., and Judd Birdsall. In this course, students design and create research projects that they present at the end of the semester. As core faculty of the program, both Hollenbach and Birdsall have contributed to the structure and growth of the REWA minor over the years.

"Teaching courses in the REWA minor has been one of my greatest joys during my five years at Georgetown," said Birdsall. "In every REWA class, students enliven the discussions by drawing on their own distinctive backgrounds, their topical and regional areas of expertise and experience, and the perspectives from their own majors."

Hollenbach noted that the academic requirements of the minor give students the opportunity to explore a range of ideas together while reflecting on past and current events.

The Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs minor draws undergraduate students from across the university into interdisciplinary discussion of major issues facing the world today, with an emphasis on how both religion and ethics can help address these issues.

The capstone seminar encourages students to integrate the concepts and methodologies they learned from their previous REWA courses and write a unique research paper on a topic of their choosing. At the end of every spring semester, the Berkley Center hosts the Hoya Paxa research symposium, where the students present their chosen research to the Georgetown community, family, and friends. This event is open to the public, and it showcases the work they have done over the years of their REWA minor experiences and in the final capstone seminar.

During the Hoya Paxa student symposium in spring 2025, REWA minors presented on a number of topics, from Catholic social thought in transitional justice theory, to the role of religion in Cyprus during conflict, and more. During each annual symposium, REWA minors are also joined by students representing other Berkley Center students programs, including the Education and Social Justice (ESJ) Project and the Doyle Engaging Difference Program, to engage across disciplines and cohorts and to promote broader dialogue for students on campus.

Excellence on Campus and Beyond

The REWA minor has served as a connecting point for several other programs within the Berkley Center, including the Doyle Program, the ESJ Project, and more. Many students have pursued multiple initiatives under the center’s umbrella.

The REWA minor is an integral component of the Berkley Center’s work to inspire new generations of student leaders. “Through REWA, we cultivate intellectual habits that encourage dialogue and collaboration around issues of religion, peace, and world affairs," noted Professor and Executive Director Michael Kessler.

Students learn how to do the hard work of engaging both empathetically and critically with others about the most fundamental ideas and values.

Professor Birdsall also emphasized the REWA minor as an important expression of the mission of the Berkley Center—and of Georgetown as a whole.

One of my recent REWA students observed that because rigorous and respectful engagement with religion and ethics and world affairs is so central to the life of the university, 'Georgetown is REWA.'

Graduates of the REWA minor have gone on to work in a variety of fields, including education, government, and more, while about 45% pursue graduate degrees. In doing so they carry their educational accomplishments as well as their personal growth with them far beyond the Hilltop.

REWA alumna Bolandhemat affirms the program's lasting impact on her career.

REWA was a pivotal part of my time at Georgetown, and beyond the Hilltop, it has profoundly shaped my path in the government space, informing how I build relationships, bridge differences, and support mission-driven work.

Declaration of the REWA minor requires a short application and interview process. More information can be found on the program website. For questions regarding the REWA minor, email bcstudentprograms@georgetown.edu.