Religious tourism

By the decision of the RA Government, a new "Religious Tourism" educational program was established at Yerevan State University in 2021.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the Faculty of Theology, the applicant should pass two competitive exams: "Armenian History" (compulsory) and "Armenian Language and Literature" or "Foreign Language" ("English", "French", "German", "Russian", "Italian" or "Spanish").

The aim of the program

The program aims to provide comprehensive knowledge about the history of the Armenian Church and religions so that students can properly present the rich history of our monasteries and churches, as well as the "Religious mosaic of Armenia" to tourists arriving in Armenia.

Within the framework of the program, students receive in-depth professional knowledge in various fields, such as: "Business Management", "Economics of the Service Sector", "Basics of Management", "Basics of Service", "Basics of Tourism", "Tourism Destinations of the Republic of Armenia", "Hotel Management", "Organization of pilgrimage tours", "Resort complexes of RA", etc. Historical subjects (such as “History of Armenians, History of neighboring countries of Armenia”), dominate the curriculum, the teaching of which plays an important role in the professional development of a tour guide.

During their studies, students visit all the sights of Armenia that attract tourists (Haghpat, Sanahin, Noravank, Goshavank, Amberd, Khor Virap, Makaravank, Tatev, Haghartsin, Garni, Geghard, etc.). Thus, during their 4 years of study, students see and get to know the tourist centers of all Armenia in depth.

Advantages

It is known that 80-90 percent of tourist centers in the world are religious (Jerusalem, Vatican, Mecca, Sri Lanka, Etchmiadzin, etc.). From this point of view, Armenia, as the first Christian state in the world, is of great interest to many tourists. In Armenia, there are ancient churches and monastic complexes, pagan temples (such as Garni, Artashat pagan temple complex, Yervandashat, etc.), as well as other religious monuments (mosques), which also attract tourists.

In this context, the educational program "Religious Tourism" is especially important. This field has not been studied in depth in Armenia yet, and there are still very few high-quality specialists in the labor market. Taking this as a basis, the "Religious Tourism" educational program was created at YSU, which differs from tourism departments operating in other Armenian universities. Taking into account the importance and demand of the profession all over the world, students of the program have the opportunity to learn not only European but also Eastern languages: Persian, Turkish, and Chinese, which is essential for becoming a qualified specialist.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the program have the opportunity to continue their studies in the Master's degree program of the same specialty.

Having cooperative relations with Western European, Russian, and American universities of different countries of the world, the Faculty of Theology of YSU regularly hosts foreign professors to give lectures, contributing to the exchange of experience and the development of students' professional skills and knowledge. In addition, students can continue their studies in foreign universities within the framework of exchange programs. Strong cooperative ties have been established especially with the universities of Germany, Italy, and Belgium, where many Armenian students study.