Religious & Spiritual Life at CMU
Religious and Spiritual Life (RSL) offers programs and initiatives that cross traditional religious boundaries in order to increase our students' knowledge of and appreciation for the full diversity of the world's religious and spiritual traditions. RSLI's mission is to support all students along the spectrum of religious and spiritual practice and exploration by:
- Supporting individual religious commitment through programs, events, resources and space
- Facilitating connections of individuals and communities of faith, on and off campus
- Encouraging cooperation among and between religious, secular and worldview communities
- Promoting spiritual exploration and wellness for the whole CMU community
- Promoting religious literacy for all members of the CMU community
November is Spirituality Awareness month!
Wellness and Meaning-Making Programs and its affiliated groups are offering a wide variety of ways to explore spirituality and learn about different groups on campus. Explore select events and opportunities in November!
Connect with Religious, Spiritual, & Meaning-Making Communities
Explore Local Communities of Religious and Spiritual Practice
Carnegie Mellon's Council of Religious Advisors (CoRA) are trusted, local religious advisors who are affiliated with CMU.
Student Organizations
CMU has more than 400 student organizations. Explore the CMU's Religious and Spiritual Life Student Organizations.
Religious & Spiritual Life Initiatives
Spirituality Awareness Month
November is a showcase of spiritual, religious and interfaith life at Carnegie Mellon! Join Religious and Spiritual Life Initiatives, the Council of Religious Advisors, and our religious and spiritual student organizations in celebrating the religious and spiritual diversity of our community. Events are open to all.
Two Weeks of Peace
In partnership with the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, Wellness and Meaning-Making Programs offers a collection of events during the first two weeks of October to celebrate the quest for peace and peace-making in our campus community. See the full slate of events in the October edition of the Be Well Newsletter. Events are open to all.
The Sit Together Project
The Sit Together Project is an initiative which provides opportunities to develop interfaith leadership for members of the Carnegie Mellon community. Open to all students, the Sit Together participants build capacity in the area of worldview engagement, form relationships across lines of difference, and serve as interfaith leaders in the broader campus community. If you have questions, or are interested in participating, please email Religious and Spiritual Life Initiatives.
Friendsgiving
Save the Date! On Monday evening, November 17, 2025, CMU will host Friendsgiving, the annual Thanksgiving feast at CMU that celebrates friendship, gratitude, and food. Events are open to all.
MLK Interfaith Breakfast
Every year in late January, members of the Carnegie Mellon community are invited to an informal breakfast with campus and community interfaith leaders, followed by fellowship and conversation about the life and legacy of Dr. King through the lens of faith, activism, and social justice. Open to all, please join us for breakfast, music, and conversation. Full schedule of MLK Celebration Events 2026.
Holidays and Calendars
Carnegie Mellon University intentionally fosters a community where all voices and views are heard and respected, which includes religious backgrounds and spiritual beliefs.
Explore the Inclusive Holiday Observations and Interfaith Calendar
Proposed additional observances or revised descriptive language are welcome by emailing Rev. Jennifer McCurry.
Academic Religious Accommodations
Carnegie Mellon University is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming campus environment and does not discriminate with respect to access to its educational programs and activities on the basis of religion. Students may request religious accommodations from their instructors or professors.
With straightforward requests for accommodation, such as an absence due to a religious or spiritual holiday, students should contact their professor or instructor in advance to seek accommodations. For more complicated requests, such as modification to the curriculum or significant schedule changes, the Student Religious Accommodation Request Form is a helpful tool to articulate nuance.
The Program Director of Religious and Spiritual Initiatives is available to assist faculty, staff and students who have questions or concerns related to religious accommodations.
Employees (staff/faculty) may request religious accommodations by submitting an Employee Religious Accommodation Request Form to Amelia Kephart in Disability Services.
Dining and Dietary Needs
Dining Services offers Vaad-certified kosher, Halal, vegan and vegetarian cuisine at select campus dining locations.
Off-Campus Religious Dietary Suggestions
Halal (Islam)
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Bengal Kabab House (Oakland)
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Shah’s Halal Food (Oakland)
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Yaba's (Downtown)
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Rosewater (Downtown)
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Caravan Halal Restaurant (Downtown)
Vegetarian / Vegan / Jain Diet (Hinduism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity)
- Bengal Kabab House (Oakland)
- Spice Delight (Lawrenceville / delivers)
- East End Co-op Cafe (Point Breeze)
- Zenith (South Side)
- Udipi Cafe (Monroeville)
Kosher (Judaism)
Lenten Fish Fry (Christianity)
Housing Needs
Shabbat Keys are available by request for most University Housing facilities. To request a key, please email the Rev. Jennifer McCurry, coordinator for Religious and Spiritual Life, or call Housing Services at 412-268-2139.
Housing Services does not offer any housing communities dedicated to a specific religious affiliation, is not able to provide accommodations such as single rooms or private bathrooms for religious reasons, and is unable to consider requests for roommates of similar religious beliefs.
Explore the various spaces on campus that offer quiet and calm for meditation, prayer and peaceful moments.
Mental Health Benefits of Spirituality: Learning from challenges | Self-reflection | Inner peace and centeredness | Confidence and motivation | Being present in the moment | Empathy and self-compassion | Better relationships with yourself and others | Sense of community and purpose | Connecting with meaningful activities