Religious Studies, B.A.
The Religious Studies Major participates in a diversified program in the humanities, studying religious history, imaginative literature, systems of thought, and criticisms of culture, politics, and society. Because religious studies majors engage in multidisciplinary studies in the liberal arts, they are well-qualified to enter any field that profits from disciplines of exposition, analysis, appreciation, criticism, and historical reflection. Upon graduation, Religious Studies majors have gone into teaching, medicine, nursing, law, business, ministry, journalism, and communications.
The Religious Studies Concentration in Nonprofit Management requires 15 credit hours and is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in nonprofit agencies, including positions in faith-based organizations, human service agencies, foundations, or professional associations. The concentration combines core courses and electives that allow a student some tailoring to specific interests with the PSC 511 courses available online and/or on campus.
Members of the Religious Studies Department are available to advise students about career opportunities and to refer them to further information that may be of help.
Overall Requirements
- 122 credit hours, to include at least 36 credits at or above the 300 course level
- Students must complete a minimum of 27 credit hours in Religious Studies at the 200 level or higher (excluding the Senior Seminar); at least 9 credits must be at 300 level or higher
- Students must earn a grade of at least C- in all Religious Studies courses required for the major.
Degree Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | ||
| General Education Core Requirements (GEC) | ||
| College of Arts and Sciences Additional Requirements (LEC) | ||
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required | 3 | |
| Thinking About Religion | ||
| Western Traditions | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Elements of Christian Thought | ||
| Christianity to the Reformation | ||
| Christianity from the Reformation to the Present | ||
| Judaism | ||
| The Synagogue | ||
| Introduction to African American Religions | ||
| Religion in America | ||
| American Religious Thought: A Survey | ||
| Modern Judaism | ||
| Early Christianity | ||
| Christianity in Byzantium | ||
| Religions of the Greco-Roman World | ||
| Spirituality and Culture in the West | ||
| Christianity and the Construction of Gender | ||
| Topics in Biblical Studies | ||
| Judaism and the Construction of Gender | ||
| Topics in Ancient Judaism | ||
| Saint and Society in the Early Middle Ages | ||
| Contemporary American Jewish Thought | ||
| American Religious Thought I | ||
| American Religious Thought II: The Romantic Tradition | ||
| American Religious Thought III: The Pragmatic Tradition | ||
| Major American Religious Thinkers | ||
| Contemporary African American Religious Thought | ||
| Modern Jewish Thinkers | ||
| Topics in Jewish Thought | ||
| Topics in Christian Thought | ||
| Seminar in a Major Christian Thinker | ||
| Non-Western Traditions | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Chinese Religion | ||
| Japanese Religion | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| Hinduism | ||
| Islam | ||
| Religion in Traditional Societies | ||
| Islam and the Construction of Gender | ||
| Religions of China: Selected Topics | ||
| Religions of Japan: Selected Topics | ||
| Religion in South Asia: Selected Topics | ||
| Cultural and Theoretical Studies | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Modern Problems of Belief | ||
| Comparative Religious Ethics | ||
| Topics in Religious Social Ethics | ||
| Ritual Studies | ||
| Religion, Art, and Visual Culture | ||
| Darwin, Evolution, and Human Nature | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Religious Autobiography in the West | ||
| Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion | ||
| Religious Movements and Communities: Selected Topics | ||
| Philosophical Issues in Religion | ||
| Religion and Psychology | ||
| The Religious Discourse of Civil Rights | ||
| Religion and Colonialism | ||
| Myth and Theory | ||
| Topics in Religious Studies | ||
| Electives | 12 | |
Select four additional electives in Religious Studies above the 100 level | ||
| Senior Seminar | 3 | |
| Senior Seminar | ||
Nonprofit Management Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required | 12 | |
| The Nonprofit Sector and Governance | ||
| Internship in Religious Studies | ||
| Urban Political System | ||
And a Religious Studies course to be approved by the head of the department | ||
| Skills Courses | 3 | |
Choose 3 of the 1 credit skills courses below | ||
| Topics in Public Affairs: Marketing for Public and Nonprofit Agencies | ||
| Topics in Public Affairs: Strategic Planning | ||
| Topics in Public Affairs: Grant Writing | ||
| Topics in Public Affairs: Nonprofit Law | ||
| Topics in Public Affairs: Volunteer Management | ||
Electives
Electives sufficient to complete the 122 credit hours required for degree.
Religious Studies as a Second Major
Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 27 credit hours in Religious Studies at the 200 level or higher*; at least 9 credits must be at 300 level or higher. Students must earn a grade of at least C- in all Religious Studies courses required for the major.
| * | REL 410 Senior Seminar is excluded for credit toward meeting this requirement. |
Requirements for a Second Major in Religious Studies are the same as for the Religious Studies Major.
Religious Studies as a Second Academic Concentration for Elementary Education Majors
- Minimum of 18 credit hours
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Traditions and Historical Studies | ||
Select 6 credits of the following: | ||
| The Bible in Western Culture | ||
| Hebrew Bible | ||
| New Testament and the Origins of Christianity | ||
| Christianity to the Reformation | ||
| Christianity from the Reformation to the Present | ||
| Judaism | ||
| Chinese Religion | ||
| Japanese Religion | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| Islam | ||
| Introduction to African American Religions | ||
| Religious Traditions and Care of the Earth | ||
| Religion in Traditional Societies | ||
| Early Christianity | ||
| Religions of the Greco-Roman World | ||
| Topics in Biblical Studies | ||
| Topics in Ancient Judaism | ||
| Religions of China: Selected Topics | ||
| Religions of Japan: Selected Topics | ||
| Cultural and Theoretical Studies | ||
Select 6 credits of the following: | ||
| Modern Problems of Belief | ||
| American Religious Thought: A Survey | ||
| Modern Judaism | ||
| Topics in Religious Social Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Spirituality and Culture in the West | ||
| Christianity and the Construction of Gender | ||
| Judaism and the Construction of Gender | ||
| Saint and Society in the Early Middle Ages | ||
| Religious Autobiography in the West | ||
| Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion | ||
| Religious Movements and Communities: Selected Topics | ||
| Contemporary American Jewish Thought | ||
| American Religious Thought I | ||
| American Religious Thought II: The Romantic Tradition | ||
| American Religious Thought III: The Pragmatic Tradition | ||
| Major American Religious Thinkers | ||
| Religion and Psychology | ||
| Modern Jewish Thinkers | ||
| Myth and Theory | ||
| Topics in Religious Studies | ||
| Additional REL Courses | ||
Select 6 credits of additional REL courses at the 200 level or above | ||