Religious Studies, B.A.

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Religious Studies builds skills for your future in a globalized world. You will learn to ask life’s big questions, analyze how communities across time and place have addressed these questions, and communicate persuasively in your own speech and writing.

Degree Requirements

This degree requires 120 credits, 42 of which are upper-division credits.

General Requirements

A major in Religious Studies requires 33 hours (11 courses).

For students completing their degree under the 2015 University Studies Program:

University Studies Program

This degree requires that The University Studies Program 2015 requirements are met before graduation. Some of the courses required for this major fulfill USP requirements, but not all. Students should check their degree evaluations and consult with their assigned academic advisor to discuss their specific course plan.

C 1 - Communication 1 Credits: 3
C 2 - Communication 2 Credits: 3
C 3 - Communication 3 Credits: 3
Q - - Quantitative Reasoning Credits: 3
PN - - Physical and Natural World (1) Credits: 3
PN - - Physical and Natural World (2) Credits: 3
H - - Human Culture (1) Credits: 3
H - - Human Culture (2) Credits: 3
V - - U.S. & WY Constitution Credits: 3
FYS or USP Elective - - Any 3-credit hour of FYS or 3-credit hours of USP electives Credits: 3

Two Required Courses: 6 Hours

RELI 1000 - Introduction to Religion Credits: 3
RELI 4000 - Theories of Religion Credits: 3

1000-2000 level Courses

Nine hours (3 courses) may be at any level.

RELI 1000 - Introduction to Religion Credits: 3
RELI 1101 - First-Year Seminar Credits: 3
RELI 2030 - Violence and Resistance Credits:
RELI 2040 - Religions of the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity and Islam Credits: 3
RELI 2050 - Religions of Asia Credits: 3
RELI 2070 - Gender and Religion Credits: 3
RELI 2080 - Holocaust Credits: 3
RELI 2110 - Introduction to the Old Testament Credits: 3
RELI 2150 - New Testament Survey Credits: 3
RELI 2175 - The Life and Teaching of Jesus Credits: 3
RELI 2200 - Contemporary American Religion Credits: 3
RELI 2225 - History of Christianity Credits: 3
RELI 2250 - American Religious History I (To 1865) Credits: 3
RELI 2252 - American Religious History II (1865- 1945) Credits: 3
RELI 2315 - History of Non-Western Religions Credits: 3
RELI 2320 - History of Islam Credits: 3
RELI 2330 - Islam in the Modern World Credits: 3
RELI 2410 - Varieties of Non-Belief in the Western World Credits: 3
RELI 2450 - Traditional African Religion Credits: 3
RELI 2490 - Special Topics in Religion Credits: 1-3
RELI 2335 - Buddhism Credits:

3000-4000 Level Courses

At least 18 hours (6 courses) must be at or above the 3000-level.

RELI 3090 - Middle East and Israel in Film Credits: 3
RELI 3110 - Bible and Archaeology Credits: 3
RELI 3200 - Religion and American Culture Credits: 3
RELI 3220 - History of the Modern Middle East Credits: 3
RELI 3225 - Apocalypse: The History of the End Credits: 3
RELI 3230 - Early Christianity Credits: 3
RELI 3235 - Medieval Christianity Credits: 3
RELI 3240 - Reformation and Enlightenment Christianity Credits: 3
RELI 3245 - Christianity Since Darwin Credits: 3
RELI 3250 - Tibetan Buddhism Credits:
RELI 3260 - African Spirits in the New World Credits: 3
RELI 3320 - Eastern Thought Credits: 3
RELI 3340 - Mysticism, Yoga, and Enlightenment in the East Credits: 3
RELI 3350 - Religion and Globalization in India Credits: 3
RELI 3400 - Religion in the American West Credits: 3
RELI 4000 - Theories of Religion Credits: 3
RELI 4090 - Film and Religion Credits: 3
RELI 4100 - African American Religious Culture Credits: 3
RELI 4113 - Medieval Religious Dissent Credits: 3
RELI 4160 - Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad Credits: 3
RELI 4174 - Judaism from Ezra to Jesus Credits: 3
RELI 4175 - Judaism at the Dawn of Christianity Credits: 3
RELI 4190 - Women and the Bible Credits: 3
RELI 4260 - Judaism in the Modern World Credits: 3
RELI 4270 - Buddhist Ethics Credits:
RELI 4310 - Seminar in Asian Religions Credits: 3
RELI 4335 - Women and Islam Credits: 3
RELI 4500 - Special Topics in Religious Studies Credits: 1-3
RELI 4635 - Religious Studies Departmental Honors Credits: 0
RELI 4900 - Independent Study in Religion Credits: 1-3
RELI 4930 - Thesis Credits: 0-6
RELI 4960 - International Field Course Credits: 1-6
RELI 4961 - Domestic Field Course Credits: 1-6

Language

Students should take three semesters of a single foreign language or demonstrate equivalent proficiency. See note 3 below.

Honors

If a student wishes to pursue an Honors designation in Religious Studies, two additional requirements must be fulfilled.

A three-hour Thesis Seminar or Internship, during which a research paper is written, or other suitable research project is carried out.
Demonstration of competency in a foreign language equivalent to a fourth-semester college-level course.

Notes:

If students majoring in Religious Studies can use its courses to satisfy requirements in a second major or minor, this is permitted.
Courses for the major should be drawn from those with a RELI prefix, or from a list of approved courses taught by other departments or programs. See the list of approved courses on the Religious Studies website. Occasionally, courses on religion are taught by outside departments as one-time opportunities. Students may propose these for inclusion in the major to the Religious Studies Program Director.
The language requirement may be satisfied with American Sign Language (ASL) or, with the approval of the department, coursework in another form of non- English communication (e.g. computer science, statistics, music composition).
All courses must be passed with a grade of C or better.