2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Major in Religious Studies (BA/BS)

Religious literacy is a critical skill for students preparing to enter more diverse workplaces in a rapidly changing world. Religious Studies teaches students about a vast range of beliefs, scriptures, rituals, holidays, and symbols. Students explore and deepen their awareness of religion’s influence on their own lives and their world while gaining an appreciation for religious diversity. They learn how to navigate different and often complicated spaces and engage in respectful, meaningful dialogue across religious differences. Our classes train students to think critically, write analytically, and make valuable personal decisions about the role of religious ethics and identity in some of the most pressing social, economic, and political issues of our time.

33 credits

Complete 3 credits from:

RELS 110World Religions

3

RELS 111Religion at Work

3

RELS 160Religion in Culture

3

Complete 6 credits from:

RELS 201Religion and Popular Culture

3

RELS 206Sex and the Bible

3

RELS 210Religion, Morality, and Public Debate

3

RELS 290Death and After Life

3

Complete 9 credits from:

RELS 208The Qur'an

3

RELS 250Biblical Interpretation

3

RELS 275Islam

3

RELS 380Religion, Non-Violence and War

3

RELS 390Asian Religions

3

Complete 3 credits from::

RELS 400Immersive or Experiential Learning

3

RELS 403Reading and Special Study

1 TO 6

RELS 450Critical Issues in the Study of Religion

3

HIST 423Topics in Religious History

3

HIST 429Topics in the History of Gender and Sexuality

3

HIST 491Topics in Middle Eastern History

3

Select 12 more credits from RELS or from the following list:

AHS 252Baroque and Rococo Art

3

AHS 293Buddhist Art of Asia

3

AHS 291Arts of China

3

ANTH 111Anthropology of Everyday Life

3

ANTH 242Folklore and Folklife

3

ANTH 451Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion

3

AR 334Ethnic, Cultural, and Linguistic Diversity in the Arab World

3

CC 205Mythologies of the World

3

CC 305Classical Myth and Theory

3

ENG 426Topics in Literature and Religion

3

HIST 215Women in American History

3

HIST 370Foundations of Asian Civilization

3

HIST 373History of the Middle East

3

HIST 463Medieval Civilization

3

HIST 467The Renaissance and Reformation, 1300-1600

3

PHIL 210Philosophy of Religion

3

SOC 227Spirituality, Self, and Society

3

SOC 427Sociology of Religions

3

Total Credit Hours: 33