Religious Studies Major/Minor Requirements

Religion is deeply intertwined with many aspects of human culture, connecting to morality and ethics, laws and politics, science, art, and music. Our department offers courses in religious traditions including Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam, as well as interdisciplinary courses that explore the broader implications of religious traditions throughout history and around the world.

Students of any religious affiliation (or none), with any declared major (or none), can benefit from the academic study of religion. Our 100-level courses and most of our 200-level courses have no prerequisites. Upper-level courses consider specific traditions, texts, theories, and/or topics in greater detail. All of our courses encourage students to think critically, while fostering understandings of diverse viewpoints and ways of being in the world.

Required for the Major in RLST: Ten six-unit courses, to include

RLST 100: Understanding Religion

One additional 100 level course on a religious tradition (ensuring some discussion of the historical dimensions of at least one tradition)

Four 200- or 300-level courses (ensuring the development of analytical skills for studying religion and religious phenomena)

One 400- or 500-level seminar (covering a tradition, text, theory, or topic in detail)

Two electives in RLST

RLST 610 (Senior Projects)

Independent Studies/tutorials may be used to fulfill only the elective requirements.

Majors must complete a senior capstone project which includes taking the Senior Projects course and presenting at the religious studies symposium at the end of spring term of their senior year.

The Senior Experience in religious studies consists of a one-term seminar (RLST 610, taught in the winter term) that gives students the opportunity to complete a project (usually a paper, but other formats are possible) that builds upon the previous course work and academic experiences of the student. The class also offers students an introduction to several theoretical perspectives that will enable them to see their project from a broadly comparative perspective. Additionally, students are required to participate in a departmental symposium, in which student work is presented and discussed by majors, minors, and faculty. Students pursuing double majors, double degrees, or teacher certification are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors and relevant departments to plan and negotiate their overall Senior Experience as early as possible.

The minor in religious studies is intended to enable students to concentrate on a particular religious tradition or set of issues connected to the academic study of religion.  It requires a minimum of five courses (30 units), which include:

One 100-level course

Two 200- or 300-level courses

A 400- or 500-level seminar

One additional six-unit course

RLST 100 is not required for the minor but may count for the 100-level requirement.

Students considering graduate work in religious studies should note that completion of a graduate degree typically requires demonstrated proficiency in at least one modern foreign language, normally French or German, as well as one or more additional languages depending on the area of concentration. College work leading toward graduate study should be planned with these requirements in mind.