Major and minor
The Religious Studies program provides the opportunity for students to examine various cultures and analyze the written and oral traditions of many of the world's religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and African religions. Religious Studies students will aim to describe, compare, and interpret the beliefs and practices of various religious traditions and understand the world in which those traditions emerge and thrive. More broadly, students will study how religion has shaped human behavior within cultures in matters such as family life, ideas of right and wrong, sexual roles and relations, relations between individuals and society, and artistic expression. Being in the Religious Studies program does not mean that students are limited to working for religious organizations: students can use the skills they acquire from the program to succeed in any career where tolerance, critical thinking, and cultural expression are at the forefront.
Real World Outcomes
With an emphasis on critical thinking skills and clear written expression, the Religious Studies major provides excellent preparation for graduate study and professional schools in law or business. Since the major integrates many different academic areas, Religious Studies majors are well prepared enter careers ranging from human service and education to private-sector professions.
Requirements
The Religious Studies major integrates religion courses with a broad spectrum of other courses from the history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, American studies, classics, and medieval studies departments. From the start, students have a chance to design their own focus. At the lower division level, students take several courses that introduce them to the major world religions. At the upper division level, students move on to more specialized courses which deal with the more complex issues surrounding religion. Some courses include "Myth, Ritual, and Symbolism," "Contemporary American Religion," "Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism" and "Religious Ethics."
