Religion major leading to BA degree

A major in religion leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree requires completion of at least 30 credits from 10 three- or four-credit courses including the following:

1. Introduction: One course introducing theory and method in the study of religion chosen from REL 100 or 210. This course must normally be taken before the start of the senior year.
2. Religious Traditions: Two courses introducing trends in the thought, practice, and/or significance of a religious tradition. At least one course must be chosen from each of two of the following religious traditions
   1. Asian Religions: REL 131, 132
   2. Christianity: REL 102, 151, 152, 250
   3. Islam: REL 105, 108, 281, 283
   4. Judaism: REL 101, 106, 271
   5. American Indian Religions: REL 285 (SOAN 285)
3. Cluster: A group of at least three courses proposed by students in consultation with their departmental adviser before the end of the junior year, cohering in such a way as to define and inform students’ particular interest in a tradition, a topic or a method of studying religion. The cluster must include at least two courses from the Religion Department and may include up to three credits from one three- or four-credit course in other related disciplines or interdisciplinary programs (e.g., anthropology, art history, classics, English, history, philosophy, political science, sociology, women and gender studies). Examples of clusters might include the following:
   
   Traditions of Scripture: REL 101, 102, 108, 335
   
   Religion and Law: REL 335, 381, POL 236
   
   Religion and Literature: REL 153, 272, ENGL 236
   
   Religion in Classical Antiquity: REL 250, 283, 350, CLAS 201 (LIT 201)
   
   Patterns in Medieval Religion: REL 151, 215, HIST 305
   
   Secularization and Religion: REL 104, 152, SOAN 290 (when appropriate)
   
   Students are encouraged to search the catalog and each term’s list of topical offerings for courses related to their study of religion. Examples of other courses that may count for the cluster include, but are not exhausted by:
   
   ARTH 140 - Asian Art
   ARTH 141 - Buddhist Art of South and Central Asia
   ARTH 242 - Arts of India
   ARTH 253 - Medieval Art in Southern Europe
   ARTH 254 - Medieval Art in Northern Europe
   ARTH 342 - Love, Loyalty, and Lordship: Court Art of India, 1500s to1800s
   ARTH 347 - Forget Me Not: Visual Culture of Historic and Religious Memorials
   CLAS 201 - Classical Mythology
   CLAS 288 - Supervised Study Abroad: Rome and Ancient Italy
   ENGL 236 - The Bible as English Literature
   ENGL 330 - Milton
   ENGL 252 - Shakespeare
   HIST 170 - History of Islamic Civilization I: Origins to 1500
   HIST 171 - History of Islamic Civilization II: 1500 to the Present
   HIST 204 - The Age of the Reformation
   HIST 305: Seminar: Religion, Church and Politics in Medieval and Renaissance Society
   INTR 301: The Irish World in Literature, Religion, and History
   PHIL 214: Poverty, Ethics, and Religion
   and, when appropriate, ARTH 394, POL 396, SOAN 290, SOAN 390.
4. Additional work in religion or other related disciplines to add up to 10 courses. A limit of one non-Religion course will count toward the major including those in #3 above.
5. A minimum of 15 credits must be at the 200 level or above, excluding REL 210, 399, and 493.
6. Senior capstone: REL 399 or 493 (3-3)
7. Students seeking to graduate with honors are required to graduate with a minimum of 11 three- or four-credit courses.