Religious Studies (BA)

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Offered by the Department of Philosophy and Religion , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Admission is through a formal declaration of major. The department counsels freshmen and new transfer students.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

39 credit hours with grades of C or better, with a minimum of 24 credit hours taken in the Department of Philosophy and Religion

Course Requirements

Required

RELG-105 The Religious Heritage of the West FA2 (3)
RELG-185 The Religious Heritage of Asia FA3 (3)
RELG-210 Non-Western Religious Traditions FA3 (3)
or
RELG-220 Religious Thought FA2 (3)
RELG-330 Approaches to Studying Religion (3)
RELG-391 Internship in Religious Studies (1-6) (3 credit hours required)

9 credit hours in religion courses from the following:

RELG-470 Islam (3)
RELG-471 Topics in Jewish Religion (3)
RELG-472 Religion in America (3)
RELG-473 Hinduism (3)
RELG-475 Religion and Violence (3)
RELG-486 Topics in Religious Discussion (3)

6 credit hours in philosophy courses from the following:

9 credit hours from the following:

ANTH-330 Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion (3)
ANTH-331 Taboos (3)
HIST-239 Topics in European History (3) (approved topics)
HIST-245 Modern Jewish Civilization (3)
HIST-344 Topics in Jewish History (3) (approved topics)
JWST-320 Topics in Jewish Culture (3)
PSYC-335 Psychology of Religion (3)
SOCY-315 Classical Social Theory (3)

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.