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, a minimum of 18 credit hours at or above the 300-level, and at least 18 credit hours earned in residence, of which 15 credit hours must be at or above the 300-level.

Course Requirements

100-level (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

200-level (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Upper-level (6 credit hours)

Complete both of the following:

RELG-330 Approaches to Studying Religion (3)
RELG-391 Internship in Religious Studies (1-6) (3 credit hours required)

Religion (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following:

Philosophy (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Electives (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

ANTH-331 Taboos (3)
HIST-239 Topics in European History (3) (approved topic)
HIST-245 Modern Jewish Civilization (3)
HIST-344 Topics in Jewish History (3) (approved topic)
JWST-320 Topics in Jewish Culture (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.