Apr 20, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2022-2023 
    
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Undergraduate Record 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Religious Studies

Return to: College of Arts & Sciences: Departments/Programs  

Requirements for Major

In order to complete a major in religious studies, each student must:

A. Complete a minimum of ten graded courses (30 credits) within the Department of Religious Studies.

  1. Primary Concentration:  Take at least three courses (9 credits) in one of the world’s major religious traditions as a primary concentration:  African religions (RELA), Buddhism (RELB), Christianity (RELC), Hinduism (RELH), Islam (RELI) or Judaism (RELJ). 
    • At least one of these courses (3 credits) must be at the 3000-level or above.
    • RELG 1010 and RELG 1040 cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
  1. Secondary Concentration:  Take at least two courses (6 credits) in another of the world’s religious traditions as a second concentration.  (Both courses must be in the same religion.)
    • RELG 1010 and RELG 1040 cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
    • Cross-listed courses may count toward either concentration with the exception of RELC/J 1210 which must count toward the primary concentration if the primary concentration is in Christianity or Judaism
  1. Diversity Requirement:
    1. If the first and second concentrations are in Buddhism and Hinduism, or Buddhism and African religions, or African Religions and Hinduism, then one course must be taken in Christianity, Islam or Judaism.
      • RELG 1010 can be used to fulfill this requirement.
    2. If the first and second concentrations are in Christianity and Islam, or Christianity and Judaism, or Islam and Judaism, then one course must be taken in African religions, Buddhism, or Hinduism.
      • RELG 1040 can be used to fulfill this requirement.
  1. Take three courses (9 credits) of the ten required at the 3000 level or above.  Courses taken to fulfill requirements #1 and #2 may be used to fulfill this requirement.
  1. Take RELG 4500 (Majors’ Seminar).

B. A grade of C (2.0) or above must be achieved in each course offered for the completion of the Religious Studies major.

Students interested in declaring a major may obtain the major declaration form in the Religious Studies Office, or in Monroe Hall. Prospective majors must consult with a faculty member in order to plan their courses and to choose an advisor.

C. Courses from other University Departments

The Department permits a total of twelve credit hours of coursework to be taken outside the Department, in other University of Virginia departments and outside the University, to be counted towards the Major. Of these, a maximum of six credit hours may be taken in other University departments, from a list of designated University courses. For this list, see the Undergraduate secretary or the Department Website. Approval cannot be given for courses that are not on this list at the time of enrollment.

Requirements for Minor

In order to complete a minor in Religious Studies, each student must complete a minimum of five graded courses (15 credits) within the Department of Religious Studies. Two courses (6 credits) must be in one of the world’s major religious traditions as a primary concentration. At least one of the five required courses (3 credits) must be taken at the 3000 level, or above. A grade of C (2.0) or above must be achieved in each course offered for the completion of the Religious Studies major.

A maximum of three credit hours of coursework may be taken outside the Department either from another University department (see list of designated courses) or from outside the University, and counted towards the Religious Studies Minor.

Distinguished Majors Program

The Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) in Religious Studies affords qualified students the opportunity to do advanced research and to receive at graduation the honor of distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction.

Entry into the program

  1. Students qualify for application to the program if they have achieved an average GPA of 3.400 in all course work prior to application to the program.
  2. Students must apply to the DMP program by April 1 of their Third Year (or equivalent). To do this, students will be asked to write a few short paragraphs in which they explain why they are interested in the program and to outline two or three topics on which they would be interested in writing. A form explaining the application essay in more detail will be available on the Religious Studies website.
  3. The applicant must obtain endorsement from a Religious Studies faculty member to apply to the program. Unless otherwise arranged, this faculty member will serve as the student’s thesis advisor. Students should contact the Religious Studies Director of Undergraduate Programs (DUP) if they need help identifying faculty members for endorsement. By the end of the first semester of the thesis-writing year, the student must obtain a second reader for the thesis from the Department as well. The DUP can also help students find a second reader if they are unable to do so on their own.

Requirements for completion of the program:

  1. Completion of normal major requirements.
  2. In addition to the 30 credits required for the major, students must take RELG 4800 Research Methods in Religious Studies and RELG 4900 Distinguished Majors Thesis. In RELG 4800 students write a thesis proposal outlining the thesis’s driving questions, its methods and its sources. Students also write an annotated bibliography of works relevant to the thesis. RELG 4900 is an independent study in which each student works with a faculty advisor to write the Distinguished Majors Thesis.
  3. The thesis should be thirty to fifty pages in length. Final copies must be submitted to the faculty advisor and the second reader no later than May 1st for Spring graduation and August graduation, and December 1st for December graduation. A final copy must also be submitted to the department archives by sending it to the DUP.

Additional Information

For more information, contact the Undergraduate Program Director, Department of Religious Studies,  P.O. Box 400126 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4126; (434) 924-6705.
www.virginia.edu/religiousstudies.

Course Descriptions

African Religions

Buddhism

Christianity

General

Hinduism

Islam

Judaism

Special Topics