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Undergraduate Record 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED RECORD]
Religious Studies, B.A.
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Prerequisites
To declare the major, students must complete at least one course in Religious Studies with a grade of C or better.
Students interested in declaring a major may obtain the major declaration form online. Prospective majors must consult with the Director of Undergraduate Programs or a faculty member in order to plan their courses and to choose an advisor.
Program Requirements
In order to complete a major in Religious Studies, each student must complete the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of ten graded courses (30 credits) within the Department of Religious Studies.
- Specific program requirements are listed below.
- A grade of C (2.0) or above must be achieved in each course offered for the completion of the Religious Studies major.
Courses from other University Departments and Study Abroad
- The Department permits a total of up to six credit hours of coursework taken outside of the Religious Studies department to be counted towards the major. Outside courses that are not included in the concentration course lists below must be approved by petition to the Director of Undergraduate Programs.
Core Requirements
Students will complete each of the following requried courses.
Electives
Take three courses (of 3 credits each) at the 3000-level or above.
- Courses taken to fulfill the concentration requirement or the Breadth requirement may be used to fulfill this requirement.
- RELG 3730 will also count as satisfying this requirement.
Breadth Requirement
Of the remaining elective courses, two courses (of 3 credits each) must be from outside of the student’s chosen concentration.
Concentrations
Students will select one of the following concentrations and complete three-courses (9 credits).
- At least one of these courses (3 credits) must be at the 3000-level or above.
- Note: RELG 1010 and RELG 1040 cannot be used to fulfill concentration requirements.
- In exceptional circumstances, a student may design their own concentration by identifying three connected courses and petitioning the Director of Undergraduate Programs.
Religions of Africa and the African Diaspora
Religions of the Americas
Religion, Ethics, and Philosophy
- RELA 4200 - Introduction to African Philosophy: Race, Religion, and Rationality Credits: 3
- RELB 2067 - Buddhism and Environmental Thought and Practice Credits: 3
- RELB 2200 - Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy Credits: 3
- RELB 3408 - Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy Credits: 3
- RELC 3150 - Salem Witch Trials Credits: 3
- RELC 3245 - Religion, Law, and Culture Credits: 3
- RELC 3447 - History of Christian Ethics Credits: 3
- RELG 2210 - Religion, Ethics, & Global Environment Credits: 3
- RELG 2300 - Religious Ethics and Moral Problems Credits: 3
- RELG 2380 - Faith and Doubt in the Modern Age Credits: 3
- RELG 2630 - Business, Ethics, and Society Credits: 3
- RELG 2650 - Religion, Ethics & Health Care Credits: 3
- RELG 3001 - Gods, Humans, Robots Credits: 3
- RELG 3255 - Ethics, Literature, and Religion Credits: 3
- RELG 3416 - Sustainability and Asceticism Credits: 3
- RELG 3630 - Idolatry Credits: 3
- RELG 3820 - Global Ethics & Climate Change Credits: 3
- RELG 3950 - Evil in Modernity: Banal or Demonic Credits: 3
- RELG 4910 - Secularism and Religion Credits: 3
- RELJ 3350 - Judaism and Ethics Credits: 3
- MESA 3345 - Islam, Science, and the Environment Credits: 3
- PHIL 2660 - Philosophy of Religion Credits: 3
Religion, Literature, and the Arts
Religion, Politics, and Global Perspectives
- RELA 3073 - Religion and Society in Nigeria Credits: 3
- RELB 3150 - Seminar in Buddhism and Gender Credits: 3
- RELC 3245 - Religion, Law, and Culture Credits: 3
- RELC 3465 - American Religion, Social Reform, and Democracy Credits: 3
- RELC 4044 - Religion and the American Courts Credits: 3
- RELG 2155 - Whiteness & Religion: Religious Foundations of a Racial Category Credits: 3
- RELG 2210 - Religion, Ethics, & Global Environment Credits: 3
- RELG 2266 - Religion, Media, and Democracy Credits: 3
- RELG 2285 - Religion, Politics, Society Credits: 3
- RELG 2495 - Religious Violence in the West: From the Crusades to #Charlottesville Credits: 3
- RELG 2630 - Business, Ethics, and Society Credits: 3
- RELG 2820 - Jerusalem Credits: 3
- RELG 3200 - Martin, Malcolm, and America Credits: 3
- RELG 3325 - The Civil Rights Movement in Religious and Theological Perspective Credits: 3
- RELG 3416 - Sustainability and Asceticism Credits: 3
- RELG 3713 - Black Religion and the Criminal Justice System Credits: 3
- RELG 3820 - Global Ethics & Climate Change Credits: 3
- RELG 3960 - Religion and the Black Freedom Struggle Credits: 3
- RELG 4910 - Secularism and Religion Credits: 3
- ANTH 2320 - Anthropology of Religion Credits: 3
- ANTH 3320 - Shamanism, Healing, and Ritual Credits: 3
- SOC 4520 - Topics in Religion and Society Credits: 3
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
DMP Requirements
- Completion of normal major requirements.
- In addition to the 30 credits required for the major, students must take the following courses.
- RELG 4800 - Crafting a Research Project in Religious Studies Credits: 3
Note: 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 - Distinguished Major Thesis Credits: 3
Note: RELG 4900 is an independent study in which each student works with a faculty advisor to write the Distinguished Majors Thesis.
- 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.
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. 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 from another University department (see list of designated courses on the department website).
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.
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