BA in Religious Studies
Please refer to the Undergraduate Student Handbook for detailed information about the program. The course checklist is available to ensure you take the required classes.
Admission to the Program
Admission is through a formal declaration of major. The department counsels freshmen and new transfer students.
University Requirements
- A total of 120 credit hours
- 6 credit hours of college writing
- 3 credit hours of college mathematics or the equivalent by examination
General Education Requirements
- A total of ten courses, consisting of one foundation course and one second-level course in an approved sequence from each of the five curricular areas
- 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
- RELG-105 Religious Heritage of the West 2:1 (3)
- RELG-185 Forms of the Sacred: Religions of the East 3:1 (3)
- RELG-210 Non-Western Religious Traditions 3:2 (3) or RELG-220 Religious Thought 2:2 (3)
- RELG-230 Methods of Studying Religions (3)
- RELG-391 Internship (3)
- 9 credit hours in religion courses from the following:
- RELG-370 Islam (3)
- RELG-371 Topics in Jewish Religion (3)
- RELG-372 Religion in America (3)
- RELG-373 Hinduism (3)
- RELG-375 Religion and Violence (3)
- RELG-386 Topics in Religious Discussion (3)
- 6 credit hours in philosophy courses from the following:
- PHIL-220 Moral Philosophy 2:2 (3)
- PHIL-235 Theories of Democracy and Human Rights 2:2 (3)
- PHIL-300 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (3)
- PHIL-318 Chinese Philosophy (3)
- PHIL-319 Buddhist Philosophy (3)
- PHIL-520 Seminar on Ethical Theory (3)
- PHIL-525 Seminar on Modern Moral Problems (3)
- 9 credit hours from the following:
- ANTH-430 Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion (3)
- ANTH-431 Taboos
- HIST-239 Topics in European History (3) (approved topics)
- HIST-245 Modern Jewish Civilization (3)
- HIST-332 Contemporary Historical Studies (3) (approved topics)
- HIST-344 Topics in Jewish History (3) (approved topics)
- JWST-320 Topics in Jewish Culture (3)
- PSYC-335 Psychology of Religion (3)
- SIS-514 Spirituality and Global Politics (3)
- SOCY-315 Major Social Theorists (3)
University Honors Program
To graduate with University Honors, students must be admitted to the University Honors Program, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50, and receive grades of B or better in all University Honors course work. There are three levels of University Honors course requirements: Level I (100-200-level); Level II (300-level and above); and Level III (Honors Capstone Project). The department Honors coordinator advises students in the University Honors Program regarding requirements for graduating with University Honors in the major. For more information, go to the University Honors Program.
Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees
American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs. Undergraduate students may complete up to 3 credits for every 9 credits required for the graduate degree that may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs. The department that oversees the graduate program the student enters will determine if the courses the undergraduate student completes will satisfy master’s degree requirements.
Bachelor’s/master’s students must complete at least 18 in-residence credit hours at the graduate level after the bachelor’s degree is earned and maintain continuous, sequential enrollment in the two programs. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.
