College of Arts & Sciences

The Religious Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program reflecting a wide variety of academic interests and disciplines. Its purpose as a program is to produce a formal structure for the study of the religions of humankind.

�Religion� is that which is to be studied; �religious studies� is the composite program and/or the official title for the formal structure produced for the study of religion. Religious belief will not be necessary in order to take courses or to participate in the program.

Religion, one of the most basic of human concerns, has occupied a leading place in the thought and activities of all peoples from the earliest civilizations (as shown by archaeology), through early literate societies, (as seen in their religious texts), to the present, where religious beliefs and their consequences continue to shape the daily news.

Degree Requirements for the Faculty-Initiated Interdisciplinary Major with a Concentration in Religious Studies

General program B.A.: Religious Studies requires a minimum of 36 credits, at least 18 of which must be on the 300 and 400 level, distributed as follows:

1. 15 credits from Breadth Courses, of which the following are required: A Rel 100, A Phi 214, A Ant 363.

Breadth Courses: A Aas 341; A Ant 175; A Cas 222; A Clc 105 (or 105Z); A Gog 102 (or 102Z), 442Z; A His 235 (or 235Z), A His 387 (or 387Z), A His 388 (or 388Z); A Jst 150, 253; A Phi 116, 311, 322, 342, 344, 346; A Rel 200, 299, 397; A Soc 352.

2. 18 credits from one of the Concentrations: Religious Creative Expressions (Art, Architecture, Music, Literature); Religion and Society; or Critical Issues of Religion.

Courses for the Concentration in Religious Creative Expressions (Art, Architecture, Music, Literature): A Ant 268; A Arh 170, 171, 331, 332, 341, 342Z, 374, 432, 442; A Cla 207, 207Z, 208, 307, 402, 460; A Clc 223; A Eng 221 (or A Jst 242, or A Rel 221), 289, 348, 421, 432; A Heb 203, 390; A Ita 421; A Jst 230, 280, 281 (or 281Z), 330, 337; A Mus 205, 432Z; A Thr 221.

Courses for the Concentration in Religion and Society: A Ant 145, 243, 341 or (341Z), 433; A Cas 160 (or 160Z); A Clc 402, 403, 407; A His 324, 338, 339, 348, 381, 383, 387, 388, 425, 463; A Jst 221, 244, 248, 251, 252, 254, 341, 342, 343 (or 343Z), 344 (or 344Z); A Spn 313.

Courses for the Concentration in Critical Issues in Religion: A Est 120; A Jst 291, 325, 335, 430; A Phy 201 or 201Z; A Pos 358, 359; or A Ssw 220.

3. Three credits from the senior seminar A Rel 499.

NOTE: Courses that conform to the intent and content of the program, but are not listed may be counted towards fulfilling the requirements upon approval of the program director. A rearrangement of courses into new concentrations may be possible upon the approval of the program director.

Students may also complete a minor in religious studies.

University at Albany Home Page