Religion, BA

With a Bachelor of Arts with a major in religion, you gain a thorough understanding of the beliefs, practices and histories of multiple religious traditions; you learn to appreciate the perspectives of others and the complexity of global issues; and you improve your oral and written communication skills.

Degree requirements

The following requirements must be satisfied for a Bachelor of Arts with a major in religion.

Hours required/general college requirements

A minimum of 120 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as specified in the University Core Curriculum in the Academic policies section of this catalog and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences requirements.

Major requirements

Majors must complete 11 courses/33 hours of credit.

Theoretical approaches, 3 hours

Christianity, 3 hours

Judaism, 3 hours

Islam, 3 hours

South Asian religions, 3 hours

East Asia religions, 3 hours

Religion and history, 3 hours

Interreligious Engagement, 3 hours

Current issues, 3 hours

Advanced electives, 6 hours

Students must take two advanced electives, either from the above groups of courses or any of the following approved electives:

Other course requirements

None.

Minor

Optional.

Other requirements

A minimum grade of C is required for all courses counting toward the Bachelor of Arts with a major in religion. Students majoring in religion must contact the Department of Philosophy and Religion Director of Undergraduate Studies to prepare their degree audits.

Four-year degree plan (example)

The following four-year plan is one example of a variety of ways in which you can complete your chosen degree in four years, and will serve as a guide for you to design your pathway to degree completion. Variations will depend on whether you need to take prerequisites or have college credit from exams or dual enrollment.

Year 1

Semester 1		Semester 2
Communication core	3 hours	Communication core	3 hours
Mathematics core	3 hours	Creative Arts core	3 hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences core	3 hours	Language, Philosophy and Culture core	3 hours
CLASS Foreign Language-elementary	3 hours	CLASS Foreign Language-elementary	3 hours
Elective	3 hours	Elective	3 hours
Total	15 hours	Total	15 hours

Year 2

Semester 1		Semester 2
HIST 2610 - United States History to 1865	3 hours	HIST 2620 - United States History Since 1865	3 hours
PSCI 2305 - US Political Behavior and Policy	3 hours	PSCI 2306 - US and Texas Constitutions and Institutions	3 hours
Component Area Option A core	3 hours	Component Area Option B core	3 hours
Life and Physical Sciences core	3 hours	Life and Physical Sciences core	3 hours
CLASS Foreign Language-intermediate	3 hours	CLASS Foreign Language-intermediate	3 hours
Total	15 hours	Total	15 hours

Year 3

Semester 1		Semester 2
CLASS Distribution-Communication and Digital Skills	3 hours	CLASS Distribution-Cultural Diversity and Global Issues	3 hours
South Asia Religions selection	3 hours	Current Issues selection	3 hours
Theoretical Approaches selection	3 hours	East Asian Religions selection	3 hours
Elective	3 hours	List Advanced Elective selection	3 hours
Elective	3 hours	Elective	3 hours
Total	15 hours	Total	15 hours

Year 4

Semester 1		Semester 2
Islam selection	3 hours	Christianity selection	3 hours
Judaism selection	3 hours	Interreligious Engagement selection	3 hours
Religion and History selection	3 hours	Elective	3 hours
List Advanced Elective selection	3 hours	Elective-advanced	3 hours
Elective	3 hours	Elective-advanced	3 hours
Total	15 hours	Total	15 hours