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Undergraduate Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Religious Studies

Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies

Students on Summer 2021, Fall 2021, or Spring 2022 requirements RELBA

The Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies offers students an opportunity to explore and understand the religious traditions of the world, as well as to study expressions of religious life and thought that may not fall within traditional patterns. The program teaches a variety of approaches to the academic study of religion and religion's intersections with other aspects of human society and culture. Students majoring in Religious Studies will not only be better equipped to understand people of different backgrounds, but will also learn about themselves: how their ideas and values were formed, how they differ from others, and the significance of these differences. The skills, knowledge, and attributes gained in the study of religion remain relevant throughout one's professional and private life.

Requirements

The major requires at least 30 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Area A (Africa, Europe, and West Asia). One (1) course:
    • Any REL-A 100–499
  2. Area B (South and East Asia). One (1) course:
    • Any REL-B 100–499
  3. Area C (The Americas). One (1) course:
    • Any REL-C 100–499
  4. Area D (Theory, Ethics, Comparison). One (1) course:
    • Any REL-D 100–499
  5. Majors Seminar in Religion. One (1) course:
    • REL-R 389 Majors Seminar in Religion
  6. Electives.
    1. Advanced Electives. Three (3) additional credit hours:
      • Any REL-A 400–499
      • Any REL-B 400–499
      • Any REL-C 400–499
      • Any REL-D 400–499
      • Any REL-R 400–499
    2. Religious Studies 200–499 Electives. Six (6) additional credit hours:
      • Any REL-A 200–299
      • Any REL-A 300–399
      • Any REL-A 400–499
      • Any REL-B 200–299
      • Any REL-B 300–399
      • Any REL-B 400–499
      • Any REL-C 200–299
      • Any REL-C 300–399
      • Any REL-C 400–499
      • Any REL-D 200–299
      • Any REL-D 300–399
      • Any REL-D 400–499
      • Any REL-R 200–299
      • Any REL-R 300–399
      • Any REL-R 400–499
    3. Free Electives. Six (6) additional credit hours:
      • Any REL-A 100–499
      • Any REL-B 100–499
      • Any REL-C 100–499
      • Any REL-D 100–499
      • Any REL-R 100–499
      • One course from the following:
        • COLL-C 103 Critical Approaches to the Arts and Humanities
        • COLL-C 104 Critical Approaches to the Social and Historical Studies
  7. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    5. College Breadth. At least 58 credit hours must be completed in courses from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines outside of the major area.