Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies

• Inter-religious Literacy: Students will demonstrate nuanced knowledge of the various defining dimensions of religion both within specific religious traditions and comparatively across different religious communities.
• Knowledge of Key Concepts and Questions: Students will be conversant in the history, formation, and significance of foundational ideas, terms, and questions within the interdisciplinary field of Religious Studies.
• Critical and Comparative Thinking: Students will be able to critically and comparatively analyze particular religious phenomena via different theoretical approaches and methods in the academic study of religion, including historical, textual, and social scientific analysis.
• Research Methods and Assessment: Students will be able to find appropriate scholarly sources in the field of Religious Studies, learn to critically evaluate secondary sources, and consider how to respectfully engage with primary source materials.
• Argument-oriented Writing: Students will be able to read for, evaluate, and professionally write an argument with support of scholarly evidence and reasoning within the field of Religious Studies.

As a religious studies graduate, you will have the ability to analyze complex information and approach global issues from multiple perspectives. You will be an effective writer with well-developed skills in research and comparative analysis. These abilities will not only enrich you personally but are also highly valued by prospective employers. Our majors and minors have pursued opportunities in law, religious vocations, business, and advanced study in the field.

Degree Requirements

Total credits: minimum 120

Core Courses in the Major

Introductory Courses to the Study of Religion

• RELI 211 Introduction to Religions of the "West" (Mason Core) 3
• RELI 212 Introduction to Religions of Asia (Mason Core) 3
• RELI 300 Theories and Methods in Religious Studies 3

Total Credits 9

Religious Studies

Select four courses (12 credits) from any religious studies courses (RELI) at the 300 and 400 levels other than those used to fulfill the requirements above. 12

Total Credits 12

Capstone or Synthesis Course

Choose one of the following: 3

• RELI 420 Capstone Seminar in Studies of Religion
• RELI 490 Comparative Study of Religions (Mason Core)

Total Credits 3

Electives in the Major

Select 9 credits of electives from the following: 9

• 300- or 400-level courses in religious studies not used to fulfill other requirements
• up to 6 credits of scriptural language 1
• ANTH 307 Ancient Mesoamerica (Mason Core)
• ANTH 309 Peoples and Cultures of India (Mason Core) (when the topic is relevant with the prior written approval of the undergraduate director)
• ANTH 313 Myth, Magic, and Mind (Mason Core)
• ANTH 324 Warfare, Violence, and Sacrifice in Antiquity
• ANTH 345 Ritual and Power in Social Life
• ARAB 440 Topics in Arabic Religious Thought and Texts (Mason Core)
• ARTH 320 Art of the Islamic World (Mason Core)
• ARTH 333 Early Christian and Byzantine Art (Mason Core)
• ARTH 382 Arts of India (Mason Core)
• ARTH 383 Arts of Southeast Asia (Mason Core)
• ARTH 384 Arts of China (Mason Core)
• ARTH 385 Arts of Japan (Mason Core)
• CLAS 250 Classical Mythology (Mason Core)
• ENGH 316 Topics in Myth and Literature
• ENGH 320 Literature of the Middle Ages (when topic is relevant with prior written approval of the undergraduate director)
• ENGH 414 Folklore and the Supernatural
• ENGH 421 Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Literature (when topic is relevant with prior written approval of the undergraduate director)
• ENGH 422 Chaucer
• ENGH 428 Milton
• GOVT 345 Islam and Politics
• HIST 306 The Reformation
• HIST 462 Women in Islamic Society (Mason Core)
• PHIL 151 Introduction to Ethics
• PHIL 251 Happiness and the Good Life
• PHIL 336 Twentieth-Century Continental Thought: Existentialism (when topic is relevant with prior written approval of the undergraduate director)
• PHIL 339 Recent Continental Philosophy (when topic is relevant with prior written approval of the undergraduate director)
• SOCI 385 Religion and Society
• SOCI 388 Violence and Religion

Total Credits 9

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated "writing intensive" in their majors. Students majoring in religious studies fulfill this requirement by successfully completing RELI 420 Capstone Seminar in Studies of Religion.

Upper-Level Requirement

Students seeking a bachelor’s degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation requirements.

Additional Electives

Any remaining credits may be completed with elective courses to bring the degree total to 120.

College Level Requirements for the BA Degree

In addition to the Mason Core program, students pursuing a BA degree must complete the coursework below. Except where expressly prohibited, a course used to fulfill a college-level requirement may also be used simultaneously to satisfy other requirements (Mason Core requirements or requirements for the major).

• Philosophy or Religious Studies
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Foreign Language
• Non-Western Culture

Mason Core

Some Mason Core requirements may already be fulfilled by the major requirements listed above. Students are strongly encouraged to consult their advisors to ensure they fulfill all remaining Mason Core requirements.

Foundation Requirements

• Written Communication (ENGH 101) 3
• Oral Communication 3
• Quantitative Reasoning 3
• Information Technology and Computing 3

Exploration Requirements

• Arts 3
• Global Understanding 3
• Literature 3
• Natural Science 7
• Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
• Western Civilization/World History 3

Integration Requirements

• Written Communications (ENGH 302) 3
• Writing-Intensive 3
• Synthesis/Capstone 3

Total Credits 40