Program Description
The Global Religions and Cultures major empowers students to analyze diverse worldviews, traditions and value systems. In a world that is increasingly pluralistic, ideologically driven and globally connected, skills in cross-cultural understanding and the interpretation of complex data are more important than ever. Students of many different religious identities, and none, thrive in our courses.
Our students apply the Global Religions and Cultures major to a wide variety of career fields, including business, law, education, health, intelligence analysis, non-profit leadership and more. Employers highly value the practical skills that our students cultivate in analytical writing, articulating nuanced and evidence-based arguments, and engaging with perspectives that are different from their own. The capstone seminar rigorously trains students in research methods, critical thinking, presentation and communication skills, digital information literacy, and ethics. Our students excel in graduate school.
The Global Religions and Cultures major requires 33 credit hours, including three core courses and one capstone seminar. Students majoring in Global Religions and Cultures have the opportunity to create their own custom concentrations, if they choose, by completing four or more courses in a focused area of study. For example, students might choose to concentrate in Christian Studies, Indian Religions, Religion in Africa, Religion and Society, Spirituality and Health, Pre-professional Studies, or another concentration they create with support from their faculty advisor.
Because the academic study of religion is interdisciplinary, students may apply up to six credit hours of coursework from other departments toward the major if the courses include a substantial focus on religion, with approval from the faculty advisor. Our students often double major in Global Religions and Cultures as well as another field such as communication studies , health sciences , intelligence analysis or public policy . Students may add the major in Global Religions and Cultures at any time during their undergraduate career.
Core Requirements: 6 Credit Hours
Major Core Requirements: 3 Credit Hours
In addition to the degree core requirements of PHIL 101 and REL 101 , students majoring in Global Religions and Cultures must also complete:
Capstone Requirement: 3 Credit Hours
Students majoring in Global Religions and Cultures must complete one of the following capstone courses. Typically, one capstone is offered per semester. Most students take their capstone course in their junior or senior years.
Choose one of the following capstone courses:
Elective Requirements: 21 Credit Hours
Students choose additional Religion (REL-prefix) courses in order to reach 33 total credit hours for the Global Religions and Cultures major. Up to six credit hours of elective requirements may be fulfilled by courses from other disciplines (non-REL-prefix courses) if the courses include a substantial focus on religion, with approval from the faculty advisor.
Major Requirements Total: 33 Credit Hours
Custom Concentrations
Students majoring in Global Religions and Cultures have the opportunity to create their own custom concentrations, if they choose, by completing four or more courses (12 credit hours minimum) in a focused area of study. For example, students might choose to concentrate in Christian Studies, Indian Religions, Religion in Africa, Religion and Society, Spirituality and Health, Pre-professional Studies, or others that they create. Students may create any concentration name they choose. Faculty advisors support students in designing custom concentrations based on their interests.
We encourage every student, whether or not they declare a concentration, to develop breadth of expertise by studying at least two different religious traditions or cultural regions over the course of their Global Religions and Cultures major.
