Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Major in Religious Studies
Minimum required: 120 semester credit hours
General Requirements
- The general education core curriculum courses are listed in the degree plan below along with the statewide component code number. See the General Education Core Curriculum section of this catalog for the Texas State requirements and options in the core curriculum, including Honors courses.
- In addition to the general education core curriculum requirements, the Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) requires three additional hours of English literature, three hours of mathematics, science, logic, or computer science courses, a minor, and six hours of 2000-level modern language courses. Most students will have to complete 1410 and 1420 as prerequisites before attempting 2310.
- Students must select a minor from the approved list of Undergraduate Minors.
- Students must complete a minimum of 36 advanced hours (3000 or 4000 level courses).
- Nine hours of writing intensive (WI) courses are required for graduation.
- The degree program requires 30 hours of major coursework, with at least 21 hours of coursework in REL courses and at least 18 of the 30 hours at the 3000 or 4000 level.
- The minimum number of hours required for this degree program is 120. The number of free elective hours a student will complete depends on the number of hours a student may need to achieve the required 120 total or 36 advanced hours.
- Graduating seniors must submit a portfolio of their work and participate in an exit interview with the Religious Studies faculty. Details about the portfolio are available in the Department’s main office.
Course Requirements
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Communication Component Code 010 | 3 | Communication Component Code 010 | 3 |
| Government/Political Science Component Code 070 | 3 | Mathematics Component Code 020 | 3 |
| Modern Language 1410 | 4 | Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 | |
| REL 1300 (TCCN PHIL 1304) | 3 | Government/Political Science Component Code 070 | 3 |
| US 1100 | 1 | Modern Language 1420 | 4 |
| REL 2330 | 3 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 | 3 | Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 | 3 |
| American History Component Code 060 | 3 | American History Component Code 060 | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 | 3 | ENG 2310, 2320, 2330, 2340, 2359, 2360, or 2371 (Component Area Option Code 090/094 [TCCN ENGL 2322, 2323, 2332, 2333, 2327, or 2328]) | 3 |
| Modern Language 2310 | 3 | Modern Language 2320 | 3 |
| Group A Elective | 3 | Group B Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Creative Arts Component Code 050 | 3 | BA Science, Math, Computer Science, or Logic | 3 |
| Component Area Option Code 090/091 | 3 | Group D Elective | 3 |
| BA English Literature | 3 | Group E Elective | 3 |
| Group C Elective | 3 | Minor | 6 |
| Minor | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| REL 4300 | 3 | Minor | 6 |
| Group E Electives | 6 | Electives (as needed) | 9 |
| Minor | 3 | ||
| Elective (as needed) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||
Prescribed Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GROUP A - ASIAN TRADITIONS | ||
| REL 2360 | Asian Religious Traditions | 3 |
| REL 3381 | The Philosophical and Spiritual Heritage of India | 3 |
| REL 3383 | An Introduction to Chinese Religions | 3 |
| REL 3385 | Buddhism | 3 |
| REL 3386 | Yoga: Principles and Practice | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GROUP B - LEVANTINE AND EUROPEAN TRADITIONS | ||
| HIST 3335 | Spain of the Three Religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Premodern Iberia | 3 |
| HIST 3374A | History of Christianity 1300-1700 | 3 |
| HIST 4320 | Origins of Christianity | 3 |
| HIST 4325 | Islamic History to 1798 | 3 |
| PS 4331 | Islamic Law and Politics | 3 |
| REL 2310 | Introduction to the Hebrew Bible | 3 |
| REL 2315 | Introduction to the New Testament | 3 |
| REL 2350 | Mediterranean and European Religions | 3 |
| REL 3320 | Judaism | 3 |
| REL 3361C | Philosophical Issues in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GROUP C - PRE-MODERN TRADITIONS | ||
| ANTH 3335 | The Anthropology of Native American Belief Systems | 3 |
| ANTH 3349 | The Incas | 3 |
| HIST 4320 | Origins of Christianity | 3 |
| HIST 4325 | Islamic History to 1798 | 3 |
| REL 2310 | Introduction to the Hebrew Bible | 3 |
| REL 2315 | Introduction to the New Testament | 3 |
| REL 2350 | Mediterranean and European Religions | 3 |
| REL 2360 | Asian Religious Traditions | 3 |
| REL 3342 | The Homeric Epic: The Illiad and the Odyssey | 3 |
| REL 3361C | Philosophical Issues in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GROUP D - MODERN TRADITIONS | ||
| GEO 4393F | Geographies of the Holocaust and Genocide | 3 |
| HIST 4348 | Mahatma Gandhi and Nonviolence | 3 |
| HON 3395S | Geographies of the Holocaust and Genocide | 3 |
| PHIL 3317 | Science and Religion | 3 |
| PS 4313 | The Holocaust | 3 |
| PS 4327 | Religion and American Public Life | 3 |
| REL 3330 | Religious Controversy in America | 3 |
| REL 3335 | Cults and New Religious Movements | 3 |
| REL 3361A | Religion and Film | 3 |
| SOCI 3375P | Sociology of Religion: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GROUP E - RELIGIOUS STUDIES | ||
| ANTH 3305 | Magic, Ritual and Religion | 3 |
| ANTH 3322 | Peoples and Cultures of Africa | 3 |
| ANTH 3327 | Anthropology of Religion and Fundamentalism | 3 |
| ANTH 3332 | Myths and Moundbuilders | 3 |
| ANTH 3335 | The Anthropology of Native American Belief Systems | 3 |
| ANTH 3349 | The Incas | 3 |
| ANTH 4320 | Rise of Civilization | 3 |
| ARTH 2301 | Ancient to Medieval Art | 3 |
| ARTH 2302 | Renaissance to Modern Art | 3 |
| ARTH 4303 | Pre-Columbian Art | 3 |
| ARTH 4306 | Renaissance Art | 3 |
| ARTH 4316 | Islamic Art | 3 |
| ENG 3329 | Studies in Mythology | 3 |
| FR 4370 | Cultures of the French-Speaking World | 3 |
| GEO 4393F | Geographies of the Holocaust and Genocide | 3 |
| HIST 3312 | Renaissance and Reformation | 3 |
| HIST 3374A | History of Christianity 1300-1700 | 3 |
| HIST 4320 | Origins of Christianity | 3 |
| HIST 4325 | Islamic History to 1798 | 3 |
| HIST 4348 | Mahatma Gandhi and Nonviolence | 3 |
| HON 2304A | The Meaning of Death | 3 |
| HON 2305C | Italy and Arts of the Islamic World | 3 |
| HON 3390H | Nature of Society: The Problem of Evil | 3 |
| HON 3392Y | The Nature of the Human Experience I: Immortality | 3 |
| HON 3395J | The Meaning of Death | 3 |
| HON 3395S | Geographies of the Holocaust and Genocide | 3 |
| HON 3396D | Mythology, Science and Creation | 3 |
| HON 3397S | Human Language: its evolution, mental representation, and learning | 3 |
| HON 3398N | The Anthropology of Religion and Fundamentalism | 3 |
| PHIL 3317 | Science and Religion | 3 |
| PHIL 3318 | Reason, God, and Nature | 3 |
| PHIL 3324 | Meaning of Life | 3 |
| PHIL 4371 | Asian Philosophy | 3 |
| PS 4313 | The Holocaust | 3 |
| PS 4327 | Religion and American Public Life | 3 |
| PS 4331 | Islamic Law and Politics | 3 |
| REL 2310 | Introduction to the Hebrew Bible | 3 |
| REL 2315 | Introduction to the New Testament | 3 |
| REL 2321 | Founders, Prophets and Saints | 3 |
| REL 2350 | Mediterranean and European Religions | 3 |
| REL 2360 | Asian Religious Traditions | 3 |
| REL 3320 | Judaism | 3 |
| REL 3330 | Religious Controversy in America | 3 |
| REL 3335 | Cults and New Religious Movements | 3 |
| REL 3340 | Religion, Literature, and the Arts | 3 |
| REL 3342 | The Homeric Epic: The Illiad and the Odyssey | 3 |
| REL 3361A | Religion and Film | 3 |
| REL 3361B | Mysticism | 3 |
| REL 3361C | Philosophical Issues in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| REL 3370 | Mythology and Cosmology | 3 |
| REL 3372 | Apocalypticism | 3 |
| REL 3381 | The Philosophical and Spiritual Heritage of India | 3 |
| REL 3383 | An Introduction to Chinese Religions | 3 |
| REL 3385 | Buddhism | 3 |
| REL 3386 | Yoga: Principles and Practice | 3 |
| REL 3390 | Religion, Health, and Embodiment | 3 |
| REL 4388 | Issues in Religion | 3 |
| SOCI 3375P | Sociology of Religion: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| SPAN 3301 | Literatures of Spain I | 3 |
| SPAN 3302 | Literatures of Spain II | 3 |
| SPAN 3305 | Latin American Literatures I | 3 |
| SPAN 3309 | Introduction to Hispanic Literature and Literary Analysis | 3 |
| SPAN 3370 | Spanish Civilization | 3 |
| SPAN 3371 | Latin American Civilization | 3 |
| SPAN 4302 | The Spanish Novel | 3 |
| SPAN 4380G | Women, Minorities and Marginal Groups in Medieval Spanish Literature | 3 |
