Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degree in Religion and Philosophy

(SLO) Expected Outcomes:

Graduates of the department of Religion and Philosophy will demonstrate

1. Knowledge of critical skills for the study of religion, philosophy, and religious traditions, including a) an understanding of the major methods and interpretive theories in the field of biblical studies, b) the ability to read and discuss complex philosophical and religious texts from sources across a range of historical periods and from a variety of traditions, and c) proficiency in the conventions of academic written and oral forms, including developing high-quality written research products.
2. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability a) to engage with cultural diversity when analyzing the interaction of religious and philosophical views with institutions and cultures in which the traditions find themselves; b) to discern accurate and credible knowledge about diverse religious traditions and expressions; c) to thoughtfully consider ethical problems and propose a defendable moral position, and d) to distinguish confessional or prescriptive statements about religion from descriptive or analytical statements.

Degree Requirements (Semester Hours)

General Education Core

The Core should include:

REL 241	Introduction to Philosophy	3
PSY 113	General Psychology	3

Required Related Course (3)

SOC 211

Principles of Sociology

Religion and Philosophy Core (21)

REL 101	History and Literature of the Hebrew Bible	3
REL 102	History and Literature of the New Testament	3
REL 201	World Religions	3
REL 202	Archaeology and the Biblical World	3
REL 325	Concepts of Ethics	3
REL 330	Philosophy of Religion	3
REL 495	Religion and Philosophy Capstone	3

Upper-Level Religion and Philosophy Electives (choose from the following) (21)

REL 342	The Bible as Literature	3
REL 370	Christianity and Unbelief	3
REL 371	Concepts of Being Human	3
REL 372	Social Ethics	3
REL 375	Faith & Popular Culture	3
REL 380	The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Religious Life	3
REL 399/BIO 399	Bioethics	3
REL 401	History of Christian Thought	3
REL 412	20th Century Continental Philosophy	3
REL 440	Religion in America	3
REL 450	The Holocaust in Historical Perspective	3
REL 498	Internship	3
REL 499	Selected Topics & Readings in Religion	1-3

For the Bachelor of Arts Degree: Foreign Language or Upper-Level English Requirement

For the Bachelor of Science Degree: Computer Literacy

General Electives (at least 12 hours must be upper-level) (28-31)

Total Credit Hours: 120