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Interested in a
Major in Religious Studies?
A major in religious
studies is a great way to pursue a
liberal arts education. Religious
studies provides basic training in
critical and appreciative thinking.
As a religion major, you will acquire
the core skills needed to flourish
in today’s changing world: thinking,
writing, communicating, working with
others, and opening your mind. Religious
studies is for you, if you are:
- Drawn to the great questions of spirituality,
such as What does it mean to be human?
- Interested in understanding and exploring
religious diversity in human culture
- Fascinated by interdisciplinary studies of
human culture on a global scale.
Why study religion? Click here
for a helpful site sponsored by the American Academy of Religion.
SHAPE OF THE MAJOR
Religious Studies
majors take 15 s.h. of coursework
in “Foundation Studies”,
an additional 12 s.h. of coursework
in “Continuing Studies”,
and cap it off with the Department's
“Senior
Seminar”, for a total of 30
s.h. Honors students are also required
to take an additional 3 s.h. of “Honors
Essay” (33 s.h. total).
The “Foundation
Studies”
courses (numbered 32:050 and below,
except courses 32:008 and 32:009),
provide the student with a broad base
of knowledge of the major world religions
on which to build his/her course of
study before proceeding to the next
level.
In the “Continuing
Studies”
courses (numbered 32:051-32:199, including courses
32:008 and 32:009), the student
pursues further questions of the meaning,
purpose, or function that religion
serves in society both past and present.
Majors concentrate in one of three
areas: Western
Religious Traditions;
Asian Religious
Traditions; or
Religion, Culture,
and Society. Many
religious studies majors have acquired
a double major by combining religious
studies with a second area such as
anthropology, classics, communication
studies, English, history, journalism,
philosophy, political science, psychology
or sociology.
The “Senior Seminar” (32:196), offered
each semester, focuses on a theme pertinent to the study of religion in
general. It offers an opportunity for majors to synthesize their work
in the department and to share their research with Religious Studies majors
in all three areas of concentration.
To declare a major in Religious Studies, go to the Academic
Programs office of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (120 Schaeffer
Hall) and file a declaration of major form.
AREAS OF
CONCENTRATION
Western
Religious Traditions
The undergraduate
concentration in Western Religious
Traditions allows advanced study in
the religious traditions of Europe
and America, principally the three
monotheistic religions of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. Majors focusing
in this area are able to choose courses
in historical development
of individual traditions, and geographically
or thematically focused areas of Western
religious history. Typical courses
in historical development
might cover the history of Christianity
during a given epoch; and geographically
or thematically marked courses might
include the history of social thought,
or any of the various aspects of American
religion. Intentionally inclusive,
this area allows for intensive or
extensive investigation in this field.
List
of courses for Western Religious Traditions
Asian
Religious Traditions
The undergraduate
concentration in Asian Religious Traditions
opens up cultures and systems of ideas
and rites from India to China. Students
in this concentration area are free
to explore the thought and literature
of Hinduism and Buddhism, both in
their origins and in their modern
forms. This track encourages students
to acquire some familiarity with an
Asian language in order to gain a
deeper appreciation of sacred texts
in these traditions; and supplements
text-based courses with offerings
in ritual studies, East-West cultural
encounters, and fundamental topics
such as enlightenment and the possibility
of rebirth.
List
of courses for Asian Religious Traditions
Religion,
Culture and Society
Students with comparative
and interdisciplinary interests may
wish to consider concentrating in
the Religion, Culture and Society
area, which encourages work in religion
and the arts and the presence of religion
in contemporary experience. The ways
in which literature, film, and the
graphic and plastic arts communicate
religious sentiment can be explored
in courses cross-listed with other
humanities departments; while current
problems in the realms of political
conflict and biomedical ethics are
investigated from the various perspectives
that make these some of the most religiously-charged
issues in the modern world.
List
of courses for Religion, Culture and
Society
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LIST
OF COURSES FOR FOUNDATION STUDIES
(15 hours)
A. Western
Religious Traditions (6 hours)
B. Asian Religious
Traditions (6 hours)
C. Theoretical
and Comparative Studies in Religion
(3 hours)
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CONTINUING
STUDIES IN AN AREA OF CONCENTRATION
(12 hours)
Select four
courses from one of the three areas
of concentration:
* Western Religious
Traditions
* Asian Religious Traditions
* Religion, Culture and Society
LIST
OF COURSES FOR EACH AREA OF CONCENTRATION
Western
Religious Traditions
32:051 Religious
Thinkers of the West
32:054 Introduction to Catholicism
32:056 Christianity in the United
States
32:058 Liturgy and Devotion in the
Christian Tradition (16E:058)
32:061 Middle East and Mediter Alexander-Suleiman
(20E:045)
32:067 Theological Questions
32:080 Spirituality and Mysticism
32:082 American Indian Activism (149:080)
32:085 Early Modern Catholicism
32:090 Women and the Bible
32:092 Prophecy in the Bible
32:094 Jesus & His Interpreters
32:095 The Apostle Paul
32:105 World of the Old Testament
32:118 Roman Religion (20E:116)
32:119 Jewish Mysticism
32:120 Jewish Religious Thought
32:121 The
Hebrew Bible and Diet
32:123 Classical and Hellenistic Periods II (20G:123)
32:132 Medieval & Reformation
Religious Thought
32:135 Revolutionary Theologies in
American History (16A:125)
32:136 Religious Thought in the Enlightenment
32:137 Modern Religious Thought Romanticism-Existentialism
32:138 Modern Religious Thought II: Existentialism to Post-Modern
32:142 The Puritan Experience (16A:121)
32:154 Religious Conflict/Early Modern
Period
32:157 Modern Islamic Thought &
Political Movements
32:161 History of Religious Ethics
32:192 Traditions of Religious Reform
Asian
Religious Traditions
32:008 Asian Humanities: India (39:018)
32:009 Asian Humanities: China (39:019)
32:057 Religion in Modern India
32:075 Asian Religious Classics (39:075)
32:081 Hindu Religion and Art
32:084 Introduction to Mysticism
32:116 Japanese Religion & Thought
32:156 The Karma of Words
32:160 Goddesses in India (39:160)
32:163 Turning East (39:162)
32:170 Topics in Asian Religions
32:171 Indian Religious Texts (39:163)
32:172 Comparative Ritual (39:172)
32:174 Indian Philosophy (26:144)
32:175 Buddhist Philosophy (26:145)
32:177 Indian Literature (39:136)
32:186 The Literature of Daoism
32:187 Merchants, Monks and Samurai (39J:187/16W:177)
32:188 Zen Buddhism (39:170)
Religion, Culture,
and Society
32:052 Women in Islam and the Middle East
32:055 Religion and Violence in America
32:060 Introduction to Native American Religions (149:060)
32:063 African American Islam in International Perspective
32:066 Introduction to Religion and the Arts
32:071 Sexual Ethics (154:071)
32:073 Nature in Religious Thought & Ethics
32:076 American Indian Environmentalism
32:078 American Indian Women: Myth, Ritual and Sacred Power (149:082)
32:103 Biblical Archeology
32:104 Egyptian Art (01H:110)
32:111 Religion and Women (131:111)
32:112 The Bible in Film: Hollywood and Moses
32:118 Roman Religion & Society (20E:116)
32:125 Libraries in Western Culture (108:184/16:116)
32:126 20th Century African-American Religions: Civil Rights to Hip-Hop
32:127 Non-Profit Organizational Effectiveness I (06J:147)
32:128 Non-Profit Organizational Effectiveness II (06J: 148)
32:130 Religion and Environmental Ethics (113:139/33:139)
32:131 Urban Religious Experience: New Orleans
32:133 Religion, Music & Culture in Black New Orleans
32:140 Religion in Literature
32:141 Varieties of American Religion (16A:122)
32:144 Religious Thought in America 1860 to Present (16A:124)
32:145 Ultra-Conservative and Radical Theologies
(16A: 118)
32:146 Philosophy of Religion (26:134)
32:147 Quest II: Sex, Love & Death
32:148 Ethics and Modern Religious Thought
32:149 Values in the Contemporary World (033:152)
32:150 The Bible and the Holocaust
32:151 Religion and Law
32:152 Religion and Democracy
32:153 Religion & The Arts
32:155 Human Rights and Islam
32:158 Native American Women & Religious Change
32:159 Comparative Islamic Law
32:161 History of Religious Ethics
32:162 Genes and the Human Condition
32:164 Greek Religion & Society (20E:115)
32:165 Anthropology of Religion (113:142)
32:167 Islamic Ethics & Political Thought
32:169 Quest III: Heroes, Lovers, & Knaves
32:178 East Meets West: Western Reception of Eastern Rel (39:188)
Note: Some courses are not offered
every year. Check on ISIS
to see which courses are currently offered.
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Advising:
Every Religious
Studies major is assigned to a faculty
adviser in the department who assists
in tailoring coursework to the student’s
individual interests and career intentions.
The adviser guides the student through
the course requirements and assists
him/her in identifying specific areas
of interest.
General
Education Program:
Students may count a maximum of three
religion courses approved to fulfill
requirements in the general
education program and as a part of
the requirements for the major.
Independent
Study:
With the sponsorship of a faculty
member, students may include up to
3 hours of 32:195 (Individual Study:
Undergraduates) in their area of concentration.
Transfer
Credit:
Students may transfer a total of 15
semester hours in religious studies
from another institution to count
toward their Religious Studies major
with the recommendation of the department’s
undergraduate committee and approval
of the department’s faculty.
Honors
Major in Religious Studies:
Students with a 3.33 UI grade
point average are eligible to register
in the Honors Program. Honors majors
must complete at least 33 s.h. to
fulfill the requirements for the Religious
Studies major. Students must take
32:198 (Honors Essay) under the individual
supervision of a faculty adviser.
Copies of the completed and approved
essay are to be submitted to both
the department and the Honors Program.
Honors students may apply 3 s.h. of
32:197 (Honors Tutorial) toward the
12 s.h. requirement in the Area of
Concentration.
Double
Major:
Students majoring in one of the natural
sciences, social sciences, or humanities
may complement their academic programs
with a second major in Religious Studies.
Double majors may petition the faculty
to have courses from the first major
count in the area of concentration
in the Religious Studies major, if
there are good academic reasons for
doing so.
Minor
in Religious Studies:
To earn a minor in religious studies requires 15 s.h. of credit in religious studies courses with a g.p.a. of at least 2.00. Of the 15 s.h., at least 12 s.h. must be taken at The University of Iowa in upper-level (continuing
studies) religious studies courses, including 032:008, 032:009, and all courses numbered above 032:050 (Minors do not need to concentrate
in one area). Students may transfer 3 s.h. from another institution toward their minor with the recommendation of the department’s undergraduate committee and approval of the faculty. A minor is declared when
applying for the B.A. degree.
Internship:
The Career
Center offers
a variety of opportunities for internships.
Ask your adviser about participating
and receiving academic credit. Additionally,
the department offers a career workshop
every fall semester to allow students
to begin thinking about their career
paths.
Four-Year
Graduation Plan:
The following checkpoints list the
minimum requirements students must
complete in order to stay on the University’s
four-year graduation plan.
Before
the third semester begins:
at least one-quarter of the semester
hours required before graduation.
Before
the fifth semester begins:
one or two courses in the major
and at least one-half of the semester
hours required for graduation.
Before
the seventh semester begins:
three to six courses in the major
and at least three-quarters of the
semester hours required for graduation.
Before
the eighth semester begins:
five to seven courses in the major.
During
the eighth semester: enrollment
in all remaining course work in
the major, all remaining GE’s,
and a sufficient number of semester
hours to graduate.
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For
More Information:
University
of Iowa Admission
Review the University of Iowa Admissions
web site.
College
of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Scholarships
Alumni
Student
Academic Handbook
Financial
Aid
Review the University's Student
Financial Aid
site.
General
inquiries about the Department of
Religious Studies:
319-335-2164 [telephone]
319-335-3716 [fax]
religion@uiowa.edu
Interested
in Graduate Study? | Interested
in a Religious Studies Major?
Academic Programs
| News and Events
| Faculty
Directory | About
Us | Contact
Us
Department
of Religious Studies | The
University of Iowa
314 Gilmore Hall, Iowa City, IA
52242 • 319-335-2164
religion@uiowa.edu
Copyright
© 2006, The
University of Iowa. All
Rights Reserved.
Updated 7/08
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