Religious Studies, Bachelor of Arts (769)
Program Coordinator
Isabel Mukonyora, bella.mukonyora@wku.edu, (270) 745-3841
The academic study of religion provides the student with the methodological orientation necessary to comprehend the central beliefs, ethical practices, ritual systems, and social institutions of diverse religious traditions in their historic, contemporary and global contexts. Study in this field is multicultural and comparative, examining the patterns of life and moral worlds of societies past and present, our own as well as others. The student learns to probe for the structure, function and meaning of religion through those rites of passage, sacred narratives, faith communities, and codes of behavior that give meaning to human existence.
Program Requirements (30 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The major in Religious Studies requires a minimum of 30 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. At least fifteen hours must be at the 300- or 400-level. A minor or second major is required.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| World Religions | ||
| RELS 102 | World Religions | 3 |
| Religious Traditions, Comparative Approaches, and Restricted Electives | ||
| Select six courses from the following: | 18 | |
| The New Testament | ||
| The Old Testament/ Hebrew Scriptures | ||
| Jesus in Film | ||
| Christians, Jews, and Pagans in the Greco-Roman World | ||
| The Meaning of Life; Atheism to Zen | ||
| The Life of Jesus | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| Hinduism | ||
| Judaism | ||
| Christianity | ||
| Islam | ||
| Global Christianity | ||
| Confucianism | ||
| Daoism | ||
| Religions of Asia | ||
| Pilgrimage, Islam and Modernity | ||
| Islam in America: Hope & Hip Hop | ||
| Women and Religion | ||
| Islam, Sexuality, and Gender | ||
| Popular Culture and the Religious Marketplace | ||
| Religion and the Environment | ||
| Saints, Monsters and Superheroes | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Any RELS course not already counted toward the major. | ||
| Anthropology of Religion | ||
| Medieval Art & Architecture | ||
| Islamic Art and Architecture | ||
| Mythology | ||
| Dante’s Divine Comedy and Its Influences | ||
| Age of the Reformation | ||
| The Crusades: West Meets East | ||
| History of Religion in America | ||
| Psychology of Religion | ||
| Religion in Society | ||
| Senior Seminar | ||
| RELS 496 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
9 Hours must be in religious studies courses; Students may count up to 1 year of language sequence in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, or Latin, or other languages approved by the Department Chair.
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| COMM 145 or ENG 100 | 3 | ENG 100 or COMM 145 | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | MATH 109 (or higher) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences w. Lab | 3-4 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 |
| RELS 102 | 3 | Religious Traditions, Comparative Approaches, and Restricted Electives Course | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | Colonnade: Social & Behavioral Science | 3 |
| 15-16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 200 | 3 | Colonnade Connections Course | 3 |
| Religious Traditions, Comparative Approaches, and Restricted Electives Course | 3 | Religious Traditions, Comparative Approaches, and Restricted Electives Course | 3 |
| Religious Traditions, Comparative Approaches, and Restricted Electives Course | 3 | Religious Studies Elective | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Religious Traditions, Comparative Approaches, and Restricted Electives Course | 3 | Religious Traditions, Comparative Approaches, and Restricted Electives Course | 3 |
| ENG 300 | 3 | Colonnade Connections Course | 3 |
| Colonnade Connections Course | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| RELS 496 | 3 | Religious Studies Elective | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 | General Elective or Course for Second Major or Minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120-121 | |||