The minor in Religious Studies is designed to help students understand both the major religious traditions of the world and the role of religion in past and present human society.  As is appropriate for its setting within a state university, the program in Religious Studies is non-confessional and encourages students to explore religion in an intellectual, disciplined and methodologically objective way.

The minor requires eighteen hours of courses distributed as follows:

Required courses (6 hours)

• PHIL 213: Human Religious Experience
• PHIL 303: Philosophy of Religion

Electives (12 hours).  Students must choose twelve hours of electives from this list, and must take courses in at least two departments other than Philosophy.  Nine hours or more must be at the 300-400 level. (Note: Philosophy majors cannot include PHIL 200 or 255 within the 18 hours required for this minor.)

• ANTH 100 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• CLAS/LIT 365 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
• HIST 343 History of Christianity
• HIST 361 Renaissance and Reformation
• HIST 386 History of Buddhism
• HIST 387 History of Judaism
• PHIL 200 Introduction to Ethics
• PHIL 220 Existentialism
• PHIL 255 Medieval Philosophy
• PHIL 309 Medical Ethics
• PHIL 313 Oriental Philosophy
• POLS 329 Politics of Religion
• SOC 302 Sociology of Religion

Additional courses, including special topics courses, may be approved by the director of the Religious Studies program when the subject is relevant to the minor.

NOTE: The minor requirements are currently being revised as a part of the creation of the new Religious Studies major.  Your "Catalog Year" will determine the exact requirements for the minor.  Please contact Dr. Payne for more information.

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