Religious Studies, Global Intereligious Dynamics (BA)
This prgram is designed for students interested in the human encounters and exchanges within and across global religious traditions. It is intended for students who wish to gain in-depth knowledge of the ways diverse religious practices and ideas impact global politics and civic life, in order to develop skills applicable to careers that address conflict resolution and cultural pluralism.
Total Hours Required: 120
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Semester | ||
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| 2nd Semester | ||
| Mathematics (020) | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Additional Social Science (may not also be counted toward Core Curriculum) | 3 | |
| R S 310 | Introduction to the Study of Religion | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| 3rd Semester | ||
| Hours chosen from: Lower-division R S | 3 | |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part I (030) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | 6 | |
| 4th Semester | ||
| Hours chosen from: Lower-division R S | 3 | |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part I (030) | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | 6 | |
| 5th Semester | ||
| AFR 345F | Sex and Power in the African Diaspora | 3 |
| or ANT 340C | Ethnographic Research Methods | |
| or R S 337 | Religion and Society | |
| or R S 373E | Anthropology Of Religion | |
| or R S 373T | Talk, Text, and God | |
| R S 320 | Introduction to Research Methods in the Study of Religion | 3 |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part II (093) | 3 | |
| Cultural Expression, Human Experience, and Thought (may not also be counted toward Core Curriculum) | 3 | |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| 6th Semester | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division R S | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division R S | 3 | |
| R S 375S | Topics in Advanced Seminars in Religious Studies | 3 |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| 7th Semester | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division R S | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division R S | 3 | |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Upper-division Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| 8th Semester | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division R S | 3 | |
| Upper-division Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| R S 310 | Introduction to the Study of Religion | 3 |
| R S 307 | Introduction to Interreligious Dynamics | 3 |
| R S 320 | Introduction to Research Methods in the Study of Religion | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Contemporary Interreligious Dynamics (see course list tab) | 9 | |
| Hours chosen from: Historical Interreligious Dynamics course list (see course list tab) | 9 | |
| R S 375S | Topics in Advanced Seminars in Religious Studies | 3 |
| Subtotal | 30 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 51 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 9 | |
| Subtotal | 60 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 30 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 30 | |
| College Requirements - Liberal Arts | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Degree - Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Liberal Arts
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | ||
| Literature and Writing | ||
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing (Plan II honors requires at least a C-; may also count toward Core Curriculum) | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Writing intensive coursework-see course list (may also count toward Core Curriculum; Plan II honors requires at least a C-) | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division Writing intensive coursework-see course list (may also count toward Core Curriculum; Plan II honors requires at least a C-) | 6 | |
| Choose a sequence below: | 12 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors (requires at least a C-; may also count toward Core Curriculum) | ||
| Plan II World Literature Part I | ||
or T C 303C | Plan II World Literature Part I | |
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
| British Literature | ||
or E 316M | American Literature | |
or E 316N | World Literature | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | 3 | |
| Choose a sequence below: Social Science | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors (requires at least a C-; may also count toward Core Curriculum) | ||
| Honors Social Science: Methods and Theory | ||
or S S 302D | Honors Social Science: Psychology | |
or S S 302E | Honors Social Science: Anthropology | |
or S S 302E | Honors Social Science: Anthropology | |
or S S 302F | Honors Social Science: Economics | |
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Choose a sequence below: (M 301, M 316K, and M 316L do not count toward this requirement) | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors | ||
| Modern Mathematics: Plan II | ||
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
Hours chosen from: Mathematics | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors | ||
| Modes of Reasoning | ||
or PHL 313Q | Logic and Scientific Reasoning | |
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 15 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors | ||
Six Hours chosen from: Astronomy, biology, chemistry, geological sciences, physical science, or physics (may also count toward Core Curriculum) | ||
| Problems in Modern Biology | ||
| Modern Physics: Plan II | ||
Three Hours chosen from: | ||
Art history, music history, or history of theatre and dance | ||
Upper-division classical civilization, humanities, literature, or philosophy | ||
| Sequence 2: Plan I International Relations and Global Studies | ||
Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | ||
| Sequence 3: Other Plan I | ||
Hours chosen from: | ||
Liberal Arts multi-disciplinary minor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences | ||
Liberal Arts multi-disciplinary minor in Cultural Expression, Human Experience, and Thought | ||
| Total Hours | 51 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
Unless otherwise stated, students must complete at least:
- 15 upper-division degree hours
- 24 upper-division degree hours taken in residence at the University
- 36 additional degree hours taken in residence at the University.
Credit may be earned via credit by examination, extension, or transferred hours from another institution (requires dean's approval).
Major and minor required hours may also be used to fulfill degree requirements unless expressly prohibited.
A course in one degree area may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of another degree area unless specified otherwise.
Mathematics courses at the college algebra level may not count toward elective hours.
Majors
A major consists of 24 to 45 hours, with at least 15 upper-division hours unless the requirements of the major state otherwise.
Students must earn at least:
- 18 major hours taken in residence at the University.
- 6 upper-division major hours taken in residence at the University
- a 2.00 grade point average for in-residence major hours taken at the University unless a higher minimum scholastic requirement is specified for the major.
Minors
Students must get permission from their College of Liberal Arts academic advisor to pursue more than one transcript-recognized minor or certificate per major. The academic advisor will approve or deny the request after considering the student's long-term educational and professional goals and the student's ability to graduate within 4 years of entering the University.
Students should consult the department offering the course before planning to use it to fulfill the minor requirement.
Hours used to fulfill the requirements for a minor must be taken on the letter-grade basis.
Contemporary Interreligious Dynamics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| R S 316C | History of Religion in the United States | 3 |
| R S 313N | Jewish Civilization: 1492 to the Present | 3 |
| R S 316E | American Jews: The Yiddish Experience | 3 |
| ANT 318L | Mexican American Culture | 3 |
| R S 358C | Islam and Politics | 3 |
| R S 358F | French Empire: The West and Islam | 3 |
| R S 358G | Gender Politics in the Islamic World | 3 |
| R S 358L | Rule of Law in the Middle East | 3 |
| R S 358V | Veiling in the Muslim World | 3 |
| R S 359C | Graffiti and Poster Art in the Islamic World | 3 |
| R S 346V | African American Religions | 3 |
| R S 326 | History of Religion in America since 1800 | 3 |
| R S 345 | Islamic Spain and North Africa to 1492 | 3 |
| R S 346D | Native American Religions | 3 |
| R S 346F | United States Catholic History | 3 |
| R S 346G | Religion in the American West | 3 |
| R S 346J | Evangelical Christianity | 3 |
| R S 346K | The Black Church in African American Politics | 3 |
| R S 346L | Representation of Jews in the American Public Sphere | 3 |
| R S 346N | American Jewish Material Culture | 3 |
| R S 346U | The History of Islam in the United States | 3 |
| R S 360C | African Religious Culture and Creativity | 3 |
| R S 366C | The Bible in the Colonial Americas | 3 |
| R S 366D | Religions of the Caribbean | 3 |
| R S 366E | Jewish Cuba | 3 |
| R S 368C | When Christ was King | 3 |
| R S 368D | Church and State in Latin America | 3 |
Historical Interreligious Dynamics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| R S 306D | The Roots of Religious Toleration | 3 |
| R S 312C | Introduction to Buddhism | 3 |
| R S 304 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: An Introduction | 3 |
| R S 312C | Introduction to Buddhism | 3 |
| R S 313E | Introduction to Jewish Latin America | 3 |
| R S 313M | Jewish Civilization: Beginnings to 1492 | 3 |
| R S 318 | The Rise of Christianity | 3 |
| R S 319 | Introduction to Islam | 3 |
| R S 321 | History of Hindu Religious Traditions | 3 |
| R S 322 | History of Indian Buddhism | 3 |
| R S 325 | Prophet of Islam: His Life and Times | 3 |
| R S 325G | The Qur'an | 3 |
| R S 335 | Jesus in History and Tradition | 3 |
| R S 352D | Japanese Religion and Western Imagination | 3 |
| R S 352G | Shamanism and the Primitive | 3 |
| R S 352R | Ritual and Religion in Korea | 3 |
| R S 353G | Abraham and Abrahamic Religions | 3 |
| R S 357E | Jews of Eastern Europe | 3 |
| R S 357N | Northern Gods, Northern Faiths: The Conversion of Scandinavians, Finns, Northern Slavs and Shamans | 3 |
| R S 357O | The Church and the Jews | 3 |
| R S 357P | Jewish Folklore | 3 |
| R S 357T | Introduction to Germanic Religion and Myth | 3 |
| R S 357U | Medieval Women Mystics | 3 |
| R S 357V | Holocaust Aftereffects | 3 |
| R S 357W | Russian Orthodox Religion and Culture | 3 |
| R S 358K | Islamic Law | 3 |
| R S 358P | History of the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Hajj | 3 |
| R S 359D | Islam in the Early Modern World: Religion and Culture | 3 |
| R S 359E | Shia Islam | 3 |
| R S 359M | Arts of Islam, 650-1500 | 3 |
| R S 359N | Arts of Islam 1500-Present | 3 |
| R S 365D | Hermits, Monks, and Saints in Early Christianity | 3 |
| R S 365G | Death and the Afterlife in Graeco-Roman Antiquity | 3 |