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Major and Minor in Religion

The Major and Minor in Religion were redesigned in 2016.  All students must follow this set of requirements if they matriculated in the fall semester of 2016 or thereafter (see left navigation bar for requirements before Fall 2016).  Two courses taken Pass-NoPass may count towards the major in Religion. The senior studies requirement cannot be taken Pass-NoPass. There are no limits for minors.

Requirements for the Major:

At least 9 credits

• 2 courses in religious communities including at least 1 Abrahamic and 1 Asian tradition:

Abrahamic traditions:

• • Religion 211: What is "Jewish"?
  • Religion 212: Global Christianity
  • Religion 213: Global Islam
  • Religion 225: Islam in America

Asian traditions:

• • Religion 214: Avatars, Goddesses, and Demons
  • Religion 215: Buddhist Paths to Nirvana
  • Religion 216: Chinese Religions
  • Religion 226: Religion and Gender in South Asia

• 4 thematically-focused religion (RELG) courses at the 200 or 300 level. At least one of these courses must be at the 300-level. One of these courses may be taken in a discipline other than religion from a list of courses with significant religion content. Courses that fulfill this requirement may be selected in consultation with the Religion department advisor from the list on the Major/Minor Requirements webpage. Courses that fulfill this requirement include:

• • RELG 218: Buddhism and Social Activism
  • RELG 220: Islam and Pop Culture
  • RELG 223: Does God Exist?
  • RELG 224: Islam and Science
  • RELG 226: Religion and Gender in South Asia
  • RELG 230: Religion and Politics
  • RELG 231: Global Astrologies and Religion
  • RELG 234: Witches, Preachers, and Mystics
  • RELG 235: Religion in Contemporary America
  • RELG 236: Religion and Politics in the USA
  • RELG 237: African American Religions
  • RELG 238: Religion, Space, and Architecture in Chicago
  • RELG 239: Religion, Biology, & Public Health
  • RELG 240: Religious Perspectives on the Environment
  • RELG 241: Religion & Science
  • RELG 242: Cults, Sects, and Communes
  • RELG 243: Religion and Popular Culture
  • RELG 244: Death and the Afterlife in the Ancient World
  • RELG 245: Faithful to the Very End: Martyrdom in Early Christianity
  • RELG 247: War and Violence in Islam
  • RELG 248: Crusades and Holy War in Medieval Europe
  • RELG 255: 21st Century Islam
  • RELG 256: Religion, SciFi, AI, and Non-Human
  • RELG 307: Roman & Medieval Christianity
  • RELG 310: Islamic Mysticism
  • RELG 314: Hindu Pilgrimage: India and Chicago
  • RELG 316: Walking to Heaven: Pilgrimage Asia
  • RELG 319: European Reformations 1200-1600
  • RELG 335: Religion and Food
  • RELG 355: Exhibiting Religion in the Museum

Courses in a discipline other than religion, one of which can fulfill this requirement, include:

• ARTH 205: All That Glitters: Byzantine Art
• ARTH 211: Medieval Art
• ARTH 212: Italian Renaissance Art
• ARTH 215: Reformation to Revolution 1600-1800
• ARTH 223: Northern Renaissance Art
• ARTH 226: Colonial Latin American Art
• ARTH 286: Islamic Art: Ottomans and Safavids
• ARTH 306: Buddhist Arts of Asia
• ENGL 203: Early American Literature
• ENGL 204: Nineteenth Century American Literature
• ENGL 206: American Environmental Literature
• ENGL 210: Ancient and Medieval Literature
• ENGL 219: Malcolm & Martin: The Literature of Peace & Resistance
• ENGL 346: Jewish-American Literature
• HIST 246: Renaissance and Reformation
• HIST 282: The Pre-Modern Body
• MUSC 360: Music History I
• PHIL 250: Philosophy of Religion
• PHIL 275: Desire and Discipline: Asian Morals
• POLS 311: Political Systems: Islam World
• POLS 313: Political Islam
• POLS 361: The First Amendment
• POLS 365: Civil Liberties
• SOAN 223: Sociology of Islam (formerly SOAN 322)
• SOAN 260: History of Social Thought
• SOAN 348: Paranormal and Supernatural
• SOAN 390: Sociology of Religion

• 2 elective religion (RELG) courses at any level
• Senior Studies Requirement to be completed in one of the following ways:
  • RELG 492: Senior Seminar (Offered every other year)
  • RELG 493: Research Project
  • RELG 494: Senior Thesis

Requirements for the Minor:

At least 6 credits

• 2 courses in religious communities including at least 1 Abrahamic and Asian tradition:

Abrahamic traditions:

• • Religion 211: What is "Jewish"?
  • Religion 212: Global Christianity
  • Religion 213: Global Islam
  • Religion 225: Islam in America

Asian traditions:

• • Religion 214: Avatars, Goddesses, and Demons
  • Religion 215: Buddhist Paths to Nirvana
  • Religion 216: Chinese Religions
  • Religion 226: Religion and Gender in South Asia
• 3 thematically-focused religion (RELG) courses at the 200 or above. See courses in this category listed for the major. At least one of these courses must be at the 300-level.  Any one course in a discipline other than religion with significant religion content at the 200 or 300 level may also be used. See courses in this category listed for the major.
• 1 elective religion (RELG) course at any level