Degrees in Comparative Religion and Humanities

Religious studies is the academic study of the nature of religion and how it shapes and is shaped by other cultural forces. Religion is increasingly recognized as a vital part of our individual and community identity, as a political force nationally and globally, and as both a source of conflict and a potential resource for healing social divisions.

The Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies is a low-unit major offering both a deep knowledge of major religious traditions and a comprehensive exploration of the role of religion in the contemporary world. In courses like Religion and Nature; Religion, Sex, and Gender; World Religions and Global Issues; and the capstone course Religion, Public Life and the Professions, you work closely with outstanding professors in small classes who both challenge you and support your learning.

Humanities is a program devoted to the study, appreciation, and analysis of cultural traditions from an interdisciplinary perspective. The Bachelor of Arts in Humanities focuses on the arts (including literature, music, theatre, sculpture, painting, architecture, film) and ideas (philosophical trends, artistic movements, and religious traditions) by examining individual works and thinkers in their particular cultural and historical contexts. The program allows students to specialize in a particular period (such as classical antiquity, the medieval period, the Renaissance, and modernism) or in cultures of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. 

Humanities helps students render a comprehensive, competent, and constructive assessment of today’s world. Students learn how to write clearly and convincingly, to reason about a problem, and to do serious and reflective research. This online program will help students negotiate life and build bridges across cultures in the diverse world in which we live.

The Certificate in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations equips students in a variety of majors with competencies suitable to a range of professional activities involving religiously diverse populations—including education, health care, social services and community development, business, and governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The Minor in Cinema Studies provides students with sustained exposure to film studies, to build upon a core contingent of courses consisting of different approaches to cinema (literary, philosophical/aesthetic, and artistic/constructivist), and a selection of courses that cover both national and international cinema using the scholarly approaches of the humanities.

The Minor in Classical Civilization focuses on the study of the art, literature, history, philosophy, and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. It provides students with a comprehensive grasp of the intellectual and artistic traditions which shaped Western cultures and which continue to have a profound influence on artists, writers, and thinkers from around the world.

The minor also exposes students to the comparative study of ancient cultures and religious traditions of the Near East and the Americas. Students pursuing the minor are provided with the opportunity to study ancient Greek and Latin languages and to study abroad in Italy and Greece.

The Minor in Humanities provides students with a comprehensive introduction to cultural achievements through the ages and offers a deeper understanding of, and a greater appreciation for, the entire legacy of human self-expression. The study of humanities broadens awareness of the cultural forces which have shaped and continue to control world affairs. Students gain invaluable insights for traveling, visiting museums, attending concerts, and, in countless other ways, participating in the ongoing transmission of human civilization.

The Minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies exposes students to the art, architecture, literature, philosophy, religion, and history of Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to early modernity. This thousand-year period, characterized by both the loss and preservation of classical traditions and violent interactions between pagans, Christians, Jews, and Muslims, led to innovative approaches to knowledge and the arts and fundamentally shaped today’s world. The minor is a natural complement to majors in art history, history, English, and foreign languages.

The Minor in Comparative Religion helps students cultivate an understanding and respect for multiple religious and non-religious perspectives as an integral part of education for citizenship in a pluralistic society and world. The minor promotes an understanding of how religion relates to world politics, science, gender and sexuality, and other human domains, as well as helping to develop critical thinking, effective communication, and research skills in the study of historical and contemporary cultures of the U.S. and the world.

The Minor in Modern Jewish and Israel Studies gives students access to the social, intellectual, political, and aesthetic dimensions of Jewish civilization. Students explore Judaism in a historical context and are exposed to the diversity of religious and secular Jewish traditions. The program emphasizes the study of biblical texts, Jewish interpretive traditions, the history of the Jews, modern Jewish literature, anti-Semitism, and Israel, as well as comparative study of Christianity and Islam. It also provides students with opportunities to learn the modern Hebrew language, to study abroad in Israel or Europe, and to gain internship credit in concert with local Jewish communities.