Religious Studies, B.A.
Learning Outcomes
- Upon completion of the prerequisite and introductory courses, students should be able to distinguish and discuss various religious traditions and structures of beliefs along with sacred texts and practices which frame, elaborate, and preserve those structures, as well as attention to current scholarship. They should be able to address more issues of greater complexity in the study of religion and religions as social and cultural phenomena. Students’ abilities to critically analyze religious traditions and scholarly discourse should be more refined, informed, and detailed on completion of their degree program as an outcome of the prerequisite and introductory courses.
- Students completing the required number of upper level courses should be able to distinguish multiple approaches to the study of religion(s), differentiate the various ways in which religious ideas establish social values and expectations, elaborate a range of foundational cultural and social structures from a variety of different global regions, and skillfully discuss the religious roots from which these have been generated and derived. Students will demonstrate readiness to assimilate and assess divergent, anomalous, and difficult ideas and produce coherent, informed, well-organized and well-reasoned perspectives and propositions.
- Students should demonstrate a level of skill and proficiency in analysis of different theories, content, and historical data with respect to the study of religions.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another UofSC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a UofSC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 32-44 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 34-49 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 24 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirements (32-44 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher
- any CC-CMW courses
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours)
- any CC-ARP courses
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
- two 4-credit hour CC-SCI I laboratory science courses
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.
It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
- RELG 101 - must be passed with a grade of C or higher
or - any CC-GSS course
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course
| 1 | Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements. |
2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)
Foreign Language (0-3 hours)
- only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency
History (3 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course.
Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.
Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (12 hours)
- Three hours of Social Science
- Nine hours of Fine Arts or Humanities
Note: 3 hours of Fine Arts or Humanities must be fulfilled by RELG 120 - with a minimum grade of C - if RELG 101 was not taken to fulfill the Carolina Core-GSS requirement
3. Program Requirements (34-49 hours)
Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)
Cognate (12 hours)
The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs, depending on the interests of the student and the judgment of the advisor.
Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.
For cognate course offerings in other colleges, consult the appropriate sections of this bulletin. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements.
It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. The cognate must be approved by the major advisor as being related to the major field of study. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.
Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the cognate. For Bachelor of Arts degrees, all cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
Minor (18 hours)
In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. (Some minors in the sciences require a minimum of 16 hours.) The subject area of the minor may be related to the major. Students pursuing interdisciplinary minors who wish to use courses in their major department for minor credit must petition the College Committee on Scholastic Standards and Petitions for permission to do so.
The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must be concentrated in one area and must follow a structured sequence. Interdisciplinary minors can be designed with the approval of the assistant dean for academic affairs and advising.
Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.
A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z.
Electives (16-37 hours)
No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Note: 10-31 hours of electives will be needed to reach hours to graduate and Program Requirements will range from 28-43 hours, if completing the Intensive Major or the B.A. with Distinction in Religious Studies.
4. Major Requirements (24 hours)
A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.
Major Courses (3 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| RELG 390 | Theories of Religion | 3 |
| RELG 488 | Perspective in Religious Studies | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 6 | |
Major Electives (18 hours)
- Select 2 introductory 200-level courses
- Select 2 intermediate 300-level courses
- Select 2 advanced 400-level courses; students may substitute 400-level courses for 300-level requirements with advisor approval
Intensive Major (30 hours)
- Complete all requirements for the General Major.
- One additional RELG course a 300-level or above or, with advisor approval, a course that relates directly to the research path selected from anthropology, classics, history, languages, or philosophy.
- RELG 498
B.A. with Distinction (30 hours)
Students who fulfill the requirements for the Intensive Major and earn a minimum major GPA of 3.75 and a cumulative GPA of 3.50 will be awarded the degree “With Distinction in Religious Studies” upon graduation.
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.