Religious and Theological Studies (B.A.)
Students majoring in Religious and Theological Studies complete a minimum of 120 credits to earn a bachelor’s degree, including 41–44 credits of core courses and 30 credits (10 courses) in their major. Requirements include the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| RTS-105 | Faith, Mercy, Justice in the 21st Century | 3 |
| RTS-262 | What the Bible Really Tells Us: The Essential Course for Biblical Literacy | 3 |
| RTS-305 | The Spiritual Quest | 3 |
| RTS-341 | Explorations in Christian Theology | 3 |
| RTS-451 | The Capstone Experience | 3 |
| Select one Scripture course: | 3 | |
| The Satan Seminar | ||
| Digging the Bible | ||
| Understanding the Hebrew Scriptures | ||
| The Psalms and the Prophets: A Quest for God and Justice | ||
| Jesus and the Gospels: "Who do you say that I am" | ||
| The Life and Letters of St. Paul | ||
| Good Girls, Bad Girls: Women of the Bible | ||
| Special Topics (in Scripture) | ||
| Select one Ethics course: | 3 | |
| Superheroes, Saints and Sinners: Spiritual Themes in Contemporary Fiction | ||
| Who Is My Neighbor? Mercy in the Christian Life | ||
| Technohuman? Technology, Genetics, God and the Future of Humanity | ||
| Care for Creation: Religion, Spirituality and the Environment | ||
| Global Ethics | ||
| Social Ethics in a Volatile World | ||
| Marriage and Family Life | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Sexual Ethics | ||
| Friendship, Love & Romance: The Call to Intimacy | ||
| Religion and Genocide | ||
| Special Topics (in Ethics) | ||
| Select one non-Christian Tradition course: | 3 | |
| Engaging the Jewish Experience | ||
| Engaging the Muslim Experience | ||
| Engaging the Hindu Experience | ||
| Engaging the Buddhist Experience | ||
| Special Topics (in a non-Christian tradition) | ||
| Two RTS electives | 6 | |
| Demonstrated proficiency in Information Literacy | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Students will craft their individual program of study in consultation with the department chair or another advisor from the department. Senior Religious and Theological Studies majors will, under the direction of a member of the department, engage in scholarly research and the development of a major thesis paper. This course is listed as Guided Research Capstone Experience (RTS-451 The Capstone Experience).
Concentrations
Both majors and minors may, but need not, choose to build their program of study around a particular area by focusing their elective courses in specific ways. The department suggests the following possible concentrations. The student would select four courses (12 credits) from any given area.
- World Religions
- Ethics
- Scripture
- Christian Theology
Note: At times Special Topics Courses (RTS-399 Special Topics) or Independent Study Courses (RTS-499 Independent Study) may appropriately fall under a particular concentration as well.
World Religions Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Engaging the Catholic Experience | ||
| Engaging the Jewish Experience | ||
| Engaging the Muslim Experience | ||
| Engaging the Hindu Experience | ||
| Engaging the Buddhist Experience | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Ethics Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Superheroes, Saints and Sinners: Spiritual Themes in Contemporary Fiction | ||
| Who Is My Neighbor? Mercy in the Christian Life | ||
| Technohuman? Technology, Genetics, God and the Future of Humanity | ||
| Care for Creation: Religion, Spirituality and the Environment | ||
| Global Ethics | ||
| Social Ethics in a Volatile World | ||
| Marriage and Family Life | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Sexual Ethics | ||
| Friendship, Love & Romance: The Call to Intimacy | ||
| Religion and Genocide | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Scripture Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| What the Bible Really Tells Us: The Essential Course for Biblical Literacy | ||
| The Satan Seminar | ||
| Digging the Bible | ||
| Understanding the Hebrew Scriptures | ||
| The Psalms and the Prophets: A Quest for God and Justice | ||
| Jesus and the Gospels: "Who do you say that I am" | ||
| The Life and Letters of St. Paul | ||
| Good Girls, Bad Girls: Women of the Bible | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Christian Theology Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Thomas Aquinas: Background, Thought, and Legacy | ||
| Women Mystics & Social Justice | ||
| Learning Theology with C.S. Lewis | ||
| Disability, Vulnerability and Human Flourishing | ||
| Church in the Twenty-First Century | ||
| Explorations in Christian Theology | ||
| Engaging the Catholic Experience | ||
| Symbol, Icon and Beauty in Religious Traditions | ||
| Christian Jewish Relations: From Hostility to Hope | ||
| Contemporary Christian Spirituality | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Degree Plan for Religious and Theological Studies (B.A.)
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| STU-101 | First Year Studio | 1 |
| WRT-105 | College Writing and Research Intensive 1 | 3 |
| RTS-105 | Faith, Mercy, Justice in the 21st Century | 3 |
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHL-105 | Finding Your Moral Compass | 3 |
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| STU-201 | Sophomore Studio 2 | 1 |
| RTS-262 | What the Bible Really Tells Us: The Essential Course for Biblical Literacy | 3 |
| Select one Scripture Course: | 3 | |
| Understanding the Hebrew Scriptures | ||
| The Psalms and the Prophets: A Quest for God and Justice | ||
| Jesus and the Gospels: "Who do you say that I am" | ||
| The Life and Letters of St. Paul | ||
| Good Girls, Bad Girls: Women of the Bible | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one Non-Christian Tradition Course: | 3 | |
| Engaging the Jewish Experience | ||
| Engaging the Muslim Experience | ||
| Engaging the Hindu Experience | ||
| Engaging the Buddhist Experience | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Core Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| RTS-341 | Explorations in Christian Theology | 3 |
| RTS Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| RTS-305 | The Spiritual Quest | 3 |
| RTS Elective | 3 | |
| Select one Ethics Course: | 3 | |
| Superheroes, Saints and Sinners: Spiritual Themes in Contemporary Fiction | ||
| Who Is My Neighbor? Mercy in the Christian Life | ||
| Technohuman? Technology, Genetics, God and the Future of Humanity | ||
| Care for Creation: Religion, Spirituality and the Environment | ||
| Global Ethics | ||
| Social Ethics in a Volatile World | ||
| Marriage and Family Life | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Sexual Ethics | ||
| Friendship, Love & Romance: The Call to Intimacy | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| RTS-451 | The Capstone Experience | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 122 | |
- 1
The first-year writing requirement may be fulfilled by completing WRT-105 in either the fall or spring semester. Alternately, a student may opt for the two-course sequence, completing WRT-102 in the fall and WRT-103 in the spring.
- 2
This weekend workshop may be taken in either the fall or spring semester of sophomore year.