B.A. in Religious Studies

 

The following information is for students with a Catalog Year of Fall 2025 and beyond.

For students with prior Catalog Years, please consult your Titan Degree Audit (TDA) or use the Advising link to contact our RLST advisor, Dr. Matt Grossbard.

 

Click this link for the Religious Studies Major Advisement Worksheet   PDF File Opens in new window

Click for: Four Year ROAD MAPPDF File Opens in new window   or Two Year Transfer ROAD MAPPDF File Opens in new window

 

The program allows for flexibility in course delivery, offering both face-to-face and online classes.

All Religious Studies requirements for the major and upper-division General Education (GE) areas may be completed via online courses.

The B.A. in Religious Studies requires 120 semester units. Beginning with catalog year Fall 2025, the program requires completion of 27 units within the major; this is less than many other fields, allowing flexibility for transfer students. Students may consider adding a minor or second major which may strengthen a student’s job preparation or background for graduate studies. All courses listed below are three (3) units each.

 

The curriculum is structured into four main categories: 

1. Introduction AND Methods (6 units)

 
RLST 100 - Introduction to the Study of Religion (3) 

AND

RLST 105 - Religion and the Quest for Meaning (3) OR
RLST 110 - Religions of the World (3) 


 

2. Religious Traditions 1: Judaism, Christianity, Islam (9 units)

 
Lower-Division Requirement (3 units)

 

RLST 200 - Introduction to Christianity (3) 
RLST 201 - Introduction to the New Testament (3) 
RLST 210 - Introduction to Judaism (3) 
RLST 250 - Introduction to Islam (3) 


Upper-Division Requirement (6 units)

 

HIST 412A - History of the Christian Church to the Reformation (1517) (3) 
HIST 412B - History of the Christian Church from the Reformation to the Present (3) 
HIST 435A - The Holocaust (3) 
HIST 466A - Islamic Civilization: Arab Era (3) 
HIST 466B - Islamic Civilization: Imperial Age (3) 
RLST 351 - History and Development of Early Christian Thought (3) 
RLST 352 - History and Development of Modern Christian Thought (3) 
RLST 361 - History and Development of Jewish Thought: Biblical and Rabbinical Eras (3) 
RLST 362 - History and Development of Jewish Thought: Medieval and Modern Eras (3) 
RLST 371 - History and Development of Islamic Thought: The Beginning to 1258 (3) 
RLST 372 - History and Development of Islamic Thought: 1259 to Modern Times (3) 
 

 

3. Religious Traditions 2: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism (9 units)

 
Lower-Division Requirement (3 units)

 
RLST 270T - Introduction to the Asian Religions (3) 
RLST 280 - Introduction to Buddhism (3)

 
Upper-Division Requirement (6 units)

 
PHIL 350 - Asian Philosophy (3) 
RLST 307 - Non-violence, Animal Rights and Diet in Jainism (3) 
RLST 341 - Hindu Tradition to 400 B.C.E. (3) 
RLST 342 - Hindu Tradition from 400 B.C.E. (3) 
 

 

4. Religion, Culture and Experience (3 units)

 
RLST 305 - Anthropology of Religion (3) 
RLST 306 - Contemporary Practices of the World’s Religions (3) 
RLST 311 - Religion and Film (3) 
RLST 312 - The Bible as Literature (3) 
RLST 321 - Psychology of Religion (3) 
RLST 325 - African American Religions and Spirituality (3) 
RLST 333 - Religion and Sexuality (3) 
RLST 367 - Religion in Latino/a Life (3) 
RLST 370 - New Religious Movements in the U.S.A. (3) 
RLST 373 - Women in Islam (3) 
RLST 374 - Issues in Contemporary Islam (3) 
RLST 375 - Conceptions of the Afterlife (3) 
RLST 380 - Religion and Violence (3) 
RLST 381 - Religion and Politics in the United States (3) 
RLST 400 - Religion, the Media, and Contemporary Culture (3) 

 

WRITING REQUIREMENT:

Take ENGL 301 to complete the university upper-division baccalaureate writing requirement course.

 

Graduation Requirement (3 units)

 
HONR 201B - Honors Seminar: American Institutions and Values since 1900 (3) 
POSC 100 - American Government (3)

 
Total (120 units)

 

 

DOUBLE MAJOR

Because the major consists of 27 units of course work (less than some other majors), it may be possible to add a second major, for example, Communications, History, Philosophy, Psychology, or English. Such double majors may improve a student's job preparation or background for graduate studies.