Program Structure

The Department of Religious Studies offers Honours, Majors and Minors with a critical approach to studying religious traditions in their multiple contexts - historical, cultural, political, artistic or literary, for example, both local and global. Given the range and depth of these contexts, this critical study requires approaches that are at the same time interdisciplinary and focused on the diversity of religions. The Department offers courses at the introductory (1000), intermediate and advanced (2000-3000) as well as seminar (4000) levels which are either tradition-specific or multi-religious in scope.

Please follow the program structure outlined in the Academic Calendar from your FIRST academic year as a student at St. Thomas University. Find the Academic Calendars HERE. If you have any questions, please contact your academic advisor. 

Minor

Students who select a Minor in Religious Studies must complete 18 credit hours of courses, including:

RELG 1006 Introduction to Religious Studies

and one of the following from the Tools Courses:
RELG 2243 Texts in Contexts

RELG 2313 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
RELG 2333 Introduction to the New Testament
RELG 2353 Introduction to the Qur'an
RELG 2413 Ritual Studies

Major

Students who select a Major in Religious Studies must complete 36 credit hours of courses, including:

RELG 1006 Introduction to Religious Studies

and one of the following from the Tools Courses:
RELG 2243 Texts in Contexts

RELG 2313 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
RELG 2333 Introduction to the New Testament

RELG 2353 Introduction to the Qur'an

as well as
RELG 2413 Ritual Studies

and
RELG 4023 Religious Studies: Scope and Methods

Students contemplating a Major in Religious Studies will select their courses in consultation with a member of the Department. Students must declare their Major to the Registrar’s Office and the Department Chair by the beginning of their third year.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of Religious Studies, students selecting the Major program are encouraged to consider the intellectual and practical value of obtaining a second major in another discipline.

Honours 

An Honours degree in Religious Studies requires a minimum of 54 credit hours in Religious Studies courses, at least 12 credit hours of which must be at the 4000-level, including:

RELG 1006 Introduction to Religious Studies

and one of the following from the Tools Courses:
RELG 2243 Texts in Contexts

RELG 2313 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
RELG 2333 Introduction to the New Testament

RELG 2353 Introduction to the Qur'an

as well as

RELG 2413 Ritual Studies

as well as one of the following Research Methodology Courses:
RELG 2003 Exploring History (HIST)
RELG 2013 Research Methods (SOCI)
RELG 3053 Qualitative Research Methods (GERO, HMRT, SOCI)

as well as one of the following from the Multidisciplinary Courses:
RELG 2223 Psychology of Religion (PSYC)
RELG 2543 Sociology of Religion (SOCI)
RELG 3423 Reason and Religion (PHIL)
RELG 3643 Anthropology of Religion (ANTH)

In addition, the Honours degree requires:

RELG 4023 Religious Studies: Scope and Methods
and
RELG 4033 Honours Thesis Proposal Seminar
and
RELG 4066 Honours Thesis

Before the end of their second year, students will want to consult with a member of the Religious Studies Department in planning their Honours program. Students must declare their Honours subject to the Registrar’s Office and the Department Chair by the beginning of their third year.

To qualify for the Honours program, students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 (B+) in their first two years of study. To earn an Honours degree, students must obtain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 (B) in all Religious Studies courses and equivalents taken in the Honours subject.

RELG 4023 Religious Studies: Scope and Methods and RELG 4033 Honours Thesis Proposal Seminar must be taken in the third year of the Honours program of study as prerequisites for RELG 4066 Honours Thesis.

Given the interdisciplinarity of Religious Studies research, it is recommended that Honours students serious about maintaining the full range of options open for graduate studies take a second major in another discipline of their choice.