Department of Religious Studies

Courses

Undergraduate Courses

Our courses have no prerequisites, and you do not need to take any courses in sequence.

Course numbers designate courses as Introductory (0-199), Intermediate (200-999), and Advanced (1000+). Although no courses require prerequisites, these course levels provide a general indication of the course's format and approach to its topic.

  • Introductory courses (0-199) usually offer a general introduction to a broad topic or issue. Students who are unfamiliar with the academic study of religion often find introductory courses a helpful entry into the field. While the majority of introductory courses are larger than 20 students and feature a combination of lectures and small discussion sections, some smaller discussion-based seminars (e.g., First-Year Seminars) are offered at the introductory level.
  • Intermediate courses (200-999) usually focus on a topic or issue that invites greater depth of study than an introductory course's broader exploration. Intermediate courses include discussion-based seminars as well as larger courses that feature lectures or large-group meetings. Although intermediate courses do not necessarily assign more reading, require more expertise, or demand more time investment than introductory courses, they do invite students to build on and apply what they learned in previous courses. 
  • Advanced courses (1000+) invite students to explore a particular issue or topic in depth. These courses usually are taught as discussion-based seminars. Although many advanced courses draw students who have taken previous Religious Studies courses, less experienced students with interest in the topic of an advanced course should feel welcome to join. 

Many of our courses carry a WRIT designation and offer students the ability to revise their writing in response to feedback from instructors or peers.