Religious Studies, Minor Minor
Religious studies is an interdisciplinary major or minor that draws on courses from multiple departments to give students a broad understanding of the historical, cultural and philosophical principles of the world's religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Classical Greek and Roman religions, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, African and Native-American religions. These diverse belief systems are studied not just for their influence over past generations but also to better understand their role in modern issues.
Religious Studies is not just for students planning to go on to become a priest, rabbi or minister. The program provides excellent preparation for all careers that require critical thinking, logic, analysis and writing skills. Because of the breadth of the subject matter, students graduate with a global perspective, an appreciation for different viewpoints and substantive knowledge about ethics and core belief systems of the past and present.
51猎奇 students in Religious Studies take courses in history, anthropology, philosophy, political science, classics, art history, literature, and more. Many students also complement their major with studies in the foreign language since many religions have traditions and foundations in another language.
Students will also find a very active student organization - the Religious Studies Student Organization. The group brings in speakers and engages with the local community on scholarly topics of interest.
Program Type
Minor
Program Format
On Campus
Requirements
The minor requires 18 credits in approved Religious Studies courses, including at least 9 upper-division (numbered 300 and above) credits taken in residence at 51猎奇. Students may take courses in the Religious Studies curricular area (RELIGST) as well as courses from the approved list below. Students must complete coursework from at least two different curricular areas.
In addition, the minor must include courses dealing with two different religious traditions. ( may not be used in fulfilling this requirement.) The College requires that students earn at least a 2.0 GPA on all 51猎奇 courses attempted for the minor. A 2.0 GPA also is required on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work.聽
To discuss the minor, please contact Program Director David Divalerio at divaleri@uwm.edu.
Approved Religious Studies Content Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| African Religious Thought and Social Organizations (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| The Church in African-American Life (Christianity) | 3 | |
| Anishinaabe Ethnobotany: Plants in Anishinaabe Philosophy | 3 | |
| Vampires: From Slavic Village to Hollywood (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Indigenous Religions (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| The Celtic World | 3 | |
| American Indian Societies and Cultures (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Peoples and Cultures of South Asia | 3 | |
| Anthropological Theories of Religion | 3 | |
| Cross-Cultural Study of Religion | 3 | |
| Religious Giving in Anthropological Perspective | 3 | |
| Islam: Religion and Culture (Islam) | 3 | |
| Cultures and Civilizations of the Muslim Middle East (Islam) | 3 | |
| Ancient and Medieval Art and Architecture | 3 | |
| Renaissance to Modern Art and Architecture | 3 | |
| African, New World and Oceanic Art and Architecture | 3 | |
| Asian Art and Architecture | 3 | |
| Northern Renaissance Art | 3 | |
| Introduction to Baroque Art | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Art and Architecture of Latin America | 3 | |
| Survey of Italian Renaissance Painting and Sculpture | 3 | |
| Pre-Columbian Art, Myth, and Legacy (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art | 3 | |
| Minoan and Mycenaean Art and Archaeology | 3 | |
| Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | 3 | |
| Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Roman Art and Archaeology (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Age of Apocalypse: Western European Art after the First Millennium | 3 | |
| Early Christian and Byzantine Art and Architecture (Christianity) | 3 | |
| Early Medieval Art in the West | 3 | |
| Chivalry and Spirituality: French Gothic Art and Architecture | 3 | |
| Caliphs, Emirs, & Kings: Art & Architecture of Medieval Spain (Islam) | 3 | |
| High Renaissance Art in Italy | 3 | |
| African Art (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Art of the Inca and their Ancestors (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Art of Ancient Mexico and Central America (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Art of the Aztec Empire (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Chinese Painting | 3 | |
| Chinese Art and Architecture | 3 | |
| Japanese Art and Architecture | 3 | |
| Art, Ritual, and Ethnicity of China | 3 | |
| Buddhist Art and Architecture (Buddhism) | 3 | |
| Cities and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Renaissance Architecture in Italy | 3 | |
| Maya Art (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Celtic Crossings: Overview of the History and Cultures of the Celtic World | 3 | |
| Classical Mythology (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Introduction to Greek Life and Literature | 3 | |
| Introduction to Roman Life and Literature | 3 | |
| Ancient Egyptian Civilization (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| The Life and Literature of Classical Athens: Herodotus and Dramatists | 3 | |
| War and Politics in Ancient Greece | 3 | |
| The Life and Literature of the Roman Empire | 3 | |
| Hittite Myth and History (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Ancient Greek Religion (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Egyptian Mythology (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Literature and Religion: | 3 | |
| Milton (Christianity) | 3 | |
| Muslim Geographies: Identities and Politics (Islam) | 3 | |
| Rethinking Global Security | 3 | |
| Third-Semester Hebrew (Judaism) | 4 | |
| Fourth-Semester Hebrew (Judaism) | 4 | |
| Modern Hebrew Literature I in Hebrew (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Modern Hebrew Literature II in Hebrew (Judaism) | 3 | |
| East Asian Civilization to 1600 | 3 | |
| World History to 1500 | 3 | |
| The Ancient World: The Near East and Greece (Buddhism) | 3 | |
| The Ancient World: The Roman Republic and Empire | 3 | |
| Ancient Egyptian Civilization (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Islamic Civilization: The Formative Period, ca. 500-1258 (Islam) | 3 | |
| The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 3 | |
| Buddhism Across Asia (Buddhism) | 3 | |
| A History of Greek Civilization: The Greek City-State | 3 | |
| A History of Greek Civilization: The Age of Alexander the Great (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| A History of Rome: The Republic (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| A History of Rome: The Empire (Indigenous religions) | 3 | |
| Medieval Civilization: The High Middle Ages | 3 | |
| The Era of the Crusades (Christianity) | 3 | |
| The Roman Catholic Church, 1500 to the Present (Christianity) | 3 | |
| The Papacy in History (Christianity) | 3 | |
| The Jews of Modern Europe: History and Culture | 3 | |
| The Holocaust: Anti-Semitism & the Fate of Jewish People in Europe, 1933-45 | 3 | |
| Topics in the History of Religious Thought: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Jewish History | 3 | |
| Buddhism: A Cultural History (Buddhism) | 3 | |
| Africans in World History: Communities, Cultures, and Ideas | 3 | |
| History of Mexico | 3 | |
| History of Religion in American Life to 1870 | 3 | |
| History of Religion in American Life Since 1870 | 3 | |
| God at the Movies: American Religion in Fiction and Film | 3 | |
| Methods and Theory in the Historical Study of Religion: | 3 | |
| Dante's Divine Comedy in Translation (Christianity) | 3 | |
| Introduction to Judaism (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Jewish Culture in America: History, Literature, Film (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Bible Stories (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (Judaism) | 3 | |
| The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Representing the Holocaust in Words and Images (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Topics in Biblical Literature: | 3 | |
| Women in the Bible (Judaism) | 3 | |
| The Jews of Modern Europe: History and Culture (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Jewish and Christian Responses to the Holocaust (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Introduction to Jewish History (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Old Testament Texts: | 3 | |
| Modern Jewish Thought (Judaism) | 3 | |
| Readings in Latin Literature: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Asian Religions | 3 | |
| Religion and Science | 3 | |
| God, Faith and Reason | 3 | |
| Buddhist Philosophy (Buddhism) | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Comparative Study of Religion | 3 | |
| History of Medieval Philosophy (Christianity) | 3 | |
| Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism (Islam) | 3 | |
| Contemporary Religious Thought: | 3 | |
| Special Topics in Indian Religious Thought: | 3 | |
| Ethnicity, Religion and Race in American Politics | 3 | |
| Russian and Slavic Folklore | 3 |
Letters & Science Minor Advising
Advising for the minor takes place within the department by a faculty member or staff member. Follow the steps using the "Declare a Minor" button on the department鈥檚 website which may include instructions on how to select a faculty advisor if there is more than one to choose from.
Students who already have an L&S college advisor because their degree plan is in L&S can discuss the minor with them as well since they will be familiar with any minor in L&S. Students who are working on a degree from a 51猎奇 college other than the College of Letters & Science will not need an L&S college advisor for just a minor and one will not be assigned. These students should work with the faculty or staff advisor they receive as part of the minor declaration process or contact the department directly for assistance.
Applicants who have not started classes at 51猎奇 yet who wish to declare a minor should wait until they are registered for their first 51猎奇 classes and then can declare the minor using the 鈥淒eclare a Minor鈥� button on the program鈥檚 website. If you have questions about the minor before then, contact聽let-sci@uwm.edu.