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Undergraduate Programs

Department of Philosophy & Religion

Students can major in Philosophy and Religion with an emphasis in either Philosophy or Religion. Students can also minor in either Philosophy or Religion

The major requires 36 credit hours, while the minor requires 21 credit hours. You can read further about the major requirements and minor requirements in this section.

 

COURSES IN RELIGION

The academic study of religion examines the religions of the world, including their histories, symbols, structures, beliefs.

It examines religions not only by way of historical and philosophical approaches, but from literary, social, and phenomenological perspectives as well.

Religious studies seeks an empathetic understanding of religious phenomena, and awareness of the diversity of religious traditions in our world.

Many of our students choose to study abroad to gain a more direct understanding of religious diversity.

Courses in Philosophy

Courses in philosophy introduce students to the philosophical tradition and develop their skills of critical thinking and expression.

In our examination of the history of philosophy, attention is given to ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, logic, aesthetics, bioethics, philosophy of science, and social and political philosophy with emphasis on their possible application.

Undergraduate Program

Philosophy & Religion, B.A. Our Department of Philosophy and Religion brings together two disciplines, philosophy and religious studies, and encourages interdisciplinary and creative approaches to learning, both here and abroad. Learn More

Minors

Philosophy, Minor Philosophy courses provide you with tools for thinking critically, and our majors go on to successful careers in law, the tech industry and other creative industries. Explore Now
Religion, Minor The academic study of religion examines the religions of the world, including their histories, symbols, structures and beliefs. Discover

Why Major in Philosophy & Religion?

Students are taught vital skills in critical thinking. They are also trained to think ethically and logically about many different spiritual and moral beliefs held worldwide.
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FEATURED SPRING 2027 COURSES

A survey of American philosophical thought from colonial times to the present. Readings from such American thinkers as Jonathan Edwards, the Federalist authors, Thoreau, James, Dewey and Quine.

This course will provide a survey and evaluation of past and present theories of human nature, including such topics as nature and culture, freedom and rationality, issues in identity, and theories of education and human development.

Introduction to the study of gender in religious studies. Examines how constructions of gender have influenced the practice of religion and definitions of agency, power, and liberation among religious people. Topics vary.
Survey of the history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from their origins in the Middle East over 3,500 years ago to their diverse practices, scriptures, art, and communities around the world today.
A survey of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism; historical aspects, basic insights, contemporary relevance.
Historical study of the Hebrew Scriptures and their cultural background; focus on the values, problems, and perceptions of the human condition reflected in these texts and archaeological data related to them.
Study of religion in American history from the colonial era to the present-day United States. Examines the religious practices of Native Americans, Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and others by interrogating the relationships between religion, material culture, race, gender, and politics.
Exploration of philosophical issues and concepts central to an understanding of social and political life, for example function and cause, justice, liberty, equality, societal facts and laws, utopias, reason and political argument, political obligation, and the public interest.
Selected readings drawn from classical and/or contemporary sources bearing on problems of the self, such as the issue of personal identity and the concept of a person, the problem of the relation of mind and body and the question of the nature of consciousness.
Explores how religions in the past and present are necessarily and inherently technological. Evaluates modern assumptions about the secular (i.e., non-religious) nature, digital nature, and passive work of technology. Topics vary by instructor.

Philosophical and Religious Perspectives on Buddhism:

How might ideas of interdependence impact our approach to ethics and morality? How might beliefs about karma and suffering alter our worldview and way of living? How might practices of meditation shape our understanding of the mind and the self? These are the types of questions that we will explore in this interdisciplinary capstone course, taught by Dr. Beverley McGuire (Professor of East Asian Religions) with guest lectures by Dr. Heath White (Chair, Philosophy and Religion Department) and Dr. Jason Tsukahara (Assistant Professor of Psychology).