Bachelors in Cultural Science in USA

The BA in religious studies with a concentration in religion, culture and public life approaches religion as a mode of human culture, as constituted in intellect, language, emotion, practice, art and everyday life.

The program focuses on the role religions play in the formation of cultural identities, traditions, norms and memories, and it examines in particular the impact religions have on culturally specified ways people reason, communicate, socialize, work, entertain, dress, eat, live and die. Special consideration is given to the influence of religion on gender roles and sexual norms; the formation of images of the body and the moral assessment of medical practices; and the reflection and reproduction of religion in film, popular culture, and conventional, digital and social media.

The concentration addresses present-day interests and prepares students for jobs in a variety of professions, including education, journalism, media studies, gender studies, health care, politics, law, education, migration and international studies.

The Jewish Studies BA program is devoted to critically examining some of the central questions of human identity through the resources of the Jewish tradition. By putting Greek philosophy, Roman law and Biblical ethics in conversation with one another, we will address the following questions: Where does ethics come from? What is God? What does a just society look like? What makes us human? Can science and religion be reconciled? What is the impact of the Holocaust? What is American Jewish identity? Students learn to combine the latest theoretical approaches with the millennia-long tradition of Jewish Thought in order to address challenges of modern society. Our department fosters a strong, nurturing sense of community where faculty members mentor students and encourage them to develop their course of study according to their individual interests. By providing a comprehensive humanities education, the Jewish Studies BA prepares the student for a wide range of graduate programs and professional careers.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will be able to:

• Develop critical thinking and abilities to read and analyze complex written texts -- a set of skills to help become more competitive on professional job markets.
• Discuss Judaism in a wide range of interdisciplinary contexts, including philosophy, history, literature, ethics, language, comparative religion, and critical theory
• Understand and apply key concepts, theories, and methods in the academic study of Judaism
• Conduct research: pose questions, obtain evidence, analyze sources, assess information, and construct an argument
• Understand critical methods of inquiry and use critical reading skills
• Hone effective written communication skills in academic writing: to engage primary and secondary sources, to access critically the methods these sources use, and to express a point of view on a subject and support it with evidence
• Cultivate oral communication: present research findings clearly, analyze primary and secondary sources in class discussion
• Engage in thinking collectively within a group through group projects, including but not limited to using theatrical, cinematic and other ways of expression to develop and display an ability to think critically and independently about a problem at hand.
• Develop language skills in Modern modern Hebrew for conversation and to read classical and modern Hebrew texts in their original language (if taking Hebrew language for four semesters).

The religious studies program at Purdue offers students the opportunity to investigate how the different religious traditions of the world seek and understand ultimate reality, how this understanding influences human action and belief about the world, and how historical contexts influence religious thought and practice. By learning about the different religious traditions of the world and their historical contexts, students will cultivate a critical appreciation of diverse religious traditions.  Students will have the opportunity to study this major from the perspective of different departments at Purdue, such as English, history, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology. Such an interdepartmental approach is designed to help students tailor the program to their special interests.

The interdisciplinary minor in religious studies gives students the opportunity to engage in the study of religion from the perspective of a number of different disciplines, including anthropology, philosophy, history, literature and sociology. Religions of the World is an introductory survey of the principal world religions. The coordinator may, in individual cases, allow credit for appropriate cognate courses or independent study.

Our department offers undergraduate studies in French, German and Spanish, and minors in the areas listed below. Many of our students combine their language major with either a minor or with Teacher Licensure.  An accelerated law degree is available to French, German and Spanish majors who meet specific requirements set by the NIU College of Law.

Theology is about learning how to explore and question the many beliefs people hold as self-evident. What does it mean to be human? How shall we live? What does it mean to believe in God (or not)? Why are there so many religions?

As a Theology major at St. John's, you examine these questions and more within a Christian context and in dialogue with other traditions and disciplines. You learn how to interpret sacred texts and examine religious beliefs as intellectual and lived realities. You can choose to learn how theologians engage contemporary issues such as environmental ethics or race and religion in the United States, and other topics that relate to your academic and professional interests. 

We encourage you to broaden the scope of your studies by pursuing a minor or double major. Studying theology helps you develop critical thinking skills that will help you no matter your career path or second major. Theology is an excellent major that can enable critical conversation with other disciplines, such as History, Psychology, English, or philosophy.

The LGBTQ Studies minor at NEIU offers an interdisciplinary approach to studying the lives, histories and cultures of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities and allies. Courses in history, culture, health, politics, justice, education, literature and the arts reflect a commitment to understanding and representing the contributions of LGBTQ individuals and communities. The program focuses on justice, knowledge and action that honor multiplicity and diversity in gender and sexual expression including how race, class, ability and other identity markers shape LGBTQ lives.

Theology/religious studies acquaints students with Christianity's long and disciplined reflection on the deeply human questions about the quest for God, wisdom and human fulfillment. While accenting the Catholic tradition, our inquiry into these questions includes other Christian and religious traditions, including Judaism and Islam.

Gain a better understanding of yourself and the world with a B.A. in Religious Studies from Georgian Court University.

As a premier religious studies program, GCU’s curriculum covers history and theology and enables students to teach, work in parish religious education programs, or work in various offices and ministries. It’s also an ideal foundation if you want to pursue graduate study.

Seat of the Roman Empire and birthplace of the Renaissance, few countries have had as much impact on western civilization as Italy. Arcadia’s Majors Abroad Program (MAP) leads students to a Bachelor of Arts in Italian Studies. The Italian Studies major centers its core of courses in language skills, culture, literature, cinema, and the arts. The most significant aspect of this major is the requirement for students to spend up to one year in Italy and complete their major courses in Perugia, Italy.

Community and regional planning is a field of study aimed at understanding the ever-changing socioeconomic and physical environments of our communities and planning for their future. Planners evaluate and seize opportunities to solve problems. Planners work at multiple levels of government, as well as the private sector, and they are concerned with issues that affect every corner of the world: the preservation and enhancement of the quality of life in a community, the protection of the environment, the promotion of equitable economic opportunities; and the management of growth and change of all kinds.

Graduates of the Community and Regional Planning department are able to integrate planning knowledge and skills in a variety of practical applications, and can communicate effectively in written and oral form.  Graduates will be qualified for a variety of entry-level positions in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.  They will also be well prepared for graduate study in a variety of fields, including urban planning, law, public policy, public health, environmental science, geography, sociology, urban design, historic preservation, data science, and architecture.

Graduates of the Community and Regional Planning department are expected to understand the structure and functions of urban settlements, including the history of planning and urban development and the processes for plan and policy making.  Graduates should have skills in problem formulation, quantitative analysis, written/oral and graphic communications, and collaboration, and in synthesizing and applying knowledge to practice. Graduates are expected to be able to assess the impact of plans and alternatives based on principles of equity and social justice, economic welfare and efficiency, environmental sustainability, and cultural heritage in the context of citizen involvement in decision making.

The department is a member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The curriculum is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Our students gain an education that, when combined with experience, supports eligibility for membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners.

The department administers two undergraduate minors: Urban Studies and Geographic Information Science (GISC). The department cooperates in the undergraduate minors in Design Studies, Digital Media, Critical Studies in Design, Environmental Studies, and Sustainability.

The World Cultural Studies concentration is a humanities-based program designed to address global issues and expand students’ and professionals’ career opportunities. Graduates become valuable assets in a rapidly globalizing workforce by demonstrating the ability to effectively and creatively work and think across cultures and disciplines. This concentration prepares students to communicate effectively through training in intercultural understanding and fluency. Students learn to navigate cultural codes that take into account local, national, and global identities, to demonstrate adaptive leadership skills, and to facilitate global collaboration in solving worldwide challenges.

As a religion major, you will explore various religious and philosophical traditions in depth. You’ll take challenging classes that require self-reflection, dialogue and extensive writing. 

We also offer a pre-seminary option if you’re interested in attending a seminary. You’ll be assigned a faculty advisor who will work with you from day one until you graduate. Your advisor will help you design a program of study that will prepare you for the rigors of seminary.

Although ONU is associated with the United Methodist Church, our religion program is non-sectarian. In other words, we don’t favor a certain religion. But you’ll discover that faith and service are integral parts of life on campus for most ONU students. 

At ONU, you’re guaranteed to learn just as much outside the classroom as you do inside. You may attend national religion conferences and engage in internships. Or undertake independent studies. Or build homes for Habitat for Humanity or mentor troubled youth in juvenile detention centers.

In keeping with the goals of UH Manoa, the Department of Religion takes advantage of the state’s strong social and cultural ties with Asia and the Pacific and seeks to enhance those ties. Within this extraordinary multicultural milieu, the Department of Religion serves as a link between the academic community and the many Asian and Pacific religious communities that flourish in Hawai‘i. Most of the major religious traditions– Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto, as well as Hawaiian and Polynesian religions–are represented and make Hawai‘i an ideal site and context for a study of Asian and Pacific religious communities and activities.

Religion shapes the way people interpret the world and their place in it. It conditions how they feel and what they imagine to be possible and informs the way they relate to others. 

Because religions and religious ideas are connected to every aspect of modern life and culture, the major is designed to allow students to tailor it to fit their personal and academic goals or interests. 

The major in religious studies enables students to develop the critical skills and strengths to thrive in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

The participating departments (Art History, Classics, Economics, History, Modern Languages and Linguistics, Political Science, Public Administration and Religion) offer an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in Middle Eastern Studies designated for:

(1) general liberal arts students who wish to learn more about the Middle East;
(2) students who wish to pursue graduate work in this field; and
(3) students who seek employment in or relating to the Middle East.

The major is administered by Florida State University's Middle East Center. A BA degree in Middle Eastern Studies responds directly to a national as well as a regional demand for resources and information to educate students, professionals, and the surrounding community about this important region of the world. A grade of C minus or better is required in all major courses for Middle Eastern Studies.