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Degrees in Religious Studies

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Religious Studies

BA in Religious Studies with Co-operative Education

BA Honours in Religious Studies

BA Honours in Religious Studies with Co-operative Education

Related Interdisciplinary Degrees (See separate listings)

BA in Religious Studies and Applied Ethics

BA Honours in Classical and Early Christian Studies

Note: A Minor is offered in Religious Studies.

The Department of Religious Studies seeks to foster an understanding of the wide variety of religions that have influenced the development of human cultures and that continue to be powerful forces in today's world. Courses in the Department examine religious worldviews and their associated texts and practices, movements and institutions, as they appear now and as they have developed over time in many cultures of the world. The Field of Religious Studies is multicultural, i.e., religions from all over the world are the subject of study, including the ancient traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as religious movements of more recent origin. Religious Studies is also multidisciplinary, which means that religion is studied with the use of methods and theories from various disciplines, including history, philosophy, sociology, psychology, literary theory, and feminist theory.

Courses in the Field of Religious Studies are divided into three streams: Western Religions, Eastern Religions, and the Nature of Religion. Students are required to take courses in each of the three streams. A student may define a focus of study within a stream or thematically across streams. Students are encouraged to consult with the Department’s Undergraduate Advisor regularly throughout their Undergraduate careers.

Students are strongly advised to include in their programs relevant language courses (e.g., Classical Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese, French, German) and relevant courses from other disciplines.

Department Head: T. Ruparell

Department Office: Social Sciences 1301

Phone: 403.220.5886

Fax: 403.210.9191

Email: rels@ucalgary.ca

Website: http://www.ucalgary.ca/rels

For overall program advice, please speak to a program advisor in the Faculty of Arts Program Information Centre. Questions about program details should be addressed to the subject advisor in the Departmental Office; please see the Department website for contact information.

Prospective students wishing to enter the BA (Religious Studies) Program must meet the criteria in the section of this Calendar on A.2 Admission Requirements at the University of Calgary. Annual application deadlines are found in A.3 Deadline Dates for Undergraduate Applications for Admission and Transcripts.

The Faculty of Arts procedures for Admission to Honours established in section 3.4.3 Honours Degrees with a Major Field are applicable and provide the overall framework. The application deadline is May 1.

Programs in Religious Studies cannot be taken in conjunction with programs in either Religious Studies and Applied Ethics or Classical and Early Christian Studies. This restriction applies to Major-plus-Minor combinations, Double Majors, Combined Degrees and Second Baccalaureate Degrees.

The Field of Religious Studies consists of all courses labelled Religious Studies (RELS), which are divided into Streams as follows:

Nature of Religion: Religious Studies 205, 309, 331, 333, 335, 339, 341, 343, 344, 345, 348, 349, 363, 381, 397, 398, 417, 437, 439, 441, 442, 447, 463, 479.

Eastern Religions: Religious Studies 203, 303, 307, 310, 312, 313, 314, 316, 317, 319, 320, 322, 323, 325, 327, 329, 359, 451, 453, 461.

Western Religions: Religious Studies 201, 300, 301, 302, 305, 337, 353, 357, 367, 369, 383, 385, 387, 389, 469, 477, 484, 486.

Religious Studies 373, 399, 491, 577, 590 and 595 will be designated as Western, Eastern or Nature of Religion depending on the topic covered. Religious Studies 200 and 377 are not counted in any of the three streams.