Religious Studies, Minor
Explore religion as a prominent component of human life and culture.
“All of my professors, whether they teach philosophy or religion, have made me feel like a scholar rather than just a student. They really care about having deep conversations.”
Mary Boyle (B.A. in Philosophy with an emphasis in Religious Studies)
About the Minor in Religious Studies
The Department of Philosophy and Religion in the College of Liberal Arts offers the minor in Religious Studies. It is the academic study of religion, which aims to understand sympathetically, yet critically, the world’s religions. Students explore the phenomenon of religion itself as a prominent component of human life and culture.
Religious studies at UM is non-sectarian and without ties to any theological seminary or church body.
The Value of a Religious Studies Minor
Religious Studies cultivates skills such as critical thinking, textual analysis, debating skills, curiosity, open-mindedness, ethics, decision making, and understanding other cultures and ways of life.
Religious Studies minors have pursued career paths in:
- conflict resolution
- religious training
- non-profit work
- law
- medicine
- education
- business
- corporate training
- public relations
- journalism
- counseling
- social services
Program Information
Program Type
Minor
Area of Study
Humanities
School
Degree
Program Location
Required Credit Hours
18
Academic Requirements
Students in the Religious Studies minor complete 18 credit hours of courses.
- Rel 101: Introduction to Religion
- Rel 102: Introduction to Asian Religions
- Rel 103: Intro to Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- Rel 300: Comparative World Religions
- Rel 307: Topics in Medieval Philosophy
- Rel 308: Buddhism
- Rel 309: The Dead Sea Scrolls
- Rel 310: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
- Rel 312: The New Testament & Early Christianity
- Rel 313: The Book of Job
- Rel 315: Jesus and the Gospels
- Rel 320: Hinduism
- Rel 323: Islam
- Rel 325: Chinese Religions: Confucianism & Daoism
- Rel 326: Saints and Sexuality
- Rel 328: Biomedical Ethics
- Rel 330: Racism and Religion
- Rel 335: Self-Harm in Religion
- Rel 340: Travel and Tourism in Religion
- Rel 342: Jesus and Muhammad
- Rel 345: St. Paul and His Letters
- Rel 350: Jews, Judaism, and Anti-Semitism
- Rel 351: Philosophy of Religion
- Rel 353: Great Books in East Asian Religions
- Rel 358: Religious Implications of the Holocaust
- Rel 360: Philosophical Issues: Science & Religion
- Rel 366: Sex, Gender, and the Bible
- Rel 367: Global Female Prophecy
- Rel 368: Feminism, Women, and Religion
- Rel 370: Topics in Biblical Studies
- Rel 372: Rise of Christianity
- Rel 375: Christianity in America
- Rel 376: Revelation and End Times
- Rel 377: Angels and Afterlife
- Rel 378: Global Christianity
- Rel 380: Community-Based Internship
- Rel 386: Religion and Film
- Rel 387: Religious Ethics: Issues and Methods
- Rel 390: Nature and Environment in Asian Religion
- Rel 395: Topics in Religious Studies
- Rel 396: Philosophical Topics in Religion
- Rel 399: Topics in Religion Abroad
- Rel 490: Directed Readings in Religion
- Rel 491: Honors Thesis
- Rel 497: Advanced Seminar in Religious Studies
A maximum of 6 of the 18 hours may be from courses taught outside the department.
- AH 330: Medieval Art
- AH 332: Early Christian, Byzantine & Islamic Art
- Anth 308: Death and Dying in the Ancient World
- Anth 312: Muslims in the West
- Anth 314: Islam and Global Politics
- Anth 323: Indians of North America
- Clc 106: Classical Mythology
- Clc 327: Greek and Roman Religions
- Hst 310: History of Medieval Christianity
- Hst 311: Medieval Church and Empire
- Hst 319: Reformation Europe
- Hst 350: Muslim World - Origins to Middle Ages
- Hst 351: Muslim World - Middle Ages to WWI
- Hst 434: US Religious History
- Hst 455: History of Religion in the South
- Soc 336: Sociology of Religion
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Welcome to the College of Liberal Arts
As Coordinator of Student Recruitment for the College of Liberal Arts, I work with students, and their parents, who are interested in attending UM for their undergraduate degrees. I coordinate personalized visits to our departments, answer questions about the majors and programs in the CLA and handle all recruitment communications from the CLA. Please feel free to send me any questions you may have. It is my job to make sure you have everything you need to make an informed decision on where to spend your college career, and I hope it will be with the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi!
Annabelle Harris
Admissions Counselor
Future CLA Students
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We invite future undergraduates to learn about the College of Liberal Arts, the value of the liberal arts education, our programs, career opportunities, and resources to help you succeed. You can also request a personalized degree sheet.
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