Religion (BA)

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The department major requires REL 301 Introduction to the Study of Religion (preferably taken at the beginning of the student’s major courses) and REL 401 Seminar in Religious Studies . Further, students must take six additional courses from the list below. The total unit requirement for the major is 32 units (at least 24 to 28 units must be upper-division).

Lower-division Options:

REL 111g The World of the Hebrew Bible Units: 4
REL 112g Religions of Ancient Egypt and the Near East Units: 4
REL 114g The Mediterranean: A Religious History Units: 4
REL 115g Jerusalem, City of Three Faiths Units: 4
REL 121g The World of the New Testament Units: 4
REL 125gp Introduction to Christianity Units: 4
REL 132g Origins of Western Religions Units: 4
REL 134g Introduction to Buddhism Units: 4
REL 135g Chinese Religions and Culture Units: 4
REL 136g Sense and Sensuality in Indian Religions and Culture Units: 4
REL 137g Introduction to Islam Units: 4
REL 138g Japanese Religions and Culture Units: 4
REL 141g Global Religions in Los Angeles Units: 4
REL 147g Religion, Media and Popular Culture Units: 4

Upper-division Options:

CLAS 323 Aegean Archaeology Units: 4
COMM 425 Communicating Religion Units: 4
COMM 426 Religion, Media and Hollywood: Faith in TV Units: 4
EALC 431 The Taoist Tradition Units: 4
HIST 482 Jesus in American History and Culture Units: 4
JS 321 Gender and Judaism Units: 4
JS 361 Scripture and Polemic in Judaism, Christianity and Islam Units: 4
JS 382 Judaism as an American Religion Units: 4
JS 467 Modern Jewish Thought Units: 4
REL 302 Religions of Ancient Egypt and the Near East Units: 4
REL 311g The Bible in Western Literature Units: 4
REL 312 Biblical Wisdom Literature Units: 4
REL 314 Introduction to Shiism Units: 4
REL 315 Thought and Life of Islam Units: 4
REL 316 Women and the Islamic Tradition Units: 4
REL 317g The Bible in Its Ancient Context Units: 4
REL 319 Religious and Ethical Issues in Death and Dying Units: 4
REL 325gp Religious Experience in the Greco-Roman World Units: 4
REL 326gp Historical Jesus Units: 4
REL 329 Themes in the Religions of China Units: 4
REL 330 Introduction to the Religions of India Units: 4
REL 331 Religions of East Asia Units: 4
REL 332 Religions of Japan Units: 4
REL 333 Religion in the Borderlands Units: 4
REL 334 Religion and Colonial Encounter Units: 4
REL 335 Gender, Religion, and Sexuality Units: 4
REL 336w Re-Viewing Religion in Asian America Units: 4
REL 338 Mysticism and Religious Desire Units: 4
REL 339 Studies in the History of Christianity Units: 4
REL 340 Introduction to Indian Philosophy Units: 4
REL 341 Technology, Culture, and Ethics Units: 4
REL 360 Ethical Issues in the New Medical Revolution Units: 4
REL 364 Religion and Ethics Units: 4
REL 366 Religion and Social Change Units: 4
REL 370 Religion and Visuality Units: 4
REL 394 Archaeology of Egypt and the Near East Units: 4
REL 402 Cultural Heritage, Religion, and Politics in the Middle East Units: 4
REL 414 History of Islamic Law Units: 4
REL 415 Seminar in Buddhism Units: 4
REL 417 Seminar in South Asian Religions Units: 4
REL 435 Religious Thought After the Enlightenment Units: 4
REL 440 Christian Thought in the 20th Century Units: 4
REL 441 Origins of Modern Theology Units: 4
REL 442 Religion and Science Units: 4
REL 455 Philosophy of Religion: Bases of Belief and Disbelief Units: 4
REL 460 Senior Seminar: Medical Ethics Units: 4
REL 462 Religion and Violence Units: 4
REL 468 Sociology of Religion Units: 4
REL 469 Black Religion in America Units: 4
REL 471 Jesus Units: 4
REL 473 Advanced Hebrew Bible Studies Units: 4
REL 474 Advanced New Testament Studies Units: 4
REL 475 Religion, Material Culture and the Senses Units: 4
REL 479 Seminar in Christian Thought Units: 4
REL 481 History of Religion in America Units: 4
REL 483 Religion and Popular Culture in the United States Units: 4
REL 493 Art and Archaeology of Religion Units: 4
REL 494 Lab Methods and Theories in Archaeology Units: 4
REL 495 Field Methods and Theories in Archaeology Units: 4
REL 499 Special Topics in Religion Units: 2, 3, 4

Additional Requirements

Students who intend to do graduate work in some area of religious studies are encouraged to concentrate their course selections in the area of their preference and to begin learning the languages that are essential for study in that area. This includes modern languages such as Arabic, Chinese, French, German or Japanese, and perhaps an ancient language.