Program Description
In the religion program at CMU, you’ll explore worldviews, belief systems, moral codes, rituals and forms of community across cultures. Faculty expertise includes Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Biblical studies and religion in America. Study topics include death and dying, religion and psychology, religion, race and discrimination in America, and women in religion. Courses from related disciplines such as history, philosophy or English can be counted toward a religion major and minor.
Put Your Degree to Work
Religion program graduates find career opportunities in areas such as allied health professions, counseling, education, international business, journalism, law, medicine, religious professions, social work and women’s studies.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics sample data
| Job | Median Pay | Job Growth through 2022 |
|---|
| Historian | $52,480 per year | 6% (200 more jobs) |
| Philosophy/religion teacher | $68,970 per year | 19% (236,400 more jobs) |
| Community service manager | $59,970 per year | 21% (27,700 more jobs) |
Program Overview
The course listings below are a representation of what this academic program requires. For a full review of this program in detail please see our official online academic bulletin AND consult with an academic advisor. This listing does not include the General Education courses required for all majors and may not include some program specific information, such as admissions, retention, and termination standards.
(Click on the course name or number for a complete course description.)
Religion Major
Total: 30 semester hours
Religion courses taken on a credit/no credit basis at the 100 and 200 levels may be counted on the major up to a maximum of three hours.
Required Courses I
(3 hours)
One course in the study of religion and contemporary society to be chosen from:
REL 140
Religion, Race and Discrimination in America
3
Introduction to the religious expressions of Americans who have experienced racial discrimination, with emphasis on Native American, African-American, and Hispanic-American communities. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group IV-C: Studies in Racism and Diversity in the United States)
REL 207/WGS 207
Women in Religion
3
Roles and images of women in major religious traditions; emphasis on religious reform, creation of alternative institutions, new concepts of spirituality. Identical to WGS 207. Credit may not be earned in more than one of these courses. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas)
REL 235
Religion and Social Issues
3
Introduction to religious and ethical thought in personal, social and institutional contexts. Topics such as violence, sexism/heterosexism, racism, ecology or poverty may be examined. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas.)
REL 334
Death and Dying
3
Religious and cultural explanations of death and responses to dying, death and mourning; religious, ethical, biomedical ethical and legal issues, e.g., health care, suicide, abortion, euthanasia. This course may be offered in an online or hybrid delivery format. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas.)
Required Courses II
(3 hours)
Select one from the following:
REL 220
Religious Traditions of China
3
Study of the basic character of Chinese religious traditions. Examines Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religions, and Daoism. (University Program Group IV-B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition)
REL 221
Religious Traditions of Japan
3
Study of Japanese religious traditions including Japanese Buddhism, Shinto, Japanese folk religions, and the New Religions of Japan. (University Program Group IV-B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition)
REL 222
Religious Traditions of India
3
Major features of the religious traditions arising from India, including Hindu, Jaina, Buddhist, and Sikh traditions. Stresses the significance of religious practice in Indian society. (University Program Group IV-B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition)
Required Courses III
(3 hours)
Select one from the following:
Muhammad and the Qur'an, the Sunni and Shi`a split; nine subcultures of the Muslim world; Shari`a; women in Islam; jihad; terrorism; Islamism, and Sufism. (University Program Group IV-B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition)
Judaism as a multifaceted approach to identity and lifestyle, both personal and societal; religious expressions such as Torah, myth, ritual, festivals, holy days. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas.)
REL 320
The Buddhist Tradition
3
The general nature of the Buddhist tradition, with attention to particular developments within it (e.g., tantra, Zen). Primarily examines Buddhism's role in selected Asian cultures. This course may be offered in an online or hybrid format. (University Program Group IV-B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition)
Required Courses IV
(3 hours)
One course on the Bible or Christianity, to be chosen from:
REL 250
Creation, Conquest, and Chaos: Introduction to the Old Testament
3
The literature, history, and religion of ancient Israel in its Near Eastern context as disclosed through study of the Hebrew Bible in English translation. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas)
REL 260
From Gospel to Apocalypse: Introduction to the New Testament
3
Intensive study of selected portions of New Testament literature, with an introduction to the Hellenistic-Roman age through study of selected background documents. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas)
Development of the Christian religious tradition from Jesus of Nazareth to its major contemporary branches: Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas.)
Required Courses V
(6 hours)
REL 501WI
Seminar in the Study of Religion
3
The study of religion as an academic discipline, including a selection of leading scholarly approaches to the investigation of religious phenomena. Writing Intensive. Prerequisites: 9 credit hours in Religion.
REL 505WI
Research Seminar
3
A seminar supporting research projects in religion, primarily intended for seniors who are religion majors. Writing Intensive. Prerequisite(s): for undergraduates, a signed Religion major with completion of REL 501. For graduate studies, permission of instructor.
Electives
(12 hours)
Select 12 additional hours of coursework in religion. Up to 9 of these elective hours may be counted from the cognate courses below. Students may petition to have other courses counted, as long as the 9-hour limit is not exceeded.
ANT 459
Anthropology of Religion
3
Anthropological approaches to religions in global and local contexts. May be offered as Writing Intensive. Recommended: ANT 170.
HST 237
Baghdad and Beyond: The Middle East from 600 C.E.
3
An examination of the history and cultures of the Middle East from the origins and expansion of Islam until modern times. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group IV-B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition)
HST 341
Renaissance and Reformation
3
Social, cultural, intellectual, and political history of the Renaissance and Reformation movements in Europe from ca. 1350 to ca. 1650. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas.)
PHL 230
Philosophy of Religion
3
The philosophical study of the meaning and justification of religious claims, including those about the nature and existence of God and human immortality. May be offered as Writing Intensive. (University Program Group I-A: Human Events and Ideas.)
