College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Courses

Religious Studies

Religion is a major factor in human culture, with the power to unify society as well as to disrupt and divide it. Given the diversity of cultures in a shrinking global context, an understanding of religion and its personal and social roles is a significant element in a liberal arts and sciences education. The Department of Religious Studies helps students acquire an appreciative and critical understanding of the history and literature of major religions in the East and West, and insight into the nature and meaning of the religious dimensions of human culture.

The department recognizes that religious activity is expressed in countless ways. Therefore, it offers a wide range of courses that explore facets of religion in cultures around the world. Topics and issues include religious texts and thinkers as well as how culture, tradition, and experience intersect. Diverse academic methods--including historical, textual, artistic, and literary approaches--are used to study the variety of ways in which religions have formulated values and addressed matters of ultimate concern.

Each year thousands of University students enroll in courses in religious studies. Many are taking courses to complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program. Some students choose religious studies as their major, a second major, or a minor to complement studies in another field.

Religious studies majors acquire core skills they will need to flourish in today's world: logical thinking, writing, communicating, and working with others, as well as open-mindedness to new ideas.

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Arts

The major requires the following.

FOUNDATION STUDIES

Western Religious Traditions

Asian Religious Traditions

Theoretical and Comparative Studies in Religion

CONTINUING STUDIES

SENIOR SEMINAR

Four-Year Graduation Plan

Before the third semester begins: at least one-quarter of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the fifth semester begins: one or two courses in the major and at least one-half of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the seventh semester begins: three to six courses in the major and at least three-quarters of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the eighth semester begins: five to seven courses in the major

During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major, all remaining General Education courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

Honors

Minor

Graduate Programs

The M.A. and the Ph.D. are offered in the following three basic areas of study.

Modern religious thought: theology, philosophy, ethics, and culture

Historical religious traditions

Religion and culture in Asia

A graduate degree in religious studies ordinarily leads to an academic career teaching at the college or university level, or to a career in a religious, nonprofit, or governmental organization.

Master of Arts

Students must complete 24 of the required 30 s.h. at The University of Iowa and maintain a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.00. Requirements for languages and other research tools vary according to the focus of study.

All M.A. students take the following three courses.

032:202 Asian Religious Traditions

3 s.h.

032:203 Western Religious Traditions

3 s.h.

032:205 Methods and Theories in the Study of Religion

3 s.h.

An additional course, 032:201 Teaching Religious Studies (3 s.h.) is optional for M.A. students.

Except for the required courses listed above (032:202, 032:203, and 032:205), students select courses depending on their interest area and in consultation with their faculty advisor. M.A. students are supervised by a three-person faculty committee.

In the M.A. thesis, students demonstrate and refine their research and writing skills. They may count a maximum of 6 s.h. of thesis credit toward the degree.

Students who do not write a thesis must pass an M.A. examination that tests their competence in completed course work.

Doctor of Philosophy

The department trains students in the research skills and methods they will need to become productive scholars in their chosen fields of study. It also trains them to teach religious studies across a broad range of traditions and provides rich classroom experience for future teachers.

Course requirements for the Ph.D. vary according to concentration area. However, all students must take at least four graduate seminars in addition to the following four required courses.

032:201 Teaching Religious Studies

3 s.h.

032:202 Asian Religious Traditions

3 s.h.

032:203 Western Religious Traditions

3 s.h.

032:205 Methods and Theories in the Study of Religion

3 s.h.

Ph.D. students may transfer up to 24 s.h. of credit from another accredited graduate school.

Formal admission to Ph.D. candidacy occurs during the student's fourth semester of residency, providing the following conditions are met:

completion of three of the four required courses, with the fourth in progress (see "Graduate Programs," above);

evidence of the ability to write scholarly papers;

a cumulative University of Iowa g.p.a. of at least 3.40;

satisfactory progress toward fulfillment of the language requirements of the student's program; and

submission of a plan of study.

Students working toward a Ph.D. may receive an M.A. upon completing at least 30 s.h. of course work and successfully passing the comprehensive examination.

For more detailed information on graduate programs in religious studies, contact the Department of Religious Studies or visit its web site, or contact the University's Office of Admissions.

Admission

Applicants to the M.A. program must have a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1050 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test and a g.p.a. of at least 3.00. Applicants to the Ph.D. program must have a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1150 on the GRE General Test and a g.p.a. of at least 3.40.

Application materials must include an application form; a transcript of all undergraduate and graduate work (one copy to the University's Office of Admissions and a second copy sent to the Department of Religious Studies); an application or waiver of consideration form for graduate assistantships (contact the department); three letters of recommendation; and a writing sample that demonstrates the applicant's ability to engage in critical thinking. Applicants also must submit a brief personal essay that explains their objectives for graduate study and states which area of graduate religious studies will best suit their objectives (see "Graduate Programs" above).

Financial Support

The Gilmore Scholarship, for doctoral students interested in the relationships among religion, the visual arts, and humanistic values, pays up to full tuition for one year.

Financial aid awards are made annually on a competitive basis.

Language Study at the University

Courses