Javascript is currently not supported, or is disabled by this browser. Please enable Javascript for full functionality.

Skip to Main Content
2017-2018 USC Lancaster Bulletin (Archived Copy)
Lancaster Campus
   
2017-2018 USC Lancaster Bulletin (Archived Copy) 
    
 
  Mar 28, 2024
 
2017-2018 USC Lancaster Bulletin (Archived Copy) [Archived Catalog]

Religious Studies, B.A.



Learning Outcomes

  • Upon completion of the prerequisite and introductory courses, students should be able to distinguish and discuss various religious traditions and structures of beliefs along with sacred texts and practices which frame, elaborate, and preserve those structures, as well as  attention to current scholarship.  They should be able to address more issues of greater complexity in the study of religion and religions as social and cultural phenomena.  Students’ abilities to critically analyze religious traditions and scholarly discourse should be more refined, informed, and detailed on completion of their degree program as an outcome of the prerequisite and introductory courses. 
  • Students completing the required number of upper level courses should be able to distinguish multiple approaches to the study of religion(s), differentiate the various ways in which religious ideas establish social values and expectations, elaborate a range of foundational cultural and social structures from a variety of different global regions, and skillfully discuss the religious roots from which these have been generated and derived. Students will demonstrate readiness to assimilate and assess divergent, anomalous, and difficult ideas and produce coherent, informed, well-organized and well-reasoned perspectives and propositions. 
  • Students should demonstrate a level of skill and proficiency in analysis of different theories, content, and historical data with respect to  the study of religions.

Basic Degree Requirements for Bachelor of Arts Degrees (120 Hours)


Note: Bachelor of Arts degrees require 120 hours. Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees require additional hours; see Program of Study  for major requirements.

  1. Carolina Core Plus General Education Requirements
  2. Major
  3. Cognate or Minor Requirements (optional for BAIS majors)
  4. Electives

1. Carolina Core Plus General Education Requirements


Note: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees follow General Education Requirements for the BA except where specified in Programs of Study for major requirements.

CMW: Carolina Core Effective, Engaged and Persuasive Communication: Writing (6 Hours)


  • Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

ARP: Carolina Core Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving (6-8 Hours)


SCI: Carolina Core Scientific Literacy (8 Hours)


Specified or additional College of Arts and Sciences Requirement:

  • Two 4-credit hour laboratory science courses.

GFL: Carolina Core Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Communicate Effectively in More than One Language (0-9 Hours)


Specified or additional College of Arts and Sciences Requirement:

  • Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required for all baccalaureate degrees. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.

It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.

GHS: Carolina Core Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (6 Hours)


Specified or additional College of Arts and Sciences Requirement:

  • One Carolina Core GHS-approved course primarily focused on U.S. History: HIST 111, 112, 214, or another GHS-approved course determined by the College of Arts and Sciences to fit this geographic category and
  • One Carolina Core GHS-approved course primarily focused on non-U.S. History: HIST 101, 102, 104, 105, 106, 108, 109, GERM 280, FAMS 300, or another GHS-approved course determined by the College of Arts and Sciences to fit this geographic category.

GSS: Carolina Core Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (6 Hours)


Specified or additional College of Arts and Sciences Requirement:

AIU: Carolina Core Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 Hours)


Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements:

  • Up to two of these requirements may be met in overlay courses. At least one of these requirements must be satisfied by a course not applied elsewhere in general education. (3-9 Hours)

CMS: Carolina Core Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Speech (3 Hours)


INF: Carolina Core Information Literacy (0-3 Hours)


VSR: Carolina Core Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility (3 Hours)


Other Required General Education Courses from the College of Arts and Sciences


Fine Arts and Humanities Requirements (9 Hours)


  • Bachelor of Arts degrees require 3 Hours in the fine arts. (May be taken as Carolina Core Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding.)
  • Bachelor of Arts degrees require an additional 9 Hours in the fine arts or humanities.

2. Religious Studies Major


Major Prerequisite (3 Hours)


A minimum grade of C is required in all major prerequisite courses.


Select one course from the following:

Major Requirements (24-30 Hours)


A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.

General Major (24 Hours)


    Intensive Major (30 Hours)


      B.A. with Distinction (30 Hours)


      Students who fulfill the requirements for the Intensive Major and earn a minimum major GPA of 3.75 and a cumulative GPA of 3.50 will be awarded the degree “With Distinction in Religious Studies” upon graduation.

      3. Cognate or Minor Requirements (12-18 Hours) for B.A. Degrees


      Cognate


      The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve  (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs, depending on the interests of the student and the judgment of the advisor.

      Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences .

      For cognate course offerings in other colleges, consult the appropriate sections of this bulletin. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements.

      It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. The cognate must be approved by the major advisor as being related to the major field of study. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.

      Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the cognate.

      For Bachelor of Arts degrees, all cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

      Minor


      In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. (Some minors in the sciences require a minimum of 16 hours.) The subject area of the minor may be related to the major. Students pursuing interdisciplinary minors who wish to use courses in their major department for minor credit must petition the College Committee on Scholastic Standards and Petitions for permission to do so.

      The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must be concentrated in one area and must follow a structured sequence. Interdisciplinary minors can be designed with the approval of the assistant dean for academic affairs and advising.

      Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.

      A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z .

      4. Electives for B.A. Degrees and B.F.A.


      No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.