Theology and Religious Studies, BA

The Theology and Religious Studies Department contributes to students’ intellectual growth by helping them develop the skills and knowledge to engage critically and effectively with the multi-religious dimensions of human life. Students approach the study of Theology and Religious Studies in an integrated manner where they are introduced to multiple aspects of religion such as beliefs, faith, rituals, ethics, spirituality, and sacred texts. In keeping with the Jesuit, Catholic commitment of Seattle University, the Theology and Religious Studies department emphasizes an in-depth study of the Catholic tradition in dialogue with other religious and secular perspectives. In addition, students study the internal diversity within Christianity and other religious traditions such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. Theology and Religious Studies at Seattle University addresses the experiences and realities of oppressed peoples and the integral relationship between religion and social justice in local and global contexts. The curriculum of the department of Theology and Religious Studies invites students to reflect upon their own experiences and questions about ultimate reality and provides the skills and understandings that the academic discipline offers to address such experiences and questions.

Theology and Religious Studies majors will select between two distinct specializations in the program, Christian Theology or Comparative Religion.

Requirements

In order to earn the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Theology and Religious Studies, students must complete a minimum 180 credits with a cumulative and major/program grade point average of 2.00, including the courses listed below.

I. Core Curriculum Requirements

Module I: Engaging Academic Inquiry

UCOR 1100 - Academic Writing Seminar
UCOR 1200 - Quantitative Reasoning (or MATH 1010 or above)
UCOR 1300 - Creative Expression and Interpretation
UCOR 1400 - Inquiry Seminar in the Humanities
UCOR 1600 - Inquiry Seminar in the Social Sciences
UCOR 1800 - Inquiry Seminar in the Natural Sciences (or BIOL 1610/1611, 2200, CHEM 1500/1501, PHYS 1050/1051, 1210/1211)

Module II: Engaging Jesuit Traditions

Module III: Engaging the World

II. College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

Modern Languages 1150, 1250, 1350, or equivalent (15)

NOTE:

All students with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences must demonstrate competency through the level of 1350 in a language other than English. This competency is ordinarily achieved by successful completion of the three-course sequence: 1150, 1250, and 1350. Because these courses are a college requirement, no course in the sequence may be taken on a pass/fail, correspondence, or audit basis. Placement into other than the beginning course of the sequence is achieved by acceptable performance on the Modern Language Competency Examination. See the Modern Languages and Cultures Department for details on the examinations. Courses used to satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences modern language requirement may not be used to fulfill major requirements.

Choose one of the following three courses:

III. Major Requirements

45 credits in Theology and Religious Studies, in addition to Core curriculum requirements of UCOR 2100 Theological Explorations and UCOR 3100 Religion in a Global Context. Students must designate a specialization in either Christian Theology or Comparative Religion.

Choose an Area of Specialization:

A. Christian Theology
B. Comparative Religion

Required for Both Specializations (10 credits)

A. Christian Theology Specialization

Christian Thought (10 credits)

Choose two of the following for 10 credits; see department for options not listed below:

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (5 credits)

Choose one of the following for 5 credits; see department for options not listed below:

New Testament (5 credits)

Choose one of the following for 5 credits; see department for options not listed below:

Theological Ethics (5 credits)

Choose one of the following for 5 credits; see department for options not listed below:

NOTE:

Theological Ethics courses may not also satisfy the UCOR Ethical Reasoning requirement.

Advanced Christian Theology Courses (10 credits)

THRS 4300 - Major Themes and Thinkers in Christian Theology

Choose one of the following advanced biblical studies courses:

B. Comparative Religion Specialization

World Religions (15 credits)

Choose three of the following for 15 credits; see department for options not listed below:

Sacred Texts (5 credits)

Choose one of the following for 5 credits; see department for options not listed below:

Theological Ethics (5 credits)

Choose one of the following for 5 credits; see department for options not listed below:

NOTE:

Theological Ethics courses may not also satisfy the UCOR Ethical Reasoning requirement.

Interreligious Dialogue (5 credits)

Choose one of the following for 5 credits; see department for options not listed below:

Advanced Comparative Religion Course (5 credits)

Choose one of the following for 5 credits:

NOTE:

*Indicates that a course may apply towards different requirements within a specialization, but each course may only satisfy one requirement or the other, not both.

Departmental Honors

Theology and Religious Studies Major with Departmental Honors, BA