Undergraduate Program in Religious Studies

Core Courses (6 Hours)

Take two of the following courses:

  • REL 1000: Religions of the World

  • REL 2000: What is Religion?

  • REL 2027: Asian Religions

  • REL 2029: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Elective Courses (18 hours)

  • One at the 4000-level

  • Three at the 3000- or 4000-level

  • Two at the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level

Capstone Course (3 Hours)

  • REL 4301: Theories of Religion

Required Courses (6 Hours)

  • REL 2027: Asian Religions

  • REL 2029: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Elective Courses (9 hours)

  • One course (3 hours) at the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level

  • Two courses (6 hours) at 3000- or 4000-level

About the Religious Studies Program

Understanding ourselves as human beings requires knowledge of the world's religions. As a discipline with the broader humanities, Religious Studies provides an extraordinarily fascinating way to study the world and its people while helping students to develop the ability to think hard and responsibly about complicated issues as well as their own commitments, principles, and values. 

Located within the largest public university in Louisiana, our program offers an academic, non-confessional approach to the study of religion. Our flexible curriculum, structured to fit the needs and interests of students, has been designed by scholars with expertise in a variety of religious traditions. They approach the study of religion from historical, philosophical, literary, anthropological, and theoretically critical perspectives. The faculty includes many scholars who have won prestigious teaching awards and research grants. The program boasts low student-to-faculty ratio that permits students to work closely with faculty members to design their course of study.

For more information, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Bradley K. Storin (bstorin@lsu.edu).

 

Religious Studies Courses

Interested in seeing our current offerings? Click here!

 

Why major in Religious Studies?

Religious Studies majors cultivate a deep literacy of religious traditions throughout the world alongside a familiarity with the latest scholarly approaches to the study of religion. They examine texts and traditions, histories and myths, rituals and symbols, individuals and institutions, all while scrutinizing the very terms and words that we use to describe these phenomena.

Our students also develop the kinds of skills that will serve them on any professional path, skills like versatile problem-solving, effective communication in speech and writing, and strong critical analysis of texts, ideas, practices, and cultures. Our students learn how to foster within themselves a global perspective, how to question and critique all forms of power, and how to practice teamwork to make culturally-informed and nuanced decisions.

While our graduates won't graduate with specific job training, they will come out with a knowledge-base and skill-set that serves them in any job out there.