Study of Religion BA

Capstone Major

The Study of Religion major is a designated capstone major. Students must complete an advanced seminar that provides unique opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on a focused topic of research. Through their capstone work students are expected to demonstrate their ability to plan and carry out a major project, apply subject matter and research methods knowledge to produce a paper or other research project, and organize information into a coherent and persuasive form for oral presentation to their peers.

Entry to the Major

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the Study of Religion major with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one history of religions course, one philosophy of religion course, and two courses from sociocultural anthropology, Buddhism, history of Western civilization, Asian civilizations, civilizations of Africa, and history of China.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

Major Requirements

Preparation for the Major

Three courses as follows:

Study of Religion

Electives

Select two courses from:

AN N EA 10W - Jerusalem: Holy City ANTHRO 3 - Culture and Society ASIAN M60 - Introduction to Buddhism HIST 1A - Introduction to Western Civilization: Ancient Civilizations, Prehistory to circa AD 843 HIST 1B - Introduction to Western Civilization: Circa 843 to circa 1715 HIST 1C - Introduction to Western Civilization: Circa 1715 to Present HIST 9A - Introduction to Asian Civilizations: History of India HIST 9C - Introduction to Asian Civilizations: History of Japan HIST 9D - Introduction to Asian Civilizations: History of Middle East HIST 9E - Introduction to Asian Civilizations: Southeast Asian Crossroads HIST M10A - History of Africa to 1800 HIST 10B - History of Africa, 1800 to Present HIST 11A - History of China: To 1000 HIST 11B - History of China, circa 1000 to 2000 PHILOS 2 - Introduction to Philosophy of Religion PHILOS 21 - Skepticism and Rationality RELIGN M10 - Introduction to Judaism RELIGN M50 - Origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam RELIGN M60A - Introduction to Buddhism RELIGN M60B - Introduction to Chinese Religions RELIGN M60C - Introduction to Korean Religions RELIGN M60D - Religion in Classical India: Introduction RELIGN M60E - Religious Traditions in Southeast Asia RELIGN M60W - Introduction to Buddhism RELIGN M61 - Introduction to Zen Buddhism RELIGN M61W - Introduction to Chinese Religions

The Major

Complete 12 courses as follows. Student are encouraged to select courses that focus on a specific religious tradition or traditions, or on a set of thematic issues important to the study of religion.

History of Study of Religion

Theory and Methods

Select one course from:

ANTHRO 130 - Study of Culture ANTHRO 142P - Anthropology of Religion RELIGN 110 - Religion and Violence RELIGN 120 - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Comparative Approach RELIGN 150 - Women, Gender, and Religion RELIGN 160 - Religion, Film, and Media RELIGN 177 - Variable Topics in Religion RELIGN 180 - Religion and Modern Critical Thought RELIGN M186C - Jesus of Nazareth in Historical Research

Religious Ideas, Practices, and Institutions in Context

Select two courses from:

AN N EA 162 - Archaeology, Identity, and Bible ANTHRO 114P - Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica ANTHRO 162 - Ethnography of South America ANTHRO 168P - Cultures of Pacific ARABIC 120 - Islamic Texts ART HIS CM115A - Late Antique Art and Architecture ART HIS C120 - Selected Topics in Islamic Art ART HIS 150A - Japanese Art ART HIS 152A - Arts of Korea ART HIS 154A - Early Art of India ART HIS 154B - Later Art of India ART HIS 156 - Arts of Southeast Asia ASIAN 151 - Buddhist Literature in Translation ASIAN 162 - Buddhist Meditation Traditions CHIN 165 - Introduction to Chinese Buddhist Texts CHIN C175 - Introduction to Chinese Thought CLASSIC 166A - Greek Religion CLASSIC 166B - Roman Religion CLASSIC M167 - Magic in Ancient World ENGL 111A - Hebrew Bible in Translation ENGL 111B - Christian Biblical Texts in Translation ENGL 111C - Topics in Biblical Literature ENGL 145 - Medieval Literatures of Devotion and Dissent ENGL 156 - Devotion and Dissent GREEK 130 - Readings in New Testament HEBREW 120 - Biblical Texts HEBREW 130 - Rabbinic Texts HIST 108A - History of North Africa from Islamic Conquest HIST 121B - History of Modern Europe: Baroque Culture and Absolutist Politics, 1600 to 1715 HIST 174A - Early History of India HIST M182C - Modern Jewish History HIST 185B - Religions of South and Southeast Asia IRANIAN 170 - Religion in Ancient Iran JAPAN 161 - Religious Life in Modern Japan JEWISH M150A - Hebrew Literature in English: Literary Traditions of Ancient Israel—Bible and Apocrypha KOREA 165 - Introduction to Korean Buddhist Texts KOREA 172 - Topics in Korean Christianity PHILOS 100B - Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy PHILOS 104 - Topics in Islamic Philosophy PHILOS 107 - Topics in Medieval Philosophy PHILOS 155A - Medical Ethics RELIGN M105A - Bahá'í Faith in Iran: Historical and Sociological Survey RELIGN M105B - Bahá'í Faith in Iran: Survey of Bahá'í Scriptures and Thought RELIGN M105C - Bahá'í Faith in Iran: 20th-Century Iran and the Bahá'ís RELIGN M106A - Premodern Islam RELIGN M107 - Islam in West RELIGN M108 - Qur'an RELIGN M132 - Ancient Egyptian Religion RELIGN M133 - Bible and Qur'an RELIGN M135 - Religion in Ancient Israel RELIGN 140 - Undergraduate Seminar: Study of Religion RELIGN M142C - History of Religion in U.S.RELIGN M155 - Angels, Demons, and End of World: Magic, Mysticism, and Apocalypse in Jewish Traditions RELIGN M161A - Chinese Buddhism RELIGN M161B - Japanese Buddhism RELIGN M161C - Korean Buddhism RELIGN M161D - Buddhism in India RELIGN M172 - Bible and Its Interpreters RELIGN M173C - Shinto, Buddhism, and Japanese Folk Religion RELIGN M174D - Indo-Islamic Interactions, 700 to 1750 RELIGN M174E - Indo-Islamic Interactions, 1750 to 1950 RELIGN M178 - Variable Topics RELIGN M182A - Ancient Jewish History RELIGN M182B - Medieval Jewish History RELIGN M184A - Jewish Civilization: Encounter with Great World Cultures RELIGN M185D - Religions of Ancient Near East RELIGN M186A - History of Early Christians RELIGN M186B - Religious Environment of Early Christians WL ARTS C142 - Myth and Ritual WL ARTS C151 - Ethnography of Religions

Electives

Capstone Seminar

Honors Program

Students admitted to honors should take three Study of Religion 198 courses under the guidance of the sponsoring professor. The first 198 course should be taken in spring quarter of the junior year, the second during the following fall quarter, and the third during winter quarter of the senior year. The three courses count as part of the regular requirement of 12 upper-division courses. The program culminates in an honors thesis.

RELIGN 198 - Honors Research in Religion

Policies

The Major Policies

During their senior year students must complete the capstone seminar, Study of Religion 191.

A course may be taken twice, on different topics, for credit toward the major where repetition is allowed by the department offering the course. A maximum of two upper-division courses in an ancient language relevant to the course of study may be applied toward the major requirements with consent of the adviser.

A maximum of 12 units of special studies courses (197, 198, 199) approved by the adviser may be applied toward the major. Each course for preparation for the major and the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Honors Program

The honors program provides exceptional students with an opportunity to do independent research under the tutorial guidance of a faculty member.

To qualify for admission students should have a minimum grade-point average of 3.4. The 198 courses designed for the program and the thesis topic should be approved by the committee in charge of the major.

For more information, contact the student affairs officer or the faculty adviser at the program address.