Majors, Minors + Certificates (2024)

Department of Religious Studies

Students on Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 requirements RELPHILBA

The Interdepartmental Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Philosophy allows students to study both disciplines within a single major. It offers students an opportunity to explore and understand the religious traditions and various expressions of religious life around the world, as well as to explore foundational questions about who we are, what we can know, how we should live, and what there is. The program teaches a variety of approaches to the academic study of religion and religion's intersections with other aspects of human society and culture. It also emphasizes study of the history of philosophy and training in contemporary philosophical research, including skills in identifying and critically evaluating arguments, thinking clearly and independently, writing analytically, and applying principles of logic and good reasoning. The program prepares students for a wide variety of careers, including careers in education, the social sciences, law, medicine, public service, and politics.

View Degree MapA semester-by-semester path to completing degree and major requirements

Requirements

The major requires at least 42 credit hours (21 credit hours from both the Religious Studies and Philosophy departments), including the requirements listed below.

Philosophy of Religion. One (1) course:
- PHIL-P 371 Philosophy of Religion
- REL-D 301 Religion and Its Critics
- REL-B 374 Classical Chinese Thought
- REL-B 414 Buddhist Philosophy in India
Religious Studies Courses.
1. Area D. One (1) course:
  - Any REL-D 100–499
2. Area A, Area B, Area C. One (1) course chosen from two different areas (2 courses total):
  - REL-A 202 Issues in African, European, and West Asian Religions
  - REL-A 210 Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
  - REL-A 220 Introduction to the New Testament
  - REL-A 230 Introduction to Judaism
  - REL-A 235 Sacred Books of the Jews
  - REL-A 250 Introduction to Christianity
  - REL-A 270 Introduction to Islam
  - REL-A 275 Sex and Gender in Islam
  - REL-A 300 Studies in African, European, and West Asian Religions
  - REL-A 305 Ancient Mediterranean Religions
  - REL-A 314 Gender and Power in the Hebrew Bible
  - REL-A 315 Prophecy in Ancient Israel
  - REL-A 316 Jews, Christians, and Others in Late Antiquity
  - REL-A 317 Judaism in the Making
  - REL-A 318 Rabbinic Judaism: Literature and Beliefs
  - REL-A 319 Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient World
  - REL-A 320 Jesus
  - REL-A 321 Paul and His Influence in Early Christianity
  - REL-A 325 Christianity: Christ to Constantine
  - REL-A 326 Early Christian Monasticism
  - REL-A 335 Introduction to Jewish Mysticism
  - REL-A 350 Christianity, 400--1500
  - REL-A 351 Christianity and Modernity
  - REL-A 355 The Right Belief: History of Orthodox Christianity
  - REL-A 375 Women in the Bible
  - REL-A 380 Knowing the Will of God in Islam I: Law
  - REL-A 415 Topics in Ancient Israelite Religion
  - REL-A 426 Gnostic Religion and Literature
  - REL-A 430 Topics in the History of Judaism
  - REL-A 435 Catholic Controversies
  - REL-A 440 Judaism and Gender: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives
  - REL-A 450 Topics in the History of Christianity
  - REL-A 470 Topics in Islamic Studies
  - REL-A 480 Knowing the Will of God in Islam II: Theology
  - REL-A 485 The Life and Legacy of Muhammad
  - REL-B 202 Issues in South and East Asian Religions
  - REL-B 210 Introduction to Buddhism
  - REL-B 220 Introduction to Hinduism
  - REL-B 230 Introduction to Chinese Religion
  - REL-B 300 Studies in South and East Asian Religions
  - REL-B 310 East Asian Buddhism
  - REL-B 312 Mythologies of Martial Arts
  - REL-B 315 Tantric Buddhism
  - REL-B 320 Hindu Goddesses
  - REL-B 330 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions
  - REL-B 333 Seeing the Buddha: Buddhist Art of India and Tibet
  - REL-B 335 Bollywood and Beyond: Religion in South Asian Film
  - REL-B 360 Religions in Japan
  - REL-B 374 Classical Chinese Thought
  - REL-B 410 Topics in the Buddhist Tradition
  - REL-B 412 Buddhism and Popular Culture
  - REL-B 414 Buddhist Philosophy in India
  - REL-B 420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions
  - REL-B 433 Embodying Nirvana
  - REL-B 440 Topics in Daoism and Chinese Religion
  - REL-B 460 Topics in East Asian Religions
  - REL-C 202 Issues in Religion in the Americas
  - REL-C 220 American Religion and Politics
  - REL-C 230 American Jewish History
  - REL-C 300 Studies in Religion in the Americas
  - REL-C 303 Superheroes and Religion in American Culture
  - REL-C 320 African American Religions
  - REL-C 323 Jews and Race in the United States
  - REL-C 325 Race, Religion, and Ethnicity in the Americas
  - REL-C 330 Evangelical America
  - REL-C 335 New Religious Movements in the Americas
  - REL-C 345 Disaster in American Religion and Culture
  - REL-C 355 Religion and Sex in America
  - REL-C 401 Topics in American Religious History
  - REL-C 402 Religion, Illness, and Healing
  - REL-C 420 Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X in American Religion
3. Seminar. One (1) course:
  - REL-R 389 Majors Seminar in Religion
4. 300–499 Level Religious Studies. 12 credit hours:
  - Any REL-A 300–399
  - Any REL-A 400–499
  - Any REL-B 300–399
  - Any REL-B 400–499
  - Any REL-C 300–399
  - Any REL-C 400–499
  - Any REL-D 300–399
  - Any REL-D 400–499
  - Any REL-R 300–399
  - Any REL-R 400–499 except REL-R 499
5. 400–499 Level Religious Studies. Three (3) credit hours:
  - Any REL-A 400–499
  - Any REL-B 400–499
  - Any REL-C 400–499
  - Any REL-D 400–499
  - Any REL-R 400–499 except REL-R 499
6. Religious Studies Electives. Additional Religious Studies courses, as needed, to reach 21 credit hours:
  - Additional courses from the Area A, Area B, Area D list.
  - Additional courses from the Area C list.
  - Any REL-R 200–299
  - Any REL-R 300–399
  - Any REL-R 400–499
  - One of:
    - Any REL-A 100–199
    - Any REL-B 100–199
    - Any REL-C 100–199
    - Any REL-D 100–199
    - Any REL-R 100–199
Philosophy Courses.
1. Ethics and Value Theory. One (1) course:
  - PHIL-P 242 Applied Ethics
  - PHIL-P 246 Introduction to Philosophy and Art
  - PHIL-P 332 Feminism and Value
  - PHIL-P 340 Classics in Ethics
  - PHIL-P 342 Problems of Ethics
  - PHIL-P 343 Classics in Social and Political Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 345 Problems in Social and Political Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 346 Classics in Philosophy of Art
  - PHIL-P 347
  - PHIL-P 375 Philosophy of Law
  - PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics
2. History of Philosophy. One (1) course:
  - PHIL-P 201 Ancient Greek Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 205
  - PHIL-P 211 Early Modern Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 301 Medieval Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 304 19th Century Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 305 Topics in the Philosophy of Judaism
  - PHIL-P 319 American Pragmatism
  - PHIL-P 328 Philosophies of India
  - PHIL-P 330 Marxist Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 335 Phenomenology and Existentialism
  - PHIL-P 374 Early Chinese Philosophy
3. Epistemology and Metaphysics. One (1) course:
  - PHIL-P 310 Topics in Metaphysics
  - PHIL-P 312 Topics in the Theory of Knowledge
  - PHIL-P 320 Philosophy of Language
  - PHIL-P 360 Philosophy of Mind
  - PHIL-P 366 Philosophy of Action
4. Logic. One (1) course:
  - PHIL-P 150 Elementary Logic
  - PHIL-P 250 Introductory Symbolic Logic
5. Research. One (1) course:
  - PHIL-P 401 History of Philosophy: Special Topics
  - PHIL-P 470 Special Topics in Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 498 Honors Thesis Directed Research
  - PHIL-P 499 Honors Thesis
6. Philosophy Electives. Additional courses, as needed, to fulfill remaining requirements:
  - One (1) of:
    - PHIL-P 103 Gender, Sexuality and Race
    - PHIL-P 105 Critical Thinking
    - PHIL-P 106 Introduction to Problems of Philosophy
    - PHIL-P 107 Philosophy and the Environment
    - PHIL-P 135 Introduction to Existentialism
    - PHIL-P 141 Introduction to Ethical Theories and Problems
    - PHIL-P 145 Liberty and Justice: A Philosophical Introduction
    - PHIL-P 150 Elementary Logic
  - PHIL-P 200 Problems of Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 201 Ancient Greek Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 205 Modern Jewish Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 211 Early Modern Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 240 Business and Morality - Ethics in Context
  - PHIL-P 242 Applied Ethics
  - PHIL-P 246 Introduction to Philosophy and Art
  - PHIL-P 250 Introductory Symbolic Logic
  - PHIL-P 251 Intermediate Symbolic Logic
  - PHIL-P 270 Introductory Topics in Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 300 Philosophical Methods and Writing
  - PHIL-P 301 Medieval Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 304 19th Century Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 305 Topics in the Philosophy of Judaism
  - PHIL-P 310 Topics in Metaphysics
  - PHIL-P 312 Topics in the Theory of Knowledge
  - PHIL-P 319 American Pragmatism
  - PHIL-P 320 Philosophy of Language
  - PHIL-P 328 Philosophies of India
  - PHIL-P 330 Marxist Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 332 Feminism and Value
  - PHIL-P 335 Phenomenology and Existentialism
  - PHIL-P 340 Classics in Ethics
  - PHIL-P 342 Problems of Ethics
  - PHIL-P 343 Classics in Social and Political Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 345 Problems in Social and Political Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 346 Classics in Philosophy of Art
  - PHIL-P 347 Contemporary Controversies in Philosophy of Art
  - PHIL-P 348 Philosophy and Literature
  - PHIL-P 350 Logic of Sets
  - PHIL-P 352 Logic and Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 360 Philosophy of Mind
  - PHIL-P 363 Philosophy and Psychoanalysis
  - PHIL-P 366 Philosophy of Action
  - PHIL-P 370 Topics in Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 371 Philosophy of Religion
  - PHIL-P 374 Early Chinese Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 375 Philosophy of Law
  - PHIL-P 376 Leadership and Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics
  - PHIL-P 401 History of Philosophy: Special Topics
  - PHIL-P 470 Special Topics in Philosophy
  - PHIL-P 498 Honors Thesis Directed Research
  - PHIL-P 499 Honors Thesis
  - One (1) of:
    - PHIL-X 471 Undergraduate Teaching Assistantship in Philosophy
    - PHIL-X 473 Internship in Philosophy
  - PHIL-X 490 Readings in Philosophy
7. 300–499 Level Philosophy. At least 12 credit hours in philosophy courses must be at the 300–499 level.
Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
5. College Breadth. At least 38 credit hours must be completed in courses from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines outside of the major area.

Major Area Courses

Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

Any course at the 100–499 level with the PHIL or REL subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

Exclusions

The following courses cannot be applied toward major requirements or the College Breadth requirement:

PHIL-X 471 Undergraduate Teaching Assistantship in Philosophy

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies and Religious Studies (AAADRELBA)
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (PHILBA)
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science (PHILPOLSBA)
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies (PHILRELBA)
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy (POLSPHILBA)
Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies (RELBA)
Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and African American and African Diaspora Studies (RELAAADBA)
Minor in Philosophy (PHILMIN)
Minor in Philosophy of Mind and Cognition (PHILMCMIN)
Minor in Philosophy of the Arts (PHILARMIN)
Minor in Religious Studies (RELMIN)

Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.

FAQs

Are certificates as good as minors? ›

It often seem as though a minor is the better fit for an undergraduate program since they seem to be more common than certificates in academia. A certificate may be a wise choice if you are preparing to do something specific, such as receive a promotion, or obtain a certain skill set.

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Is a major and a minor enough? ›

Most colleges do not require a minor to earn a bachelor's degree. A minor can complement your major and help job applicants stand out.

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Do minors show up on transcripts? ›

A student's minor does not usually appear on their diploma. Instead, the diploma lists the major and the date the graduate earned their degree. That said, college transcripts do list minors.

Am I too old for med school at 25? ›

Most med students are around 24 years old when heading into their first year. The average graduating age is 28, but it's never too late to go to med school. Non-traditional applicants often fear it may be too late to attend medical school. It's important to know there is no age limit to attending medical school.

How many B's can I get for med school? ›

I would say to have a competitive chance at most medical schools you probably want to have a GPA above 3.5 So a B or two per semester is probably OK but do you want to make sure you get mostly A's or A- in your science and math courses. B's are commendable.

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Are certifications better than degrees? In many situations, certifications can be better than degrees for several reasons. Certificates often match current standards better than degrees, which is especially important in fast-paced fields like information technology (IT.)

Do employers care about minor degrees? ›

Most employers will tell you that your college major is more important than your minor, and many employers will stress that hands-on experience gained during college is the most critical hiring variable of all. But that doesn't mean you should ignore the potential edge a well-selected minor can give you.

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Is graduating with a minor worth it? ›

Adding a minor to your bachelor's program can be worth it. Earning a minor is an excellent way to broaden your knowledge, boost your employment opportunities or learn more about a subject that interests you. A minor helps you achieve a well-rounded education.