Program Requirements

Major in Religion

Students majoring in Religion must fulfill the following requirements:

• Six (6) credit hours at the 1000 level from Introductory courses (I).
• Six (6) credit hours at the 2000 level from two different Traditions (III) (A, B and C)
• Nine (9) credit hours at the 2000 level from the Issues courses (II)
• Six (6) credit hours at 3000 level from the Traditions courses (III) or (V)
• Three (3) credit hours at the 3000 level from the Issues courses (II) or (V)
• RELS 3351 - Field Research Methods
• RELS 4481 - Theories and Methods in the Study of Religions 
• Three (3) credit hours at the 4000 level

An overall minimum grade point average of 2.00 in the courses counted toward the major.

 

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Concentration in Religion

Only students in the ninety (90) credit hour B.A. may complete the concentration requirement in Religion.  The required twenty-four (24) credit hours in Religion must conform to the following guidelines:

1. No more than three (3) credit hours may be at the 1000 level
2. Six (6) credit hours must be at the 2000 level from two different traditions (A, B & C);
3. A total of fifteen (15) credit hours at the 3000 level. Of these:
   • Six (6) credit hours must be taken Tradition courses, building from the Traditions courses taken in 2. above;
   • Six (6) credit hours at the 3000 level from the Issues courses;
   • An additional three (3) credit hours in any 3000 or 4000 level course.
4. An overall grade point average of at least 2.00 must be maintained in the twenty-four (24) credit hours in Religion.

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Honours in Religion

An honours student must complete sixty-three (63) credit hours in Religion courses which include:

• Complete all of the requirements for a Religion major
• Three credit hours at the 3000 level from the Issues courses
• Three credit hours at the 3000 level from the Traditions courses
• Three credit hours at the 3000 level from Scriptural Analysis in the Methods courses (IV)
• Nine credit hours at the 3000 level or above
• RELS 4000 - Honours Thesis Research RELS
• RELS 4001 - Honours Thesis Writing RELS

Admission to an honours program normally requires Department approval no later than when a student has completed sixty (60) credit hours.  In addition to the Faculty of Arts requirements for honours, a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in Religion courses is required for admission to, and continuation in, the honours program.

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Minor in Religion

A minor in Religion may be completed by taking twenty-four (24) credit hours in Religion as follows:

• Six credit hours that may be at the 1000 level
• Six credit hours that must be at the 2000 level from the Traditions courses (III)
• Six credit hours that must be at the 2000 level from the Issues courses (II)
• Six credit hours that must be at the 3000 level from the Traditions (III) or Issues courses (II)
• Total Credit Hours

An overall grade point average of 2.00 must be maintained in the twenty-four (24) credit hours.

In a Religion minor students must complete at least twelve (12) of the twenty-four (24) required credit hours at Saint Mary’s.

Course Groupings 

I. Introductory Courses:
RELS 1251 Religion in Contemporary Culture
RELS 1252 Religious Diversity in Canada
RELS 1351 Love
RELS 1352 Death

II. Issues Courses
ANTH 3316 Anthropology of Religion
ANTH 3366 Worldview: Anthropological Approach
RELS 2211 Religious Lives
RELS 2330 Spirituality and Work
RELS 2333 Gender, Sexuality and Religion
RELS 2343 Violence
RELS 2347 Ecology and Religion
RELS 3101 Law and Religion
RELS 3205 The Future
RELS 3316 Anthropology of Religion
RELS 3318 Ghosts: A Cultural Approach
RELS 3330 Spirituality in the Workplace
RELS 3348 Ecological Crisis: Religious Perspectives
RELS 3349 Science and Religion
RELS 3356 Religions in Film

III. Traditions Courses
A. Asian
RELS 1222 Religions of Asia (formerly RELS 1220)
RELS 2326 South Asian Religious Traditions
RELS 2327 The Buddhist Religious Tradition
RELS 2401 Religions of China and Japan
RELS 3010 Vietnamese Religious Traditions
RELS 3337 South Asian Religions and the Arts
RELS 3359 Buddhist Paths
RELS 3360 Engaged Buddhism

B. Christianity and Judaism
ENGL 2327 The Bible and English Literature
ENGL 2328 The Catholic Tradition in Modern British Literature
RELS 2305 Women in Christianity
RELS 2324 World Christianity
RELS 2343 Jewish Religious Tradition
RELS 2350 Faith in Action: Religion and Social Movements
RELS 2377 Introduction to Bible: Hebrew Scripture
RELS 2378 Introduction to Bible: New Testament
RELS 3303 Birth of Christianity in the Ancient World
RELS 3311 Jesus of Nazareth
RELS 3312 Theologies of Liberation
RELS 3328 The Catholic Church Today
RELS 3338 Religions and the Arts: The West

C. Islam
RELS 2323 The Islamic Religious Tradition
RELS 2370 Introduction to the Qur’an
RELS 3373 Islam in South Asia
RELS 3374 Islam in North America since 9/11

D. Other
CLAS 3317 Greek Sanctuaries (formerly CLAS 3317)
CLAS 3352 Women in Antiquity I (formerly CLAS 3352)
RELS 2353 New Religious Movements
RELS 3220 African Diaspora Religions
RELS 3354 Indigenous Peoples, Religion, Spirituality and Justice

IV. Methods Courses
RELS 2370 Introduction to the Qur’an
RELS 2377 Introduction to Bible: Hebrew Scripture
RELS 2378 Introduction to Bible: New Testament
RELS 3351 Field Research Methods

V. Seminars (4000 level Courses)
A. Issues
RELS 4150 Religion and Globalization
RELS 4151/GTRS 6151 Religion and Migration
RELS 4333 Religion Race & Gender
RELS 4387 Religious Pluralism
RELS 4389 Religion and Public Life

B. Traditions
RELS 4200 Postcolonialism and Religions
RELS 4390 Religion and Society in Atlantic Canada

C. Methods
RELS 4481 Theories and Methods in the Study of Religions

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Updated April 18th, 2024

Disclaimer: Where there is a conflict between the requirements as set out above and the Academic Calendar, the Academic Calendar shall prevail.