The B.A. degree in religious studies is appropriate for a general liberal arts education and for preprofessional training leading to graduate degrees in religious studies, law, theology or other areas of the humanities.
Departmental courses are offered in four areas: philosophical studies of religious ideas and values, historical studies of religious movements and institutions, social-scientific studies of religious beliefs and behavior, and textual studies of religious traditions and scriptures. A well-balanced program of undergraduate study includes courses from each of these four areas. Students planning to undertake Ph.D. work in religious studies are strongly encouraged to take the major with departmental distinction and to complete 12 credit hours in either French or German.
A total of 30 credit hours are required in the department, and 24 hours must be completed in courses numbered at the 3000 level and above. Students may earn a B.A. in religious studies with specializations in Asian religions, Christian tradition, or religion and culture.
SMU Degree Requirements
An SMU undergraduate degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours and must include completion of the University’s Common Curriculum , one major and a combination of electives and/or other majors or minors. Completion of certain majors requires more than 120 hours to finish the degree. The credit hours within this curriculum are distributed as follows: