Curriculum

The curriculum in Religious Studies offers to students a wide variety of courses that focus on the study of religion as an academic discipline.  Most courses are open to any student with no prerequisites.

The study of religion has always been a crucial component of the liberal arts mission of UNC Asheville, but no formal curriculum existed until 1997 when the Department of Philosophy introduced a minor in Religious Studies.  The program steadily expanded, and in the fall of 2009 a new department was organized, allowing students for the first time the option to major in Religious Studies.

As a field of humanistic inquiry, the study of religion seeks to explore and to understand the many ways in which human beings throughout time have sought to answer questions of existence and meaning. This may be accomplished by investigating the various religious traditions throughout the world, or by examining the many ways in which religion has affected human life – through art, architecture, music, ideas, and even foods. For this reason, courses in Religious Studies are usually interdisciplinary, although some courses focus on specific forms of methodological analysis – such as philosophy, sociology, or history – as a way of understanding religious phenomenon. As a publicly funded university, our approach is non-confessional, and does not promote or advocate for any particular religious tradition or worldview.

Declaring a major in Religious Studies requires the student to complete a Declaration of Major form (available in OneStop Student Services, University Hall) that must be signed by the department chair. Before declaring a major, students must satisfy the LANG 120 requirement.  For more information on the major and recommended courses, refer to the "For Students" link in the menu above.

Schools and universities must take religion seriously if students are to be liberally educated. If students are to think critically about the world and about the other subjects they study...they must study religions in some depth, [and] acquire an understanding of them from the inside...in critical and comparative perspective.

Warren A. Nord, Does God Make a Difference? Taking Religion Seriously in Our Schools and Universities