An undergraduate major in religion consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours) with grades of C or better. These courses must be taken from the introductory, intermediate and advanced levels of the religion curriculum and they must expose the student to both eastern and western thought.
Undergraduate majors are required to complete classes in three of the following four areas:
- One course in Asian religion – chosen from the following regular courses, as well as occasional special topics classes:
- REL 2315 – Religion in Asia
- REL 2341 – Introduction to Buddhism
- REL 3318 – Chinese Religions
- REL 3330 – Religions of India
- REL 3336 – Religion in Modern India
- REL 4349 – Buddhist Meditation
- One course in Islam – chosen from the following regular courses, as well as occasional special topics classes:
- REL 2362 – Introduction to Islam
- REL 3371 – Islam in Africa
- REL 4361 – Women and Islam
- REL 4367 – The History of Islam in the Modern World
- REL 4393 – Islam in the Americas
- One course in Jewish or Christian Scripture – chosen from the following regular courses, as well as occasional special topics classes:
- REL 2210 – Hebrew Scriptures
- REL 2240 – New Testament
- REL 3213 – Hebrew Bible as Literature
- REL 3249 – The Christian Gospels
- REL 3252 – Acts, Paul and Early Christianity
- REL 3291 – Gender and the Hebrew Bible
- REL 4221 – The Pentateuch (I & II).
- One course in Religion and Ethics in Contemporary Society– chosen from the following regular courses, as well as occasional special topics classes:
- REL 2071 – Sustainability and Religion
- REL 3076 – Cults and New Movements
- REL 3082 – Global Ethics
- REL 3099 – Spirituality and Health Care
- REL 3103 – Religion and Nature in North America
- REL 3108 – Religion and Food
- REL 3148 – Religion and Violence
- REL 3171 – Ethics in America
- REL 3492 – Religion, Ethics and Nature
- REL 4092 – Ethics, Utopias and Dystopias
- All majors must complete REL 3931, the Junior Seminar, preferably during their junior year. NOTE, at present the Junior Seminar is only offered in the spring semester.
- In addition, all majors must complete REL 4933, the Senior Seminar or “Comparative Study,” preferably during their senior year. NOTE, at present the Senior Seminar is only offered in the fall semester.
- Finally, all majors must complete at least one other 4000-level course.
For a full list of courses, click here.
- To see examples of the above courses, visit our Syllabi page.
*Majors may not count more than three introductory courses (2000-level) toward their 30 hours. No more than three courses (9 credit hours) may be in approved cognate courses from other departments and no more than four courses (12 credit hours) may be transferred from another institution.
*Undergraduate majors must have an academic advisement conference with the undergraduate coordinator at least once each academic year.
The University of Florida’s religion department is interdisciplinary in nature. In approaching religion, the program encourages students to draw on work in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences
Honors: To graduate cum laude, candidates must have a minimum junior-/senior-level grade point average of 3.5 for both their last 60 credit hours overall and in all religion courses. For magna cum laude (high honors) or summa cum laude (highest honors), candidates must also write an honors thesis (REL 4932) that receives a grade of B+ or A.
*For more information, please feel free to e-mail the undergraduate coordinator. You should consult the University of Florida online catalog for important undergraduate information and descriptions of the religion curriculum and the major and minor in religion. The catalog in effect at the time that a student enters the University of Florida is the contract in effect for that student and supersedes the listing of requirements that is offered on this page.