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Course Catalog 2005-2006 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Religion
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 Return to: College of Arts and Sciences
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Major
The major consists of 27 hours in the department. Under ordinary circumstances, no more than one course from the FYSP or Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students may be counted in the 27 hours required for the major. Also, no more than one of the nine “Introduction to Religion” (RELG 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109) courses may be counted in the 27 hours required for the major.
Students majoring in Religion must complete the following:
- Take one designated core course at the 200 level in at least four of the ten areas in which coursework is offered. The 10 areas, and courses that fall within each area, are listed below. The “core” courses are those marked with an asterisk (*).
- American Religious History: 282*, 284*, 285
- Christian History: 216*, 217*, 218*
- East Asian Religions: 235*, 236*, 238*
- Ethics: 245*, 246*, 247, 248*, 249
- Gender and Religion: 261*, 262*, 263
- Islam: 270*, 271, 272*, 274
- Jewish and Christian Scriptures: 205*, 206*, 208*
- Judaism: 250*, 251*, 252, 255, 258
- Modern Religious Thought: 225*, 226*, 227*, 228
- South Asian Religions: 231*, 232, 233*
- Take at least one additional course at the 200 level in one of the four areas in which they have taken a “core” course, thus forming a small concentration. The second 200-level course need not be a “core” course.
- Take one seminar at the 300 level. Majors are encouraged to take the seminar within the area of their concentration.
Students planning graduate or professional study in Religion or simply seeking an enhanced and more comprehensive major are encouraged to consider the following additions to their course of study beyond the basic 27 hours required for the major:
- RELG 299 Research Methods and the Academic Study of Religion;
- RELG 399 Capstone Project and/or RELG 401 Senior Honors; and
- at least one year of foreign or classical language study at the college level.
Minor
Majors in other departments or programs may minor in Religion by taking at least 5 courses totaling 15 hours. One of these courses must be a seminar. Minimum Grade
Students must earn a C– or higher in any Religion course they wish to count for the major or minor. Capstone Project and Honors
(1) Capstone Project. The Capstone Project is a one-hour independent research and writing project undertaken with permission of the instructor in conjunction with most 300-level and some 200-level courses. A Capstone Project is open to any junior or senior Religion major. The project involves completing a research paper (approximately 25 pages) on a topic approved by the instructor.
(2) Honors. Honors work is done in the student’s senior year and culminates in a written Honors thesis and oral defense. There are two modes possible for undertaking an Honors Project.
- As an extension of a Capstone Project. Religion majors who successfully complete a Capstone Project in either their junior year or the fall semester of their senior year may submit an application to the department for further research on that topic. If it is accepted, the student will enroll for a three-hour Honors Project to revise and refine the Capstone Project into an Honors thesis of 40 to 55 pages in length. Students are encouraged to work within their area of concentration for the major. In most cases the original instructor will serve as the thesis director, and two additional readers will be part of the Honors Committee. At the end of the semester, the student will submit the Honors thesis to the department and defend it in an oral exam conducted by the committee.
- As a two-semester independent project. This mode of undertaking an Honors Project is open to qualified religion majors whose research interests do not fit into the topical scope of the existing course offerings, but who nonetheless wish to work closely with a Religion faculty member while pursuing an independent project of scholarship. Students wishing to pursue Honors in this mode must submit an application and prospectus for the proposed research project to the department by April 15th of their junior year. If accepted, the student will enroll for three hours in both semesters of the senior year and produce a written thesis of 40 to 55 pages. The thesis director and two additional readers will make up the Honors Committee. At the end of the senior year, the student will submit the Honors thesis to the department and defend it in an oral exam conducted by the committee.
Transfer of Credit
Students wishing to transfer credit toward the Religion major are advised to provide the department with as much information about the transferred course as possible (including the syllabus, papers, and exams). The department will not normally count more than six hours of transfer credit toward the major and does not normally accept transferred courses to satisfy distribution requirements in the major. Students should seek preapproval from the chair for coursework they intend to take elsewhere and transfer to Oberlin. Winter Term
Faculty in the Religion Department sponsor a wide variety of Winter Term projects, particularly projects related to their areas of scholarly expertise. Students planning projects are invited to approach individual faculty members to discuss their ideas and plans. Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students
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