The Department of Philosophy and Religion and the Program in Africana Studies offer an interdisciplinary combined major in religious studies and Africana studies. Students interested in the combined major integrate the study of religious traditions, religious praxis, and religious ethics with critical and systematic examination of the cultural, political, social, economic, and historical experiences of African Americans throughout the hemisphere and peoples of African descent around the world.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
University-Wide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the University-Wide Requirements.
BA Language Requirements
All BA students are required to complete the BA language requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Experiential Liberal Arts
All undergraduate students in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities are required to complete the Experiential Liberal Arts Requirement.
Religious Studies Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Foundational Course | ||
| PHIL 1110 | Introduction to Religious Studies | 4 |
| Lived Religion Elective | ||
| Complete one of the following courses that is not used to satisfy another requirement: | 4 | |
| Selling Spirituality | ||
| The Meaning of Death | ||
| Apocalypticism in Film | ||
| Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates | ||
| Religious Perspectives on Health and Healing | ||
| Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis | ||
| Music and Religion | ||
| Cults and Sects | ||
| The Religious Worlds of Boston: Faith and Devotion in Urban Life | ||
| Comparative Religion Elective | ||
| Complete one of the following courses that is not used to satisfy another requirement: | 4 | |
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Ethics: East and West | ||
| The Meaning of Death | ||
| Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond: Eastern Religions | ||
| Chinese Philosophy and Religion | ||
| Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis | ||
| Japanese Buddhism | ||
| The Religious Worlds of Boston: Faith and Devotion in Urban Life | ||
| Electives | ||
| Complete five of the following courses, one of which must be 2000-level or above and another one of which must be 3000-level or above, that is not used to satisfy another requirement: | 20 | |
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Goddesses, Witches, Saints, and Sinners: Women in Western Religions | ||
| Understanding the Bible | ||
| Ethics: East and West | ||
| Selling Spirituality | ||
| Apocalypticism in Film | ||
| Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond: Eastern Religions | ||
| Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates | ||
| Jewish Religion and Culture | ||
| Chinese Philosophy and Religion | ||
| Religious Perspectives on Health and Healing | ||
| Cults and Sects | ||
| The Religious Worlds of Boston: Faith and Devotion in Urban Life | ||
| Seminar in Religion | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Complete the following course that is not used to satisfy another requirement: | 4 | |
| Seminar in Religion | ||
Africana Studies Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational | ||
| AFAM 1101 | Introduction to African American and Africana Studies | 4 |
| or AFRS 1101 | Introduction to African Studies | |
| Introductory | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to African American and Africana Studies | ||
| The African-American Experience through Music | ||
| Black Popular Culture | ||
| John Coltrane and the History of Jazz in the United States | ||
| Gender, Race, and Medicine | ||
| Introduction to Global Health | ||
| Humanities | ||
| Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
| Early African-American Literature | ||
| American Women Writers | ||
| The African American Novel | ||
| Social Sciences | ||
| Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
| Africa Today | ||
| Black Community and Social Change | ||
| The Scope and Dynamics of Conflicts in Africa | ||
| Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions | ||
| Natural Resources and Sustainable Development | ||
| Epidemiology of Pandemic Diseases and Health Disparities in the African Diaspora | ||
| Electives | ||
| Note: Electives may not double count for other AFAM or HIST combined-major requirements. | ||
| Complete one AFAM/AFRS course at the 2000 level or above | 4 | |
| Complete one AFAM/ AFRS course at the 3000 level or above | 4 | |
| Senior Capstone | ||
| Choose one capstone course from the list below. | 4 | |
| Capstone | ||
| Seminar in Religion | ||
Integrative Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the following course: | 4 | |
| PHIL 2410 | Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions | 4 |
| or AFRS 2410 | Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions | |
Program Requirement
128 total semester hours required
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | Lived Religion Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| PHIL 1110 | 4 | Introductory Course | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| AFAM 1101 or AFRS 1101 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Comparative Religion Elective | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Elective | 4 | ||
| Social Sciences Course | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| PHIL 2000 Level Elective | 4 | ||||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Elective | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Elective | 4 | ||
| Humanities Course | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Social Sciences Course | 4 | ||||||
| AFAM/AFRS 2000 Level Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| AFAM/AFRS 3000 Level Elective | 4 | Humanities Course | 4 | ||||
| PHIL 3000 Level Elective | 4 | Integrative Requirement Course | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | PHIL Advanced Level Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | Capstone | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 128 | |||||||