Major
Before declaring the major in Religion, students must complete the following forms, in consultation with an advisor (a continuing faculty member in the department): a Plan for the Major and a Majors Checklist (available on Blackboard) and the Declaration of Major form (available from the Office of the Registrar). The Plan for the Major should describe the student's intentions and goals for the major as well as a strategy for achieving those goals. The student and advisor should re-visit the Plan for the Major several times during the student's work in the department and revise it as appropriate.
The Religion major consists of a minimum of 30 credit hours in the department. Under ordinary circumstances, no more than one first-year seminar or colloquium for first- and second-year students and one of the nine "Introduction to Religion" (RELG 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 and 109) courses may be counted in the 30 hours required for the major.
Students majoring in Religion must complete the following:
1. At least one course in each of the three general approaches to the academic study of religion.
The tradition-based approach:
- Judaism (250, 251, 253)
- Islam (270, 272, 275)
- Christianity (217, 218)
- Hinduism (231)
The modern-culture-based approach:
- Modern Religious Thought in the West (225, 226, 227)
- Religious Social Ethics (244, 245, 246)
- Gender & Religion (247, 261, 262)
The region-based approach:
- Ancient Near East (205, 208)
- East Asia (235, 236)
- South Asia (231, 233, 234)
- Modern North America (263, 282, 284)
2. Take one 200-level course in at least four of the subfields represented in our major. (Courses identified under the general approaches requirement may also count toward this subfield requirement.)
- American Religious History
- East Asian Religions
- Religious Social Ethics
- Gender and Religion
- History of Christianity
- Islam
- Jewish and Christian Scriptures
- Judaism
- Modern Religious Thought in the West
- South Asian Religions
3. Take at least one additional 200-level course in one of the four subfields, thus forming a subfield concentration (along with a 300-level seminar).
4. Take at least one 300-level seminar. Majors will normally take the seminar within their subfield concentration.
5. Take Approaches to the Academic Study of Religion (RELG 300) no later than first semester of the senior year. Students must have completed at least one 200-level course in two of the three general approaches to the study of religion as a prerequisite for RELG 300.
6. Take the Senior Capstone Colloquium (RELG 400). RELG 300 is a prerequisite for RELG 400. The Senior Capstone Colloquium is a team-taught advanced course where students work on a substantive independent research project while also participating in a colloquium setting to discuss the research process and engage in peer-review and interdisciplinary exchange with department faculty.
7. Students planning graduate or professional study in Religion are encouraged to take at least one year of foreign or classical language study at the college level.
Minor
The minor in Religion consists of 5 courses, totaling at least 15 hours. One of these courses must be a 300-level seminar.
Minimum Grade
Students must earn a C- or higher in any Religion course they wish to count for the major or minor.
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.
Honors
The honors program offers the opportunity for recognition of distinguished achievement in research and writing in the academic study of religion. Students will be considered for honors based on their performance in the major and the quality of their senior capstone project. Please consult with the Chair of the department for further information about the program.
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.
