Religious Studies Certificate

Religion profoundly shapes how both individuals and societies see the world. In religious studies, we analyze how religious beliefs and values underpin politics, economics, business, art, literature, and myriad other facets of society. In today's globalizing world, understanding religions equips us with historical context, critical thinking abilities, and cultural awareness that are beneficial across diverse careers, including diplomacy, medicine, business, law, education, non-profit management, religious work, and more.

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Requirements

The Religious Studies certificate requires that students take 15 credits of courses with substantive religious studies content. Intro to the World’s Religions (ANTH 314) is required. Students must also take a minimum of 12 additional elective credit hours in at least two different academic programs, of which at least 6 credits must be at the 500 level or higher. To earn the certificate, religious studies courses must result in a final cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.

Core (3 credit hours) ANTH 314 - Introduction to the World’s Religions Credits: 3 Electives (12 credit hours) ANTH 305 - Cultures of South Asia Credits: 3 ANTH 509 - Cultures of Africa Credits: 3 ANTH 510 - New Religions Credits: 3 ANTH 515 - Creativity and Culture: The Anthropology of Art Credits: 3 ANTH 508 - Asian Religions Credits: 3 ANTH 616 - Anthropology of the Future: Apocalypse, Prophecy, and Hope Credits: 3 ANTH 618 - Religion in Culture Credits: 3 * ANTH 710 - Writing Cultures: Ethnographic Methods Credits: 3 * ANTH 715 - Research Methods in Digital Ethnography Credits: 3 * ANTH 720 - Field Methods in Linguistics Credits: 3 ART 195 - Survey of Western Art History I Credits: 3 ART 196 - Survey of Western Art History II Credits: 3 ART 612 - History of Italian Renaissance Art Credits: 3 ART 613 - History of Northern Renaissance Art Credits: 3 CLSCS 310 - Introduction to Classical Mythology in Translation Credits: 3 ENGL 233 - Reformation to Enlightenment Credits: 3 ENGL 470 - The Bible Credits: 3 ENGL 575 - Holocaust Literature Credits: 3 HIST 520 - Death and Dying in History Credits: 3 HIST 521 - History of Christianity Credits: 3 HIST 522 - Religion in American History Credits: 3 HIST 523 - A History of the Occult and Witchcraft Credits: 3 HIST 569 - The Reformation Credits: 3 HIST 585 - Medieval Christianity Credits: 3 PHILO 115 - Introduction to Philosophy of Religion Credits: 3 PHILO 337 - Religious Freedom and Democracy Credits: 3 PHILO 615 - Philosophy of Religion Credits: 3 POLSC 524 - Political Islam Credits: 3 POLSC 661 - Ancient and Medieval Political Thought Credits: 3 POLSC 675 - Religion and Politics Credits: 3 SOCIO 505 - South Asian Civilizations Credits: 3 SOCIO 618 - Religion in Culture Credits: 3 SOCIO 643 - Sociology of Religion Credits: 3 SOCIO 742 - Society and Change in South Asia Credits: 3 *Courses with asterisks are methods courses that will only count for the Religious Studies certificate if the semester–long student research project is focused upon a religious studies topic. **NOTE: Students can petition to transfer in up to half of their credits with relevant religious studies classes from outside K-State, if each specific transferred course directly substitutes for a specific course on the approved list above. Since this is not a Theology certificate, theology classes (and classes from religious institutions that are teaching religion from an internal, liturgical, non-academic point of view) are not eligible to transfer in as part of the certificate. Total hours required: 15

 

Contacts

Advisor

David Ollington, SASW Advisor dollingt@ksu.edu

Coordinating Faculty

Jessica Falcone, Professor of Anthropology jfalcone@ksu.edu

Michael Wesch, Professor of Anthropology mwesch@ksu.edu