REQUIREMENTS & CONCENTRATIONS

Religious Studies Major Requirements

Students can create an Individualized Major and/or Concentration by 1) selecting an advisor from the 5Cs Religious Studies faculty to design it; 2) listing at least 4 courses in their concentration with a short rationale for their choices; and 3) receiving approval by the chair of their RS department/program.

Below is a list of sample Religious Studies concentrations students can create via an Individualized Major and/or Concentration.

The Religious Studies major consists in ten courses (or 9 at CMC), as follows:

• Four courses in a specialized field (see sample concentrations in the menu on the right) at intermediate and advanced levels. The specialized field is to be determined in consultation with the major adviser
• Three courses outside the specialized field
• RLST 180 – Interpreting Religious Worlds (RLST 180 is best taken prior to senior year)
• RLST 190 – Senior Seminar in Religious Studies
• RLST 191 – Senior Thesis in Religious Studies (not required for CMC Religious Studies major)

Religious Studies Minor Requirements

The Religious Studies minor consists in six courses, as follows:

• Three courses in a specialized field (see sample concentrations in the menu on the right) at intermediate and advanced levels. The specialized field is to be determined in consultation with the minor adviser
• Two elective courses outside the specialized field
• RLST 180 – Interpreting Religious Worlds

Religious Studies Dual Major Requirements (only CMC)

The Religious Studies dual major at Claremont McKenna College consists in seven courses, as follows:

• Four courses in a concentration
• Two courses outside the concentration
• Either RLST 180 – Interpreting Religious Worlds or RLST 190 – Senior Seminar in Religious Studies

Sample Concentrations in Religious Studies

The following is only a suggestive, not an exhaustive, list of possible major and minor concentrations for individualized study in Religious Studies. Students are warmly encouraged to determine a course of study that best suits their interests and goals in consultation with their advisor. To see which specific courses might usually count toward one of these concentrations, consult the drop-down menu of concentrations on the right of this page.

• African, African American & Black Religions
• Christian Studies
• Comparative Global Religions
• East Asian Religions
• Gender, Women, and Sexuality
• Jewish Studies
• North American Religions
• Philosophy of Religion & Religious Thought
• Religion, Film, & Popular Culture
• Religion & Leadership
• Religion, Race, and Politics
• Religion & Politics
• Religion & Social Change
• South Asian Religions
• Study of Islam