Theology and Religious Studies Major

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Program Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Articulate how religion, theology, and spirituality underlie and correlate with a broad range of human experience
Articulate the particularities of various faith traditions (including creedal vision, moral teachings, historical context, social expression, and key rites and symbols) in the context of the plurality of world religious traditions, as encouraged by Vatican II’s stance on the Catholic Church’s relationship with other faiths
Articulate how religious traditions work for social justice and the good of the entire human family as well as the environment that sustains it
Employ knowledge of academic methods and practices characteristic of the study of theology and/or religion, including the different contributions of textual, historical, social, and interdisciplinary studies

Major Requirements (40 units)

Gateway Courses (12 units)

Students complete 12 units of gateway courses including:

Any Core D-2 Theology and Religious Studies course (4 units)
Any Core D-3 Theology and Religious Studies Ethics course (4 units)

THRS 101 - Methods and Theories in THRS

Thematic Area Coursework (16 units)

Students complete 16 units of coursework within one of the following thematic areas:

Christianity
Global Religions and Theologies
Asian Religions
Religion, Ethics, and Social Justice

Christianity:

Global Religions & Theologies:

Asian Religions:

Religion, Ethics, & Social Justice:

Open Electives (8 units)

Students complete 8 additional units of THRS coursework.

Capstone Seminar (4 units)

Once students have completed their prerequisites and at least two-thirds of their electives, they will be eligible to enroll in the Capstone seminar. The seminar rotates among THRS full-time faculty every spring semester. In collaboration with the professor overseeing the Capstone seminar, each student must complete a thesis of about 25 pages, under the direction of a faculty member best qualified to oversee the research interests of the student.

As part of the Capstone seminar grade, at the end of each academic year students give a public defense of their Capstone thesis with a panel of no less than three department faculty members. The panel consists of the Capstone seminar professor, the research adviser, and a third reader selected from the department faculty.

See adviser for course selection.

Degree Planner

First-Year

Fall	Units
THRS 101 - Methods and Theories in THRS	4
Core - D2: THRS 195 - FYS: First-Year Seminar (must have Core-D2 attribute)	4
Core - A2: Rhetoric and Composition - Course 1	4
Language - Course 1 (If tested out, then other Core or a Minor Course)	4
Total Semester Units	16
Spring	Units
Core - D3: THRS Ethics (various options) or THRS Elective in your thematic area of choice	4
Core - A2: Rhetoric and Composition - Course 2	4
Core - D1: PHIL (could be CD or CEL as well)	4
Language - Course 2 (If tested out, then other Core or a Minor Course)	4
Optional: USF 101 - Expedition USF , SII Symposium, or HONC Forum taught by THRS faculty.	1 to 2
Total Semester Units	16 to 18

Sophomore Year

Fall	Units
Core - D3: THRS Ethics (various options) or THRS Elective in your Thematic Area of choice	4
Core - B1: MATH (If tested out, then other core or a minor course)	4
Language - Course 3	4
Core - E: Social Sciences or Core - F: Visual & Performing Arts (could be CD or CEL as well)	4
Optional: SII Symposium or HONC Forum taught by THRS faculty	2
Total Semester Units	16 to 18
Spring	Units
THRS Elective in your Thematic Area of choice	4
Core - A1: Public Speaking	4
Core - C1: Literature or Core - C2: History	4
Upper Division Language if studying abroad next year (approval required)	4
Total Semester Units	16

Junior Year

Fall	Units
Study Abroad (approval required) or THRS Elective in your Thematic Area of choice (perhaps CEL or CD)	4
Core - B2: Applied or Laboratory Science	4
Core - C1: Literature or Core - C2: History	4
Minor course (Any minor of your choosing or possibly a second Major)	4
Total Semester Units	16
Spring	Units
Study Abroad (approval required) or THRS Elective in your Thematic Area of choice (perhaps CEL or CD)	4
Core - E: Social Sciences or Core - F: Visual & Performing Arts (remaining one)	4
THRS Elective, Minor course, or free Elective	4
Minor course (Any minor of choice, perhaps CEL or CD)	4
Optional: SII Symposium or HONC Forum taught by THRS faculty	2
Total Semester Units	18

Senior Year

Fall	Units
THRS Elective in your Thematic Area	4
THRS Elective in your Thematic Area, Minor course, or General Elective	4
THRS Elective, Minor course, or General Elective	4
THRS Elective, Minor course, or General Elective	4
Total Semester Units	16
Spring	Units
THRS 398 - Directed Reading	4
THRS Elective in your Thematic Area, Minor course, or General Elective	4
THRS Elective, Minor course, or General Elective	4
THRS Elective, Minor course, or General Elective	4
Total Semester Units	16

*This information is subject to change, the degree planner is a sample, and students should consult with the department for any updated information.