The academic requirements for religious studies represent a specialized course of study within the larger context of a diverse liberal arts education. Not only are these requirements designed to provide a focused and rigorous approach to the core concepts of the discipline, but they also allow ample opportunities for exploration in other subjects and departments throughout the university. By studying religious studies at DePauw, you will develop comprehensive expertise in your field while enjoying the benefits of a well-rounded education.
Nine
REL 479
Three (inclusive of REL 479)
The senior requirement consists of the completion of REL 479 with a grade of C or better. Students should consult with their major advisors about the senior seminar before the beginning of the senior year.
The writing in the major requirement for Religious Studies is filled through REL 479, Senior Seminar. This course is designed to cultivate discipline-specific writing skills within the major consistent with norms of professional competence in the field of Religious Studies. Through the analysis and critique of multiple drafts of written work in close and intensive consultation with the instructor/faculty mentor, students spend the entire semester developing "publishable" article-length theses. In class writing includes brainstorming assignments, autobiographical writing, free-writing exercises, long essay exam compositions and the construction of group work reports. Out-of-class writing assignments are sequenced to produce a final scholarly project worthy of the discipline, with care given to the use of appropriate documentation and sources. In addition to the composition and sharing of multiple drafts of each section of their research papers, students are required to submit and defend anywhere from 3-5 drafts of their final 25-30 page paper to the seminar instructor. Satisfactory completion of the senior seminar requires students to achieve a grade of C or higher.
Religious Studies courses at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels build toward the senior thesis. At the intermediate and advanced levels multiple 5-10 page papers may be required as well as longer and more complex essay exam questions. Final papers ranging from 10 to 20 pages and developed over multiple drafts in consultation with faculty members are not unusual. Total written work for the semester will typically include a variety of the following: exam questions, quizzes, in-class writing assignments, discussion prompts, short papers, long papers, message boards, e-mail correspondence, workgroup write-ups, outlining of reading chapters, book reviews, and summaries from oral presentations.
Five
One course in Western religious traditions to be chosen from the following: REL 130, REL 132, REL 141, REL 142, REL 241, REL 244, REL 250, REL 252
One course in Eastern religious traditions to be chosen from the following: REL 130, REL 130E, REL 253, REL 257, REL 258.
REL 130 may be counted toward either the Western or Eastern religions requirement but cannot be counted toward both.
One
Leveraging the resources of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the religious studies major and minor at DePauw are housed in the Department of Religious Studies. This department is committed to the academic exploration of religious traditions, beliefs and practices across cultures and historical periods.
