Religion and Public Life B. A.
The major in Religion and Public Life is designed for students who have a passion for justice and wish to serve beyond the local church setting. This degree explores the complicated intersection between religion and American culture from historical, theological, and sociological perspectives. It will provide students with the Christian foundation to identify and contribute to the common good through vocational pathways such as law, humanitarian aid, non-profit, government service, foreign service, or peace initiatives.
120 MINIMUM HOURS
36 UPPER LEVEL HOURS
30 HOURS AT UMHB
Degree Requirements
Academic Core – 60 hours
see Bachelor of Arts Degree - Academic Core
(Includes PHIL 2315 as the World Cultures requirement, SOCI 1311 as the Social Science requirement and HIST 1311 or 1312 as the World Cultures or Any Philosophy requirement.)
Foundation Courses
Advanced Courses
| | One of the following | |
| PHIL 4315 | World Religions | 3 |
| CSIS 3301 | Intercultural Perspectives | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| CSCH 4380 | Women in American Christianity | 3 |
| CSCH 4311 | Antisemitism, Christianity, and the Holocaust | 3 |
| CSCH 3320 | Baptists in Black and White | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| HIST 3314 | The American South | 3 |
| HIST 4325 | Contemporary America | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| HIST 3325 | History of the American Presidency | 3 |
| HIST 4324 | Emergence of Modern America | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| HIST 4313 | History of Western Political Thought Through the Enlightenment | 3 |
| HIST 4314 | History of Western Political Thought from the Nineteenth Century to the Present | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| SOCI 3317 | Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| SOCI 3340 | Social Class and Poverty | 3 |
| SOCI 4318 | Social Theory | 3 |
Capstone Course
General Electives - to reach 120 hours
Suggested Schedule for Religion and Public Life B.A.
Freshman Year – 30 hours
| CSBS 1311 | Engaging the Old Testament | 3 |
| CSBS 1312 | Engaging the New Testament | 3 |
| ENGL 1321 | Rhetoric & Composition I | 3 |
| ENGL 1322 | Rhetoric & Composition II | 3 |
| | Lab Science | 4 |
| MATH | (1304 or higher) | 3 |
| HIST 2311 | American History to 1877 | 3 |
| | or | |
| HIST 2311 | American History to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 1311 | History of World Civilizations to 1500 | 3 |
| | or | |
| HIST 1312 | History of World Civilizations since 1500 | 3 |
| EXAC | Activity Course | 1 |
| COMM 1320 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| | Freshman Seminar | 1 |
| | Chapel (each semester) | |
| | Fine Arts Experience (each semester) | |
Sophomore Year – 32 hours
| CSCH 3330 | Religion in America | 3 |
| PHIL 2315 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| SOCI 1311 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| | Foreign language 1 | 4 |
| | Foreign language 2 | 4 |
| | Fine Arts | 3 |
| CSTH 3345 | Christian Ethics and Social Issues | 3 |
| | Literature | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| PHIL 4315 | World Religions | 3 |
| CSIS 3301 | Intercultural Perspectives | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| SOCI 3317 | Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| SOCI 3340 | Social Class and Poverty | 3 |
| SOCI 4318 | Social Theory | 3 |
| | Chapel (each semester) | |
| | Fine Arts Experience (each semester) | |
PHIL 2315: fulfills World Cultures in the core
Junior Year – 31 hours
| | Foreign language 3 | 3 |
| | Foreign language 4 | 3 |
| HIST 4330 | History of Church State In the U.S. | 3 |
| SOCI 4330 | Sociology of Religion | 3 |
| | Literature or Humanities | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| CSCH 4380 | Women in American Christianity | 3 |
| CSCH 4311 | Antisemitism, Christianity, and the Holocaust | 3 |
| CSCH 3330 | Religion in America | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| HIST 3325 | History of the American Presidency | 3 |
| HIST 4324 | Emergence of Modern America | 3 |
| | Electives | 9 |
| EXAC | Activity Course | 1 |
| | Fine Arts Experience (each semester) | |
Senior Year – 27 hours
| | One of the following | |
| HIST 3314 | The American South | 3 |
| HIST 4325 | Contemporary America | 3 |
| | One of the following | |
| HIST 4313 | History of Western Political Thought Through the Enlightenment | 3 |
| HIST 4314 | History of Western Political Thought from the Nineteenth Century to the Present | 3 |
| | Electives | 20 |
| CCST 4110 | Religion and Public Life Capstone | 1 |
| | Fine Arts Experience (each semester) | |
Total Credit Hours: 120