Objectives
The modern field of religious studies is an important part of a liberal arts education, allowing for the study of religious thought, ritual, culture, history, and texts, often in a comparative context. The goal of the Program in Religious Studies is to expose students to different scholarly and pedagogical approaches to a variety of religious manifestations. The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach and its course offerings are designed to encourage students to deepen their understanding of religion and its manifestations through the perspectives of different disciplines and departments. Students survey the variety of approaches to religious studies (REL 107a) and complete courses in at least two different religious traditions. The program fosters interaction between its faculty and students by requiring the completion of either an independent study or a senior essay course. The University, with its commitment to moral and social responsibility, and the wide range of ethnic and religious traditions represented in the student body, provides a unique context for the study of religions in a climate of curiosity and sympathetic understanding.
How to become a program member
You can declare a PRS Minor degree any time in your undergraduate career; however as many 'Traditions' and 'Elective' courses are not offered every year, an early start is encouraged to maximize the range of course choices.Ideally, taking the core course (REL 107a) in your Freshman or Sophmore year is best. With the successful completion of the PRS Core Course behind you, picking up a declaration form as well as printing up and completing our PRS Minor Requirement Worksheet before meeting with the PRS chair will set you on track for declaring and fulfilling the requirements for our Minor degree.
If you are interested in earning a Major degree in Religious Studies, this goal is currently only possible through the Individual Interdisciplinary Major (IIM) program. Guidelines and forms for developing an IIM can be found at the Academic Services website under Sophmore Advising. After reading all the information on these webpages, should you conclude that you indeed want to pursue a Religious Studies Major while at Brandeis, we strongly advise that you first contact and meet with our PRS chair. You will need to choose three IIM advisors and we encourage you to consider inviting our chair, as well as other PRS steering committee members, to fulfill these important advisory roles.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact PRS Chair, Professor Patricia Johnston, PRS UDR, Jessica Stearns, or PRS Administrator, Kathryn Howell.