Religious and Theological Studies, B.A.

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Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 124

Minimum cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Minimum number of credits to complete the major: 36

School: School of Arts and Sciences

Department: Religious and Theological Studies

Learn more about the program

Major Requirements

The Religious and Theological Studies major requires the completion of a minimum of nine courses (36 credits): six core courses (24 credits) and three elective courses (12 credits), as outlined below.

Core Courses

The Religious and Theological Studies core requires the completion of six courses (24 credits), as follows. Refer to the Categories of Religious and Theological Studies course list to determine which courses fulfill which categories. Students may also integrate courses from across the College into the RTS major; see the Integrative/ Interdisciplinary Course Alternative section below.

RTSXXXX - Any introductory RTS course (1000-level) with a focus on Christianity)
One course in Biblical Studies
One course in Religious History
One course in Religion, Society and Ethics
One course in World Religions
RTS 4900 - Seminar in Religious & Theological Studies Credits: 4 (Note: Taken in junior or senior year.)

Elective Courses

Complete three electives (a minimum of 12 credits) in Religious and Theological Studies (RTS) and/or preapproved courses offered through the School of Arts and Sciences (see section below). Students may also choose courses from across the College to fulfill RTS requirements; see the Integrative/ Interdisciplinary Course Alternative section below. Note: Courses used to complete core requirements may not also be used to fulfill the elective requirements.

School of Arts and Sciences Preapproved Courses

Students completing their RTS major may choose from the following list of approved courses outside of the Religious and Theological Studies department that are offered through the School of Arts and Sciences:

ART 2630 - The Art of the Middle Ages Credits: 4
HIS 3355 - Barbarians and Holy Men: The History of Late Antiquity Credits: 4
HIS 3360 - Medieval European Civilization Credits: 4
HIS 3365 - The History of Muslim Communities, 600-1600 Credits: 4
HIS 3366 - History of Modern Middle East Credits: 4
HIS 3370 - Renaissance, Reformation and Exploration Credits: 4
MUS 3100 - Music and Spirituality Credits: 4
PHL 2330 - History of Medieval Philosophy Credits: 4
PHL 2350 - Philosophy of Augustine Credits: 4
PHL 2420 - Wisdoms of Asia Credits: 4
PHL 3040 - Philosophy of Religion Credits: 4
PHL 3180 - A Meaningful Life Credits: 4

Integrative/Interdisciplinary Course Alternative

Students may integrate up to two upper-level courses from across the College into the RTS major. Students choosing this option must take a two-credit RTS Integrative Workshop or Directed Study for each course outside of the preapproved list.

Note

Major GPA. The GPA for the Religious and Theological Studies major will be calculated by taking the average of courses designated RTS.

Honor Society. Merrimack College is a member of the National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology (Theta Alpha Kappa), which is open to students who have completed at least 12 credits in religious and theological studies and have at least a 3.50 GPA in the major and an overall GPA of at least 3.00.