In order to earn a Master’s degree in the Religious Studies curricular field, students must complete six courses in this field including one Core course and one Human Values course or two Core courses, and a three-credit thesis reflecting this field. To complete the total number of credits required for the MALS degree, 30 credits, three elective courses may be selected from any Liberal Studies courses or other courses at the University appropriate to this degree with the approval of the Program Director. The selected curricular field will appear on the final transcript of record.

Religious Studies courses are divided into four categories: Foundational, Biblical, Comparative, and Religion and Culture. Foundational courses explore the question of the coherence, meaning and plausibility of religion, especially in light of the academic, psychological, philosophical, sociological, and feminist suspicion of the integrity of religious life and thought. Biblical courses inquire into the meaning of specifically biblical texts using the modern tools of historical criticism and other current scholarly methods. Comparative courses seek to investigate non-Christian religions or religious traditions either in themselves or by comparison with other traditions. Religion and Culture courses relate the religious dimension of human life with other aspects of culture such as art, literature, ethics, science, psychology, and economics. Students are required to take at least one course in each of these areas. No course may be counted twice to satisfy the Core, Human Values, and the four specific Religious Studies course requirements.