Department of Religious Studies
Department of Religious Studies

Minor

Minoring in Religious Studies can enhance students’ undergraduate education, whether their major is in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities. Students specialize in one religious tradition and have the opportunity to study religion from a variety of perspectives.

Requirements to Fulfill the Minor:

In order to complete a minor in Religious Studies, each student must fulfill the following requirements:

1. The completion of a minimum of five graded courses (15 credits) within the Department of Religious Studies.

2. The completion of two courses (6 credits) in any one of our concentrations.

  • RELG 1010 may be counted toward a concentration in Christianity, Islam or Judaism.
  • RELG 1040 may be counted toward a concentration in Buddhism or Hinduism.

3. At least one of the five required courses (3 credits) must be taken at the 3000 level, or above.

4. A grade of C (2.0) or above must be achieved in each course offered for the completion of the Religious Studies minor.

We will consider one course from outside the UVA Religious Studies Department (study abroad, courses from other departments at UVA, etc.) to count towards the minor. Courses taught by UVA Religious Studies faculty in other departments generally can be integrated without counting towards this total. Unless it already appears on a concentration list, each outside course must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Programs.

To declare the minor, please fill out an electronic DocuSign form. Please put Prof. Noah Salomon (nsalomon@virginia.edu) as the Department Contact on your form. On this form, list all the classes you have taken that you wish to apply towards the minor and any other classes that you will need to take to complete the program. Note that the declaration form is not set in stone, so future courses you list on the form are not binding. The idea is to show that you understand what the minor should look like in terms of having the correct number and types of courses. You are responsible for making sure you have met all requirements by graduation time. When filling out the form, be sure to list your two-course minor concentration directly after you type in the name of the minor (e.g., write: Religious Studies, Buddhism).