Religious Studies (B.A.)(Combined B.A./M.A.T. with Teacher Certification in Grades K-6 and Teacher of Students with Disabilities)

A Combined Degree program enables undergraduate students to enroll in graduate courses in their senior year, which can be counted towards the completion of both their Bachelor's and Master's degree requirements.  The ability to take these "swing courses" allows students to earn both their Bachelor's and Master's degrees in a shortened period of time, typically within five years.  Undergraduate students interested in this option can find more information regarding program requirements on the University's Combined Programs website.

The Combined Degree with Dual Certification program is a 5-year program that leads to teacher certification in Elementary School Teacher in Grades K-6, teacher certification in Teacher of Students with Disabilities, a baccalaureate degree and a master’s degree. Interested students must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program as an undergraduate. Students must successfully complete the undergraduate portion of the program in order to be admitted to The Graduate School and complete the one-year master’s portion of the program.

Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required undergraduate professional sequence of courses, overall course outline, and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students also are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook.

120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.  Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. Consult the Teacher Education Program Handbook for more information.

 

Program Requirements Overview

General Education Requirements18
World Languages and Cultures Requirements3-6
Major Requirements36
Teacher Education Program Requirements60
Free Electives3-0
Total Credits120

Major Requirements

Requirements for the graduate portion of this combined program can be found here.
Required Courses
RELG 100Religions of the World3
RELG 101Understanding Religion3
RELG 275Inter-religious Encounters3
Texts
Complete two courses from the list below.6
Issues
Complete two courses from the list below.6
Approaches
Complete two courses from the list below.6
Global Traditions
Complete two courses from the list below.6
Seminar
Complete one course from the following:3
Seminar
Engaged Learning Project
Total Credits36

Texts

Texts
Complete two courses from the following:6
Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
New Testament/Christian Scriptures
American Religious Texts
The Qur'an
Asian Texts
Study in Religious Texts
Special Topics in Religious Texts
Total Credits6

Issues

Issues
Complete two courses from the following:6
Religious Ethics
Death, Dying and Afterlife
Religion and Ethical Issues
Religion and Social Activism
Body and Soul
Women and Religion
The Holocaust: Religious Perspectives
Spirituality and Mysticism
Feminist Views of Religion
Religion and Peacemaking
Atheism
Jihad, Just War and the Prospect of Peace
Special Topics in Religious Issues
Total Credits6

Approaches

Approaches
Complete two courses from the following:6
Religion and Culture
Religion and Society
Feminist Views of Religion
Religious Experience
Myth, Meaning and Self
Philosophy of Religion
Psychology of Religion
Religion, Culture, and Society
Religion and Society
Total Credits6

Global Traditions

Complete one course from the following:3
The Arab World and Religion
Asian Religions
Islamic Religious Traditions
African Religions
Africana Religions in the Americas
Native American Religion
Religion in Latin America
Complete one course from the following: 3
Introduction to Greek and Roman Religion
Buddhism
Hinduism
Taoism
Religion in the United States
Asian Religions
Islamic Religious Traditions
African Religions
Africana Religions in the Americas
Native American Religion
Religion in Latin America
Spirituality and Mysticism
Total Credits6

Teacher Education Program Requirements

Teacher Education Program Requirements for Combined Degree Programs with Grades K-6 and Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification

General Education Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.

World Languages and Cultures Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.

A. New Student Seminar1
Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course.1
C. Communication
1. Writing 3
2. Literature3
3. Communication
Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
D. Fine and Performing Arts
Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course.3
F. Humanities
1. Great Works and Their Influences
Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures (Fulfilled in the major.)
New Testament/Christian Scriptures
American Religious Texts
The Qur'an
Asian Texts
Study in Religious Texts
Special Topics in Religious Texts
2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives
Philosophical Orientation to Education (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
G. Computer Science
Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course.3
H. Mathematics
Mathematics in Elementary Schools I (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
I. Natural Science Laboratory
Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course that also fulfills the Teacher Education Health/Hygiene requirement.4
J. Physical Education
Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course.1
K. Social Science
1. American and European History
Historical Foundations of American Education (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
2. Global Cultural Perspectives
Fulfilled in the major.
RELG 185The Arab World and Religion3
or RELG 240 Asian Religions
or RELG 246 Islamic Religious Traditions
or RELG 250 African Religions
or RELG 254 Native American Religion
or RELG 256 Religion in Latin America
3. Social Science Perspectives
Introduction to Psychology (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
L. Interdisciplinary Studies
Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.
Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy
Total Credits22
World Languages
Based on placement exam complete one or two sequential courses in one language.3-6
World Cultures
Fulfilled in the major.
The Arab World and Religion
Asian Religions
Islamic Religious Traditions
African Religions
Native American Religion
Religion in Latin America
Total Credits3-6

Recommended Roadmap to Degree(s)

This recommended five-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within five years.  This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.

Fifth year courses are taken at the graduate level, after matriculation into the graduate portion of this combined degree program.

 

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar1GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature3
GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing3GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication3
 4 6
Second Year
 SpringCredits
 EDFD 2203
 MTHM 2013
  6
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECEL 2793ECEL 3753
FSHD 3143ECSE 3053
MTHM 3023ECEL 4083
READ 3993 
 12 9
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECSE 3393ECSE 5233
READ 4083ECSE 5363
 READ 5153
 6 9
Total Credits 52

Fourth Year
SummerCredits  
ECSE 5083  
ECSE 5803  
ECEL 6913  
 9  
Fifth Year
 FallCreditsSpringCredits
 ECEL 5021ECEL 5043
 ECEL 5102ECEL 5116
 ECEL 5173 
 ECSE 5423 
  9 9
Total Credits 27