Minor in Religion

Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Religion

Upon completing the minor in Religion, students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the critical toolkit used in the study of religion and religious traditions, including (inter)disciplinary methodologies and theories at a proficient level.
   (Critical Skills for the Study of Religion: Theory, Method and (Inter)Disciplinarity)
2. Gain proficient objective knowledge of the beliefs, practices, and institutional histories of the world’s religions.
   (Religious Literacy)

Requirements for the Minor in Religion

Students pursuing the minor in Religion must complete:

• A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) to satisfy minor requirements.
• A minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
• No courses from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier). Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary 

Minor Requirements

Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements

Please Note: The following list of courses can be used to satisfy the requirements of the minor. Specific course offerings may vary from semester to semester. As noted above with minor requirements, in certain instances, courses not on the official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor's Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Judaism/Christianity/Islam/African-American Religions

Select a minimum of 1 course (3 credit hours) from the Judaism/Christianity/Islam/African-American Religions course options.

Indigenous African Religions/American Religions/Buddhism/Hinduism

Select a minimum of 1 course (3 credit hours) from the Indigenous African Religions/American Religions/Buddhism/Hinduism course options.

Policies for the Minor in Religion

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the minor in Religion should be aware of the following program restriction:

• As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the minor in Religion should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

• Transfer credit coursework cannot be applied or used to meet any of the minor's course requirements.

Distribution Credit Information

The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.  

Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration. 

Distribution courses from Religion (RELI) are broad-based, accessible to non-majors, and provide a foundation that enables students to integrate knowledge from multiple perspectives.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Religion website: https://reli.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the Minor in Religion

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Religion website: https://reli.rice.edu/.