Philosophy and Religious Studies

Dr. Paul Thomas, Chairperson

4202 College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences (HB)

(540)831-5213

www.radford.edu/content/chbs/home/phre.html

Undergraduate Program

The department offers both a major and a minor in which students may concentrate in either philosophy or religious studies. Philosophy and Religious Studies majors may earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree.

A concentration in philosophy provides students with a broad understanding of the history and dynamics of Western thought, a detailed knowledge of moral and theoretical issues in this tradition, and training in critical and analytic thinking skills. This concentration prepares students for graduate study in philosophy, law, and other humanities disciplines, and enhances performance in virtually any occupation in which critical thinking and conceptual analysis are integral.

A concentration in religious studies provides students with a broad understanding of the world’s major religions (including Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam); a knowledge of the common elements and themes in religion; and a familiarity with the various approaches and methods used to study the substance and functioning of religion. This concentration prepares students for any vocation concerned with human motivations and values, such as social services or cross-cultural endeavors, and for graduate study in religion in universities or seminaries.

More than vocational preparation, the Philosophy and Religious Studies major provides an education in the broad liberal arts tradition. In different ways, each concentration introduces students to the most profound and universal questions humans have asked, and to their most thoughtful and enduring answers.

Academic Programs

Philosophy and Religious Studies, B.A. (E)

Philosophy and Religious Studies, B.S. (E)

Ethics Minor (E)

Philosophy Minor (E)

Religious-Cultural Literacy for Healthcare Professions Minor (E)

Religious Studies Minor (E)