The academic study of religion is an objective, factual, interdisciplinary study of the texts, symbols, myths, rituals, ideas, and values of the world’s many religious traditions. Students are encouraged to view religion multiculturally as a means of understanding more deeply the spiritual dimensions of human nature, history, and society. Study in this field prepares students for life in a multicultural society and provides practice in such valuable skills as empathetic reading and listening, critical reflection, and descriptive and analytical writing.
Career Opportunities
Most careers require a bachelor’s or advanced degree. Chaplain, Counselor, Government Service, Nonprofit Management, Professional Religious Leader, Religious Broadcaster, Religious Business Manager, Religious Educator, Religious Journalist, Religion Publisher, Social Worker, Teacher
Faculty
Vecchio, Daniel
Transfer
- University of California, Riverside: Religious Studies major
For the most up-to-date information on this program and others, visit assist.org. Please stop by the Transfer Center in Building 23 or make an appointment with a counselor if you have questions.
Religious Studies, AA
State Control Number: 39915
Program Code: RLST.AA
Approved for Federal Financial Aid: Yes
The Religious Studies Associate of Arts program at Victor Valley College introduces students to the principles and methods of the modern academic study of religion. Proficiency in the critical analysis and interpretation of religious texts, rituals, symbols, and other phenomena is developed through study of religious traditions from a variety of cultures and historical periods. The Religious Studies, AA prepares majors for upper division study in the discipline and assists in the development of valuable supplemental skills for professionals in the fields of religion, education, counseling, health care, childcare, civic leadership, and journalism.
To earn this degree, complete the major coursework with “C” grades or better and all of the following graduation requirements: 60 minimum degree-applicable units (including a maximum 4 units of activity); 2.0 minimum overall GPA; 12 degree-applicable units through VVC; Information Competency; Global Citizenship; Kinesiology, and the VVC General Education pattern. Courses may count in one area only, either in the major or in a general education category. Courses counted in one AA/AS major may not be used in another AA/AS major.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| RLST 101 | Introduction to Religious Studies | 3.0 |
| RLST 207 | Introduction to Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| or PHIL 207 | Introduction to Critical Thinking | |
| List A | ||
| Complete one course from the following, or any Required course above not already used: | 3.0 | |
| Old Testament, Hebrew Bible, Religions of the Ancient Near East | ||
| Introduction to the New Testament and Early Christian Literature | ||
| Religions of the Middle East and the West | ||
| Religions of South and East Asia | ||
| List B | ||
| Complete two courses from the following, or any Required or List A course not already used: | 6.0 | |
| Religion and Society | ||
| Religion in America | ||
| List C | ||
| Complete one course from the following, or any Required, List A or B course not already used: | 3.0 | |
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Survey of Art History | ||
| World Literature Ancient-Early Renaissance | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| Introduction to Ethics and Contemporary Moral Issues | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
or PHIL 117 | Philosophy of Religion | |
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Total Units | 18 | |
Religious Studies Courses
Introduction to the primary forms of religious experience and expression and to the structure of religious worldviews. Examples from a variety of societies and time periods introduce and illustrate such topics as religious symbols, myths, rituals, and communities, as well as alternative concepts of ultimate reality, cosmogony, theodicy, and soteriology.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Introduction to the literature and religious history of Ancient Israel and related cultures in the Ancient Near East. Study of the sources, contents, interpretation, and religious and historical significance of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Old Testament.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Historical introduction to classical Mediterranean religion and culture in late classical antiquity. Comparative literary, historical, and sociological analysis of the literature of the period, with emphasis on the New Testament and early Christian literature.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Survey of the history, beliefs, and practices of the major religious traditions of the Middle East and West: prehistoric and indigenous religions; ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian relgions; Zoroastrianism; Judaism; Christianity; Islam; and new religious movements.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Survey of the history, beliefs, and practices of the major religions of East and South Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto. Discussion of modern challenges to traditional religion and the emergence of new religious movements inspired by Asian traditions.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Study of the interaction between social forces and religious belief and practice, with an emphasis on contemporary American social and religious life. Special topics include the social aspects of evangelical religion, the interaction of religion and politics, religious diversity, the relation between religion and gender, and the impact of globalization.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Historical study of religion in America, including both its diversity and unifying factors. Major topics include Native American religion, Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, African-American religion, American sects, metaphysical and occult religions, Asian religions, and religious dimensions of public life, politics, and popular culture.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Introduction to major topics in the Philosophy of Religion: the existence and nature of God, religious experience and knowledge, and concepts of immortality and human destiny. Special attention is given to conflicts between religion and science, competing claims for religious truth, and the relevance of religion to social ethics. Crosslisted with PHIL 117.
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Cooperative Education is a key element of Victor Valley College's comprehensive approach to career development. Cooperative Education is a 16-, 12-, or 8-week course that enables students to receive college credit for paid or unpaid work opportunities. This course helps students gain valuable on-the-job work experience while providing practical education, best practices in professional development, and academic guidance through the course of their work opportunity. The combination of practical experience and curricular development empowers students to be more competitive, efficient and valuable employees upon completion of this program and/or their academic program trajectory. The course is ideal for students who are cross-training at their current worksite for upward mobility or seeking career changes, as well as those looking for entry-level occupational training through work-based learning experiences such as through an internship. Cooperative Education transforms community businesses, industries, and public agencies into expanded educational training laboratories. Credit is awarded on the basis of learning objectives completed and the number of hours the student trains. Students must create/complete new learning objectives each semester they enroll. Students may utilize their present work sites. Please refer to the Cooperative Education section of the catalog for more information.
Transfer: Transfers to CSU only
Study and practice in critical thinking and advanced English composition: analysis, evaluation, and formulation of arguments; critical study of texts; and composition of critical essays. Application of critical thinking and writing skills to topics in the areas of values and religion. Crosslisted with PHIL 207.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 101.0 or ENGL 101H, Minimum grade C
Lecture Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Transfers to both UC/CSU
Program Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) are statements of the kind of learning a program hopes a student will achieve. The PLOs describe the knowledge, skills, problem-solving, communication and values that apply to all certificates and/or degrees within that program.
Upon completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Discuss and apply the central theoretical concepts and methods of the discipline of Religious Studies.
- Critically analyze religious conceptions and behavior in a variety of historical, social, and cultural contexts.
- Discuss works of major religious importance.
- Discuss the role of religious understanding in proposed solutions to social problems, and the exercise of responsible national and global citizenship.