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Study Religious Studies at Otago

• Overview
• Qualifications
• Papers
• Major Subject and Programme Requirements
• Minor Subject Requirements
• Further Information

Overview

The subject matter of Religious Studies is the world's religions. Religious Studies seeks both to understand religion as a universal human phenomenon and to explore the variety of ways in which people express their religious commitments in thought and action. Since Religious Studies students study a wide variety of societies and cultures, this is a subject which can be profitably included within most courses of study.

Papers in Religious Studies are designed to be accessible to everyone, irrespective of religious background. The subject would be particularly useful to students of History, Philosophy, Political Studies, Classical Studies, Education, Psychology, Anthropology and Art History. Students who have majored in Religious Studies at Otago have gone on to careers in teaching, religious and social work, counselling, librarianship, business (especially marketing) and government.

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Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons))
• Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts)
• Master of Arts (MA)

Papers

See the full list of Religious Studies (RELS) papers.

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Programme Requirements

Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Religious Studies

Level	Papers	Points
100-level	RELS 101 RELS 102	18 18
200-level	Three 200-level RELS papers PHIL 229 may be substituted for one 200-level RELS paper	54
300-level	Four 300-level RELS papers BIBS 317 may be substituted for one paper	72
Plus	198 further points; must include 18 pointsin BIBS or CHTH and 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts	198
Total		360

Note: Every programme must also include at least one BIBS or CHTH paper.

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Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)) in Religious Studies

Stage	Papers	Points
1st stage	RELS 101 RELS 102 90 further points*	18 18 90
2nd stage	Four 200-level RELS papers 54 further points* PHIL 229 may be substituted for one 200-level RELS paper	72 54
3rd stage	Five 300-level RELS papers 36 further points* BIBS 317 or PHIL 329 may be substituted for one 300-level RELS paper	90 36
4th stage	RELS 415 RELS 490 Two further 400-level RELS papers An approved paper may be substituted for 24 400-level RELS points	24 48 48
	*Note: Every Honours programme in Religious Studies must include at least one BIBS or CHTH paper.

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Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) in Religious Studies

The Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) programme in Religious Studies is the same as the fourth stage course for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours.

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Minor Subject Requirements

Religious Studies as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc) or Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree

Level	Papers	Points
100-level	RELS 101 RELS 102	18 18
200-level	Two 200-level RELS papers	36
300-level	One 300-level RELS paper BIBS 317 may be substituted for one paper	18
Total		90

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Further Information

Email us at religion@otago.ac.nz or visit our home page http://www.otago.ac.nz/religion