Program Details
Religious Studies, BA
Bachelor of ArtsGeorge Mason University
Religious studies provides students an understanding of the traditions of religions across the globe. Areas of study offered by the department include Asian religious traditions, Near (Middle) East religious traditions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity), and comparative aspects of religion. Students develop skills in reading and interpreting sacred texts. They explore the cultural and social dimensions of religion along with a consideration of religious values and ethics from comparative and cross-cultural perspectives, and with relation to global issues. Students go on to work in the government, service, or nonprofit sectors, as well as pursue graduate work in the humanities and social sciences.
Outcomes
1. Inter-religious Literacy: Students will demonstrate nuanced knowledge of the various defining dimensions of religion both within specific religious traditions and comparatively across different religious communities. 2. Knowledge of Key Concepts and Questions: Students will be conversant in the history, formation, and significance of foundational ideas, terms, and questions within the interdisciplinary field of Religious Studies. 3. Critical and Comparative Thinking: Students will be able to critically and comparatively analyze particular religious phenomena via different theoretical approaches and methods in the academic study of religion, including historical, textual, and social scientific analysis. 4. Research Methods and Assessment: Students will be able find appropriate scholarly sources in the field of Religious Studies, learn to critically evaluate secondary sources, and consider how to respectfully engage with primary source materials. 5. Argument-oriented Writing: Students will be able to read for, evaluate, and professionally write an argument with support of scholarly evidence and reasoning within the field of Religious Studies.
Program Overview & Guidance

Program Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
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Considerations for Selecting Degree | The Department of Religious Studies at George Mason is a vibrant community of scholars and students exploring questions about human life through the lens of religion. The Department offers a comprehensive study of religion that spans geographies, traditions, and methods, including historical, ethnographic, philological, sociological, and text critical approaches. Religious Studies as an inherently inter-disciplinary field brings together the scientific and historical study of religion, which may include an intense focus on a specific religion, the comparative study of multiple religions, or even the very definition of religion. The Religious Studies BA is offered as an on-campus in person degree program. Limited coursework may be offered as an online course offering. |
Program Requirement Notes | Program Requirement Notes https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/humanities-social-sciences/religious-studies/religious-studies-ba/#requirementstext |
Considerations When Selecting Courses |
Students interested in Mason are encouraged to focus on completing courses that meet general education requirements. BA degree programs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have additional requirements in: philosophy or religion, social and behavioral science, foreign language through the intermediate level, and non-western culture. Students are encouraged to use the "Contact an Institution" section of the portal and connect with our staff for questions related to specific course equivalencies and requirements. For the BA Reiligious Studies, introductory courses for the major (such as RELI 211 and 212) may be completed prior to transfer to Mason.
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Program Requirements Beyond Specific Courses | |
Doing More With Your Degree | The BA in Religious Studies can provide students with upwards of 40 credit hours in general elective credits that can be used to complete a second major or minor to enhance your academic depth and interests. Our proximity to Washington D.C. offers students a wealth of opportunities to pursue their passions. Religious Studies can also help bring students to the world. Many of Mason's Global Education study-abroad opportunities to England, Italy, Israel, or South Korea fit perfectly into the Religious Studies curriculum. |
Program Successes & Highlights | Looking for the experience of a liberal arts college at a major public research university? Religious Studies majors and Judaic and Islamic Studies minors at Mason benefit from small upper-level classes, ready access to instructors, and opportunities to participate in research projects and activities beyond the classroom. The Religious Studies BA offers competency in the diversity of religions (religious literacy) an increasingly recognized value among employers in both private and public sectors in fields as diverse as health care, diplomacy and security, environmentalism and development, trade, and entertainment. Recent Religious Studies majors have secured internships in the Greater Washington area, have pursued careers in higher education, the non-profit sector, and various agencies in the federal government, and have attended top-tier graduate programs such as Georgetown Law School and Yale Divinity School. |
Program Credit Requirements

If you wish to see how your credits may apply, you can:
- Contact the institution where a staff member can help you map your credits to the requirements for this program.
- View the program requirements listed in the institution's catalog.
Applicable Admissions Agreements

The table below lists admissions agreements between George Mason University and partner institutions that may guarantee admission to this program if you meet the required criteria. Click on the title name of the agreement to view a summary of those criteria.
You can view the full text of these Agreements in the Resource Center
What If I Have An Associate Degree Or Credit For Prior Learning?

Transfer Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
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Associate Transfer Degree Completion | Transfer associate degree completion is recommended. RBC and VCCS students completing A.A., A.A.& S., A.F.A, or A.S. degrees receive a lower-level Mason Core waiver. |
Completion of Associate Degree Concurrent with High School | Students who earn an associate degree through high school dual enrollment should still apply as freshmen and are not eligible for GAA. College coursework will be evaluated for transferable course credit. |
Credit for Prior Learning | https://www2.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/apply-now/how-apply/transfer/transfer-credit-policy |
Did You Know That... |
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College Level Information

College Fit Guidance | What You Need to Know |
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Is This College Right For Me? | George Mason University welcomes 4,500 new transfers each year.
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Transfer Student Catalog Year | Determined by first semester of enrollment |
First Year Student Catalog Year | Determined by first semester of enrollment |
Applying for Guaranteed Admissions | https://go.gmu.edu/GAA |
Where Can This Degree Transfer

Institution | Title | Degree | Award Name | Award Level | Delivery Mode |
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Eastern Mennonite University | Bachelor of Arts Theology & Religion | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Hollins University | BA in Religious Studies | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Roanoke College | Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Virginia Wesleyan University | Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
William & Mary | Religious Studies - Bachelor of Arts | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Shenandoah University | Bachelor of Arts Religion | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Ferrum College | B.A. in Religious Studies | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
Virginia Commonwealth University | Religious Studies, Bachelor of Arts | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Emory & Henry University | Psychology (BS) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Science | 4-Year | In-Person |
Randolph-Macon College | Religious Studies (BA) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Careers Where This Degree Applies

O*Net Code | Name | Description | Parent |
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25-1126.00 | Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations |
Cost To Complete
