Program in Theology and Religious Studies --  Goals and Outcomes Assessment

            In the context of a liberal arts education, the Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies provides students with both a wide exposure to the areas of specialization within theology and religious studies, and an opportunity to delve more deeply into areas of special interest to them.  A primary goal of the program is to introduce students to the rich theological tradition of the Catholic Church, emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach in dialogue with the social sciences. In addition, the program includes an ecumenical and inter-religious dimension to theological studies and engages students in the exploration of relations between religion and culture. Students must take a minimum of five introductory courses  (out of a possible ten courses offered). This provides them with an exposure to the areas of specialization within theology and religious studies, such as biblical studies, church history, moral theology, systematic theology, spirituality, liturgy and sacraments, religious studies, and world religions. After completing these introductory courses, majors choose electives that both broaden their knowledge and allow them to pursue areas of special interest. The curriculum challenges students to think critically about faith, within both their own and others’ traditions. The students become religiously informed citizens, able to speak cogently about the Catholic faith, as well as to think critically about religious phenomena in society and the world at large.

            All theology and religious studies majors take TRS 101, Theology and Religious Studies. This is normally taken in the freshman or sophomore years. It reviews the various areas of study within theology and religious studies. The course raises questions about the differences and relations between theology and religious studies as two approaches to understanding religious faith and practice.

            In order to be accepted as a theology and religious studies major, students must achieve and maintain a GPA of 2.7 or better in the theology and religious studies courses that they take.

            Theology and religious studies majors must also complete a Senior Assessment. This involves (1) completing a Capstone Seminar, TRS 495, with a grade of C+ or better and (2) completing a comprehensive evaluation. These are explained in more detail below:

            (1)  TRS 495 Capstone Seminar in Theology and Religious Studies   -- This is a seminar designed for, and required of, seniors who are majoring in theology and religious studies. Its aim is to help students integrate what they have learned in their other theology and religious studies courses. It will also aid students in preparing for senior comprehensive exams or writing a senior thesis, depending on how they choose to fulfill the comprehensive evaluation requirement (below).

            (2) Comprehensive evaluation – Two options are available to fulfill this requirement: students may either write a senior thesis (a research paper of 40-50 pages) or take two days of written exams (four hours each day).

            The introductory level courses, as well as TRS 101, ensure that students will complete their studies with a sufficiently broad foundation in the fields that make up theology and religious studies.  TRS 495 integrates these studies and fills in gaps that may have occurred in their further course selection. The comprehensive evaluation options test the student’s critical skills and knowledge in a more in-depth way. Those who choose to write a thesis work with a director who mentors them in methods of research on a specialized topic. The comprehensive exams, for those who take them,  test both breadth and depth. The first day of exams is based on the introductory courses taken by the student while the second day of exams is tailored toward the specialized areas of further study that the student has pursued.

            Thus through course selection, as well as the mandatory courses (TRS 101 and TRS 495) and the comprehensive evaluations, students who complete the major in theology and religious studies graduate with a well-rounded critical grasp of the Catholic tradition and the interaction of religion and culture in the modern world.