BA in Study of Religion in La Jolla United States | University of California, San Diego

As an academic discipline, religious studies examines fundamental questions about how humans navigate their social and cultural environments in relation to perceived supernatural forces. Major faith traditions like Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism offer valuable case studies for these investigations. However, religion's scope extends far beyond organized traditions, emerging organically from diverse aspects of human experience including literature, historical processes, social structures, creative imagination, emotional life, cultural patterns, and even bodily practices. This comprehensive understanding informs UC San Diego's interdisciplinary approach to religious studies, drawing faculty expertise from anthropology, communication, ethnic studies, history, Jewish studies, literature, philosophy, political science, sociology, and visual arts. Students examine religious texts, rituals, institutions, and communities through multiple disciplinary lenses while maintaining historical and cross-cultural perspectives. The program emphasizes intellectual flexibility, allowing students to craft individualized learning paths that develop critical thinking skills for analyzing religion's role in both personal and societal contexts. A key objective involves distinguishing between faith-based and academic approaches to religious phenomena. Success is measured by students' ability to contextualize religious expressions, critically engage source materials, and refine interpretive skills through analysis, discussion, and written work.