Religious Studies
Pursue Your Interest in Faith and Religion
What jobs can you do with a
religious
studies degree?
Apply your faith-based skills in these careers:
Youth ministry
Community development
Church administrator
Religious Studies Courses
Challenge yourself and your personal beliefs. Religious studies courses immerse class lectures and discussions with faith and reason.
ENT 224 The Entrepreneurial Mindset
3 Hours
Students will practice concepts of entrepreneurial leadership with emphasis on self-awareness, team effectiveness, and leadership. Students will practice concepts related to intrapreneurship (corporate entrepreneurship), including growth mindset, visual thinking, psychological safety, prototyping, design thinking, and market research.
REL 499 Selected Topics-Advanced
1 Hours
REL 490 Religion Capstone
3 Hours
The capstone course brings the student learning experience to its apex. It will include a research project which will be presented publicly. Prerequisite: REL 112, REL 210 and REL 340.
REL 461 Travel Seminar
3 Hours
The seminar provides credit for travel on mission trips or visits to important sacred places. The course includes background reading and evaluative reports.
REL 450 Internship
3 Hours
REL 360 Death, Dying, and Life after Death
3 Hours
The course explores the biological process of dying, the various meanings that cultures attach to death and what different world religions teach about life after death. The course gives attention to near-death experiences, the process of grieving and the biblical concepts of immortality of the soul, resurrection of the body and eternal life.
REL 355 Spiritual Formation II
1 Hours
Students will meet with a spiritual director for the purposes of spiritual study, devotion and growth. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. Repeatable for two credits
REL 340 Exploring Christian Ministry
3 Hours
This course will explore the basic components of a successful Christian ministry. The class will be constructed to allow for student interest and aptitude. Some projects and readings will address the student’s own gifts and graces whether that be for children’s ministry, youth ministry, pastoral ministry, missions or senior adult ministry. Prerequisite: REL 112 and REL 210.
REL 314 World Religions
3 Hours
This course is a comparative survey of the major religious systems of the world, both Eastern and Western, with emphasis on those religions currently in practice.
REL 323 Biblical Interpretation/Proclamatn
3 Hours
This course will introduce students to best principles and practices for biblical interpretation. The class will explore the history of biblical interpretation, biblical interpretation as it is practiced within the Bible itself and various theories of text interpretation. The class will seek to train students in best practices for teaching and preaching the scriptures in a church context. Prerequisites: REL 210, REL 215 or REL 216.
REL 216 The Life and Letters of Paul
3 Hours
This course examines Paul’s life and letters in the context of the growth and problems of the early churches
REL 215 The Life and Teaching of Jesus
3 Hours
This course examines the Gospels in their historical setting and contemporary significance and is aimed at understanding what we know about Jesus and the lifestyle he lived and taught.
REL 210 Understanding the Old Testament
3 Hours
Students explore the basic teachings of the Hebrew scriptures as represented in the teachings, prophets and poetry of the Old Testament. This course gives attention to the Old Testament’s meaning in its own historical setting, as well as its connections to the New Testament and Christianity.
REL 302 Faith and Reason
3 Hours
This class will explore the tensions between faith and reason, the reasonableness of historic Christian Faith and the tensions between religion and science. It will shed light on questions concerning belief in God, the scriptures as divine revelation, views on interpretation of the biblical creation stories, science and design inferences from science.
REL 155 Spiritual Formation
1 Hours
Students will meet with a spiritual director for the purposes of spiritual study, devotion and growth. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Repeatable for two credits.
NPA 311 Social Justice and Civic Engagement
3 Hours
This course focuses on a range of theoretical issues related to oppression and social justice. During the course, students will explore important humanitarian issues impacting our global environment and review the vision and progress of agencies dedicated to positively affecting social injustices.
NPA 210 Principles Leadership/Service
3 Hours
This course is an introduction to various theories and principles of leadership and how those leadership skills apply to administration in the non-profit sector. In addition to classroom readings and discussion, students will be involved in group service-learning projects that benefit local, regional, and global non-profit organizations. Meets General Education Civic Values and Engagement Requirement.
REL 112 Christian Faith and Practice
3 Hours
This course will explore the intellectual content of historic Christian faith as it has been expressed in the ecumenical creeds and other features of the Christian theological tradition.
PHL 220 Introduction to Ethical Issues
3 Hours
This course examines ethical decision making in the context of contemporary issues that are a part of our personal and social life, such as lying, sexual morality, capital punishment, war and euthanasia.
Get to Know Your Professors
Pursue your faith-based career. Our low student-to-faculty ratio offers valuable one-on-one interaction with professors.
Joel Allen, Ph.D.
Professor of Religion and Philosophy | Director of the McGovern Center
Learn as an Intern
With our United Methodist Church affiliation, internships with churches or other local religious organizations are offered. The Denver Urban Semester program supports students from rural areas by providing the opportunity to experience other cultures in the heart of a city. Expand your understanding of God’s people and His plan for you.
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Business Administration
As a business administration major at DWU, you’ll prepare for limitless career choices in the professional world.
