Courses for your Religious Studies degree

First-year courses

As an Arts student, you’ll choose your major at the end of first year. You’re encouraged to explore a second major in first year to discover potential new interests.

In your Arts First courses, instead of going to a lecture hall, you and your classmates will work together to respond to an intriguing challenge. With only 25 students in each of the two first-year courses, you might address topics such as The Science of Happiness, Are We Erasing History?, Games and Culture, and Writing About Poems and Songs.

You can choose to study Religious Studies through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.


Honours Arts

September to December

  • RS 260 – Religion Matters
  • Arts First requirement 1
  • Prospective major #2
  • Two electives

January to April

  • Choose one course from
    • RS 100 – Religions of Asia
    • RS 110 – Religions of the West
  • Arts First requirement 2
  • One 100-level or 200-level RS course
  • Prospective major #2
  • One elective
 

This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.


Honours Arts and Business

September to December

  • ARBUS 101 – Introduction to Business in North America
  • ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
  • Arts First Requirement 1
  • RS 260 – Religion Matters
  • Prospective major #2

January to April

  • ARBUS 102 – Accounting Information for Managers
  • ARBUS 202 – Professional and Business Ethics
  • Arts First Requirement 2
  • One 100-level or 200-level RS course

Plus one course from

  • RS 100 – Religions of Asia
  • RS 110 – Religions of the West
 

This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.


After first year

40% of the classes you’ll take will be Religious Studies courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.

Sample upper-year courses

RS 220 – Religions and Politics
RS 226 – Introduction to Indigenous Spirituality
RS 325 – Sex and the World Religions
RS 349 – The Mystical Imagination
RS 420R – Critical Encounter with Human Nature

 

Advisors are here to help

With so much flexibility, you might have a lot of questions. We're here to help! If you're applying for admission, contact our Faculty of Arts recruitment team.

Once you're a Waterloo student, you'll have access to academic advisors who can help you

  • choose your courses,
  • select minors and specializations,
  • ensure that you're meeting the requirements for your degree, and more.


Learn more

Overview of Waterloo's Religious Studies program.