Topical: Religious Studies
UWL history students in Egypt's Muhammad Ali mosque, summer 2012.
INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPICAL EMPHASIS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Students in the UWL History Department’s topical emphasis in Religious Studies will have an opportunity to study the fascinating phenomenon of religion from a variety of disciplinary perspectives with course offerings in the departments of History, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The Religious Studies emphasis challenges students to question common stereotypes about religion and religious people, to become aware of the multiple roles and functions religion plays in human cultural life, and to both critically scrutinize and empathically understand the rationales that have shaped the wide variety of religious world views, behaviors, and experiences that humans have used in the course of constructing, maintaining, and inhabiting their cultural worlds. In these ways, the Religious Studies emphasis sharpens students’ awareness of and understanding of human cultural diversity and prepares them for responsible global citizenship in a religiously pluralistic world.
What sets apart the three new topical emphases in the History Department including Religious Studies is that faculty will work with students to produce portfolios packaging and showcasing their aptitudes and skills that they develop over the courses of their undergraduate education. These portfolios are where Religious Students will be able to demonstrate their skills in such areas as analytical and critical thinking which are notoriously difficult to measure and assess through means such as standardized testing. Such skills, aptitudes, and abilities will become manifestly palpable and concrete through an examination of these portfolios.
Portfolios will contain the following items: (1) a cover letter introducing the portfolio, (2) a resume or CV, (3) a sample letter of application for a job in your intended field of work or for application to a graduate program of study, (4) samples of your best scholarly research and writing, and (5) letters of support from teachers, professors, employers, and others who have supervised and who are willing to assess students. Because of their importance, all the materials in these portfolios should be backed up in multiple sites, both print and electronic.
Students in the Religious Studies emphasis, especially those planning on going into the ministry or religiously-based social work, are encouraged to consider the option of taking HIS 450, the internship/field experience course that is an option in all three of the topical emphases in the History Department. Students interested in this option will need to apply for and undertake professionally supervised internships with organizations and businesses related to their special areas of interest. For instance, students considering the ministry might find it helpful to work as ministerial interns working under the judicatory or synodal body of their denomination of professional interest.
The History Department’s emphasis in Religious Studies helps students to develop a wide range of writing, thinking, and research skills that prospective employers and professional and graduate school admissions committees will find to be of great value. Some of these skills would include the ability to think critically, a keen sensitivity to cultural diversity, the ability to construct a persuasive, evidence-based argument in clear, grammatically correct English, the ability to solve problems and carry out successfully various research projects, informational literacy--the ability to locate relevant sources of information both in print and online including the ability to make efficient use of a library and its resources, the ability to make explicit the tacit assumptions embedded in a particular argument or world view, and the ability to see the “big picture, i.e., to situate contemporary problems in a wider historical and global perspective.
A graduate from the History Department’s Religious Studies emphasis would be prepared to pursue further graduate work to prepare for a college or university-level career teaching in either the history of religions or religious studies. Students preparing for a career in the ministry would find this program an excellent preparation for seminary study towards a Master of Divinity (MDIV) degree and students considering a career related to faith-based social work would also find this program to be helpful foundation for postgraduate study and future employment in that area. Students preparing for entering into the State Department Foreign Service as diplomats or consular personnel would also find that this program would prepare them well for entry-level employment in that area.
The Religious Studies emphasis would also provide a good liberal arts education for students planning a career in international business and marketing, publishing, journalism, and law and legal services.
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History Major with Topical Emphasis - Bachelor of Arts (BA)
(All colleges, excluding teacher certification programs)
40 credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core requirements | ||
| HIS 200 | Historiography and Historical Methods | 3 |
| HIS 490 | History Research Seminar | 4 |
| Select nine credits of the following: | 9 | |
| Survey of the United States | ||
| Survey of Ancient and Medieval Worlds | ||
| Survey of Modern Europe | ||
| Survey of Asia | ||
| Survey of the Middle East | ||
| Survey of Modern Africa | ||
| Regional/world cultural zones | ||
| Select six credits from the following: | 6 | |
Asia | ||
| Vietnam War | ||
| Themes in Chinese History | ||
| History of China | ||
| Sugar, Coffee, Rubber, Bananas: Commodities in World History | ||
| Modern South Asia | ||
| Imperialism in Asia and the Pacific | ||
| Modern Japan | ||
| Postwar Japan | ||
| Religion and Conflict in Modern South Asia | ||
Latin America | ||
| Sugar, Coffee, Rubber, Bananas: Commodities in World History | ||
| Nineteenth Century Latin America | ||
| Twentieth Century Latin America | ||
| Latin America: 1450-1830 | ||
| History of Mexico | ||
Europe | ||
| Peace and War | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union | ||
| The Holocaust | ||
| Sugar, Coffee, Rubber, Bananas: Commodities in World History | ||
| Russia and the Soviet Union | ||
| The Middle Ages | ||
| Renaissance and Reformation | ||
| Twentieth Century Europe | ||
| Great Events in France: 1750-present | ||
| History of France: 1750-Present | ||
| Germany: 1848-1989 | ||
| Spain to 1700 | ||
| England to 1603 | ||
| French Revolution | ||
| World War I | ||
Africa | ||
| Sugar, Coffee, Rubber, Bananas: Commodities in World History | ||
| Popular Culture in Modern Africa | ||
| African Novels and History | ||
| Slavery | ||
| African Nationalism | ||
| Colonial Africa | ||
| Topical emphasis | ||
| Select one of the three following emphases, with no more than six credits of that 18 coming from disciplines outside the department of history (see below) | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
Topical emphasis
Cultural and social history
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIS 311 | Peace and War | 3 |
| HIS 338 | Sugar, Coffee, Rubber, Bananas: Commodities in World History | 3 |
| HIS 364 | Gandhi's India | 3 |
| HIS 383 | Women in South Asia | 3 |
| HIS 387 | African Novels and History | 3 |
| HIS 392 | History Through Film | 3 |
| HIS 397 | African Nationalism | 3 |
| HIS 398 | Colonial Africa | 3 |
| HIS 399 | Migration and Empire: 1200-1900 | 3 |
| HIS 405 | The Migration Experience: 1600-present | 3 |
| HIS 406 | Topics in Social History | 3 |
| HIS 407 | Government and Society | 3 |
| HIS 413 | Topics in Cultural History | 3 |
| HIS 450 | History Internship/Field Experience | 3-12 |
| ENG 301 | Foundations for Literary Studies | 3 |
| ENG 348 | Studies in Film Literature | 3 |
| WGS 373 | Gender and Human Rights | 3 |
| WGS/SOC 375 | Lesbian Studies | 3 |
| ART 251 | Art History I: History of Art & Visual Culture | 3 |
| ART 252 | Art History II: Global, Local, and Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 301 | World Art | 3 |
Public and policy history
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIS 318 | Exhibition Development and Design I | 3 |
| HIS 320 | Introduction to Public and Policy History | 3 |
| HIS 322 | Public Education in Wisconsin and America | 3 |
| HIS 357 | Crime and Punishment in America | 3 |
| HIS 390 | Public and Policy History Research | 3 |
| HIS 391 | History of U.S. Environmental Policy | 3 |
| HIS 393 | Material Culture | 3 |
| HIS 407 | Government and Society | 3 |
| HIS 418 | Exhibition Development and Design II | 3 |
| HIS 450 | History Internship/Field Experience | 3-12 |
| PUB 210 | Introduction to Public Administration | 3 |
| PUB 330 | Public Policy | 3 |
| PUB 334 | Health Policy | 3 |
| PUB 338 | Environmental Policy | 3 |
| GEO 385 | Introduction to Geographic Information System and Science 1 | 3 |
| ENG 314 | Grant Writing 1 | 3 |
| ENG 327 | Publishing in a Digital Age 1 | 3 |
| ENG 335 | Introduction to Professional Writing 1 | 3 |
| ARC 300 | Cultural Resources Management 1 | 3 |
| 1 | Technical skills courses: Students are encouraged to complete three credits or more from this subset of courses. |
Religious studies
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIS 205 | Ethics and Religion | 3 |
| HIS 326 | Modern Christianity | 3 |
| HIS 327 | History of Buddhism | 3 |
| HIS 328 | History of Hinduism | 3 |
| HIS 329 | History of Islam | 3 |
| HIS 330 | History of Religions | 3 |
| HIS 333 | Christianity to 1517 | 3 |
| HIS 401 | Japanese Religions | 3 |
| HIS 415 | Religion and Conflict in Modern South Asia | 3 |
| HIS 450 | History Internship/Field Experience | 3-12 |
| SOC 315 | Religion and Society | 3 |
| ANT 320 | Rites, Rituals and Ceremonies | 3 |
| WGS 330/SOC 399 | Topics: Women, Gender, and Society | 1-3 |
| PHL 310 | Metaphysics | 3 |
| PHL 331 | Philosophy of Religion | 3 |
| PHL 336 | International Multicultural Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 349 | Asian Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 352 | Chinese Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 360 | Zen Buddhism | 3 |
| PHL 431 | Advanced Philosophy of Religion | 3 |
Writing portfolio requirement
To be certified for graduation in the history major with topical emphasis, students must submit and have approved a portfolio of professional writing especially geared towards their intended career path. Students must submit writing portfolios by the middle of the semester in which they intend to graduate. Specific deadlines, item requirements, and submission directions are posted on the department website. The list of required material will be different for each of the emphases. The submitted portfolio may include items of coursework completed during the student's undergraduate career, but might also require the production of additional materials. The materials might include a curriculum vitae or résumé, grant applications, a document written for a public audience, a sample of academic writing, or cover letters for job applications.
All students must complete the general education, college core, major/minor, and university degree requirements in order to qualify for a degree. The easiest way to track all of these requirements is to refer to the Advisement Report (AR) found in the Student Information System (WINGS) Student Center. All enrolled students have access to the AR.
College of Liberal Studies (CLS/SAC) Bachelor of Arts core requirements
The following conditions apply to one or both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees:
- Students majoring in English or in a modern language must earn a Bachelor of Arts degree (education majors earn a Bachelor of Science degree).
- Students majoring in other CLS programs may choose either a B.A. or a B.S. degree.
- Language courses (CHI, FRE, GER, RUS, SPA, MLG) used to fulfill general education requirement: "Mathematical/logical systems and modern languages" (GE 02, category 2) may also be used to meet the B.A. and B.S. language requirements.
- All other courses used to meet the requirements below must be in addition to the minimum 39 credits required in the General Education Program.
- At least one course in the B.A. or B.S. college degree program (core requirements) must be a CLS designated diversity course.
- Applicable courses may be found on the CLS B.A./B.S. Degree Option Course List or in the Advisement Report (AR) when the degree has been declared.
Courses used to fulfill general education requirements will not apply to core requirements except for language courses (CHI, FRE, GER, RUS, SPA, MLG) that count in the general education requirement: "Mathematical/logical systems and modern languages" (GE 02, category 2).
Declare ONE of the following tracks in the CLS Academic Services Office in 260 Morris Hall:
A. Language track
- Native speakers of English complete:
Non-native speakers of English: score at least 80 on the La Crosse Battery of exams for non-native speakers of English; or submit a TOEFL or IELTS score that meets the university's English language proficiency requirement for admission; or complete ESL 252 or ESL 253, and one additional course from ESL 250, ESL 251, ESL 252, ESL 253. (Contact the English as a Second Language Institute for eligibility and regulations); andCourse List Code Title Credits Select one of the following: Intermediate Chinese II Intermediate French II Intermediate German II Intermediate Russian II Intermediate Spanish II World Languages: Intermediate II Heritage Language: Intermediate Heritage Language: Advanced - Two additional courses outside of the student's major in two of the following: humanities, social sciences or fine arts.
B. Humanities track
- One modern language course 102 or higher; and
- Two additional courses outside the department of the student's major from two different departments chosen from: history, English, philosophy; and
- One additional course in social sciences or fine arts.
C. Fine arts track
- One modern language course 102 or higher; and
- Two additional courses outside the department of the student's major from two different departments chosen from: art, communication studies, music, theatre; and
- One additional course in social sciences or humanities.
In addition to all other College of Liberal Studies core requirements, all students in CLS must complete a second major, minor, or program option by satisfying one of the following:
- Complete a minor (or second major) outside of the student's major program, consisting of at least 18 credits; or
- Complete an emphasis, program or concentration of at least 18 credits outside the student's major program. General education courses may apply provided they are not being used to fulfill minimum general education requirements; or
- Complete 18 credits in two or more departments or programs (at least 12 credits earned at the 300/400 level). These courses must be outside the student's major department and can be from any college. General education courses may apply provided they are not being used to fulfill minimum general education requirements.
Baccalaureate degree requirements
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degrees must accomplish the following:
- Fulfill the general education requirements.
- Complete at least one ethnic studies (diversity) course.
- Complete the courses prescribed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for the degree desired in the respective school or college. (No substitutions for graduation may be made in course requirements for a major or minor after the fourth week of the last semester of the senior year.)
- Earn a minimum of 120 semester credits with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA.1 At least 40 credits must be earned in 300/400 (senior college) level courses. Courses earned at the 100/200 level that transferred to UWL as 300/400 level courses do not apply to this requirement nor do courses from two-year schools.
- Complete major and minor requirements with at least a 2.00 GPA1 in each major and minor (and concentration or emphasis, if selected).
- A minimum of 30 semester credits in residence at UWL is required for graduation. (See undergraduate resident requirement.)
- Submit an application for graduation via the "Apply for Graduation" link in the WINGS Student Center as soon as the student has registered for his or her final semester or summer term in residence. December and winter intersession graduates should apply by May 1. May and summer graduates should apply by December 1.
| 1 | Grade point average requirements for some programs will be considerably higher than 2.00. Re-entering students may be required to earn credits in excess of the 120 needed for graduation in any curriculum in order to replace credits earned in courses in which the content has changed substantially in recent years. Each case will be judged on its own merit. |
No degree will be awarded unless all requirements are fulfilled and recorded within 30 days after the official ending date of each term.
Below is a sample degree plan that can be used as a guide to identify courses required to fulfill the major and other requirements needed for degree completion. A student's actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Also, this sample plan assumes readiness for each course and/or major plan, and some courses may not be offered every term. Review the course descriptions or the class timetable for course offering information.
The sample degree plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UWL in the fall term. Students should use the Advisement Report (AR) in WINGS and work closely with their faculty advisor(s) and college dean’s office to ensure declaration and completion of all requirements in a timely manner.
General Education Program
The general education curriculum (Gen Ed) is the common educational experience for all undergraduates at UWL. Sample degree plans include Gen Ed placeholders to ensure completion of the general education requirements. Courses may be rearranged to fit the needs or recommendations of the student’s program of study. Gen Ed courses may be taken during winter term (January between the semesters) and summer to reduce the course load during regular terms (fall and spring). Students should consult with their advisor and/or the assistant to the dean of their college for assistance with course and schedule planning. Refer to the general education requirements for more specific details.
Note: at least 40 credits of the 120 credits required must be earned at the 300/400 level.
This sample degree plan does not establish a contractual agreement. It identifies the minimum requirements a student must successfully complete, to qualify for a degree, in a format intended to assist the student plan their academic career. Actual degree plans may differ.
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HIS 101 or 102 (Gen Ed World History) | 3 | ENG 110 or 112 (Gen Ed Literacy - Written) | 3 |
| Gen Ed Self & Society | 3 | Gen Ed Natural Lab Science | 4 |
| UWL 100 (Gen Ed Elective) | 1 | Gen Ed Arts | 2-3 |
| CST 110 (Gen Ed Literacy - Oral) | 3 | HIS Core Course (HIS 210, 230, 240, 250, 260, or 285) | 3 |
| Gen Ed Math | 4 | Gen Ed Minority Cultures | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HIS 200 | 3 | HIS Core Course (HIS 210, 230,240,250,260, or 285) | 3 |
| 102+ Level Gen Ed/CLS Core Language3 | 4 | Gen Ed Arts | 2-3 |
| CLS Core Elective | 3 | History Topical Emphasis Course2 | 3 |
| HIS Core Course (HIS 210, 230,240,250,260, or 285) | 3 | Gen Ed Health & Well Being | 3 |
| Gen Ed Global Studies | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Year 3 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Minor Course | 3 | University Elective | 3 |
| Gen Ed Hum-Lit | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| History Topical Emphasis Course2 | 3 | Regional History Course1 | 3 |
| Gen Ed Elective | 3 | CLS Core Elective | 3 |
| Regional History Course1 | 3 | History Topical Emphasis Course2 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Year 4 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| History Topical Emphasis Course2 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| HIS 490 | 4 | History Topical Emphasis Course2 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | History Topical Emphasis Course2 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | CLS Core Diversity Elective | 3 |
| Gen Ed Elective | 3 | Gen Ed Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits: 120 | |||
| 1 | Complete six credits from the following Regional/World Cultural Zones: Asia, Europe, Latin America, or Africa. |
| 2 | Complete 18 credits from one of the following three emphasis areas (six of the 18 credits coming from disciplines outside the Department of History): cultural and social history; public and policy history; or religious studies. |
| 3 | CLS Core Humanities and Fine Arts Tracks require 102+ level language. CLS Core Language Track requires 202 level language. Students unprepared for 202 level will need to complete prerequisite course work. |
A writing portfolio is required.
At least two courses must be designed as writing emphasis.