Learning Outcomes
Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
Goal #1 Students will explore the “big questions” of life.
- Summarize alternative theories or narratives of the sacred or the divine
- Explain theories of evil, suffering, or sin
- Express human purpose or meaning through the lens of at least one religious tradition
Goal #2 Students will understand the basic phenomenology of religion.
- Identify foundational stories, myths, and language of at least one tradition
- Identify ritual dimensions of religious traditions in sacred texts or practice
- Explain how religion functions to establish personal and group identity
Goal #3 Students will understand religious traditions from a variety of perspectives.
- Respectfully represent foundational religious narratives and practices of a tradition other than the student’s own
- Compare differing ethical traditions (within or among religious and cultural groups)
- Articulate how race, class, gender, or sexual orientation inform religious texts, themes, or issues
Goal #4 Students will become ethically aware and socially responsible in one's personal and professional life.
- Participate in and reflect upon one's own and others’ learning in religious ethics and beliefs
- Engage others in conversation and practice about issues of faith and ethics
- Identify the social value of claims made
- Show familiarity with sources of moral authority and guidance
Goal #5 Students will develop critical thinking skills.
- Present a paper or report (orally and in writing) with clarity and coherence in accord with academic standards
- Read and analyze religious and scholarly texts/practices
- Identify religious or theological assumptions in texts (narrative, discursive) and/or practices
- Articulate practical applications of one’s learning in religious studies