COURSE CURRICULUM

The three-year Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Religious Studies at Cape Breton University is designed to provide a broad and critical understanding of religious traditions, beliefs, practices, and their role in shaping human culture and society. In the first year, students take introductory religious studies courses along with general arts electives, focusing on foundational concepts such as major world religions, basic religious ideas, and approaches to studying religion academically. In the second year, the curriculum expands into more focused study of specific religious traditions including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Indigenous spiritualities, along with thematic areas such as rituals, myths, ethics, and religious texts, helping students develop comparative and analytical skills. In the third year, students engage in advanced and specialized courses that explore topics such as religion and society, secularism, philosophy of religion, death and afterlife, mysticism, and contemporary religious issues, often through seminar-based learning and critical discussion. Across all three years, students develop strong skills in research, analysis, writing, and interpretation of cultural and religious phenomena. The program also encourages interdisciplinary thinking by connecting religion with history, politics, media, and culture, preparing graduates for careers in education, public service, social work, media, and community leadership.