Student Learning Outcomes - Majors
A student who majors in Religious Studies at the University of Wyoming will be able
to:
Demonstrate critical thinking about religions.
- Describe and compare the key features of five world religions.
- Explain in detail how the key features compare in two world religions.
- Delineate the key features of a religion and discuss how they interact.
Delineate how scholars have variously defined “religion” and its key components, including
cultural contexts, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of those definitions and
their historical contexts, and analyze the methodologies arising from theories of
“religion.”
- Describe how different scholars have defined “religion” and the histories of those
definitions; evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of those definitions; discuss cultural
assumptions embedded in definitions.
- Explain how the definitions relate to the features of at least two of the world’s
religions.
- Demonstrate understanding of different theories of what constitutes a religion and
how those theories relate to actual religions.
- Articulate how different definitions and/or theories provide insights into religious
phenomena.
- Apply in-depth knowledge of a theory of religion to religious phenomena.
Analyze how a religion’s components interact with the culture to which it belongs,
explaining how it shapes and is shaped by the surrounding society.
- Articulate how religions shape aspects of people’s everyday lives. Discuss aspects
such as: family organization and relationships, social structure, food choices, clothing
choices, ethical behavior, or gender roles.
- Analyze how religions interact with popular culture (as evidenced by literature, visual
arts, film, music, TV, the Internet, etc.) and how that interaction functions to influence
public opinion and belief.
- Analyze how non-religious aspects of societies shape religions and vice versa.
Use standard, neutral, and objective scholarly terminology to explain and critique
religions. This includes speaking and writing about religions in a balanced way, without
prescription or prejudice, advocacy or polemics, or devotional or apologetic perspectives.
- Demonstrate the use of academic and analytical terminology relevant to the field of
Religious Studies.
- Use neutral, descriptive terminology in papers, oral presentations, and class discussions.
- Discuss religions and their features using the language of academic discourse.
- Develop critical empathy in the evaluation of ambiguous and/or controversial phenomena.
- Distinguish between analytical representations of religion and truth-claims that require
belief.
- Synthesize in-depth knowledge of the features of at least one religion using theories
of religion.
Student Learning Outcomes - Minors
A student who minors in Religious Studies at the University of Wyoming will be able
to:
Describe several world religions and compare their key features.
- Delineate the key features of a religion and discuss how they interact.
- Describe and compare the key features of five world religions
Analyze how a religion's components interact with the culture to which it belongs,
explaining how it shapes and is shaped by the surrounding society.
- Articulate how religions shape aspects of people's everyday lives. Discuss aspects
such as: family organization and relationships, social structure, food choices, clothing
choices, ethical behavior, or gender roles.
- Describe how religions interact with popular culture (as evidenced by literature,
visual arts, film, music, TV, the Internet, etc.) and how that interaction functions
to influence public opinion and belief.
- Explain how religions are shaped by non-religious aspects of everyday practice, popular
culture, and public debates.
Delineate how scholars have variously defined "religion" and its key components, evaluate
the strengths and weaknesses of those definitions, and discuss the methodologies arising
from the definitions.
- Articulate how different scholars have defined "religion," and evaluate the strengths
and weaknesses of those definitions.
- Explain how the definitions relate to the characteristics of the world's actual religions.
- Understand different theories of what constitutes a religion and how the elements
of those theories relate to the components of actual religions.
- Articulate how different definitions and/or theories provide different insights into
real-world religions.
Use standard, neutral, scholarly terminology in describing and analyzing religions.
This includes being able to speak and write about religions neutrally, without prescription
or prejudice, advocacy or polemics.
- Know and use the academic and analytical terminology used in the field of Religious
Studies.
- Use neutral, descriptive terminology in papers, speeches and class discussions.
- Communicate about religions without using language indicating preferences or dislikes,
pro or con.
- Articulate how the academic study of religions focuses on questions of how religions
impact societies, cultures, and individuals, rather than on truth claims.
