Skip to main content Skip to local navigation
Department of Humanities Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Home » Religious Studies » RLST Degree Options & Requirements

RLST Degree Options & Requirements

Beyond choosing what to study in university, you’ve got the option to customize how you study. You can choose the length and depth of specialization within your degree — whether it’s a three-year bachelor’s or more intensive four-year honours bachelor’s program. If you’re weighing two subjects of interest but can’t make a decision, you’re able to declare a major, which would be your primary area of study, as well as a minor, or secondary subject. Or give them equal billing and go for a double major. Whatever path you envision, you’ll have choices to accommodate you along the way.

To complete their degree, Religious Studies major students must choose at least one course from each of four categories:

Quick Links

Honours BA

Graduation requirement: students must successfully complete (pass) at least 120 credits which meet the Faculty’s degree and program requirements with a cumulative grade point average of at least 5.00.

Major credits: at least 48 credits from the religious studies list of courses, including:

  • AP/RLST 2805 6.0 (beginning Fall 2022);
  • AP/RLST 3803 3.00;
  • AP/RLST 3804 3.00;
  • at least one course from each of categories 1-4 of the religious studies courses;
  • 12 credits at the 4000 level.

Upper-level credits: at least 36 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level, including at least 18 credits at the 4000 level.

Credits outside the major: at least 18 credits. (Note: students who are completing a double major or major/minor are deemed to have fulfilled this requirement.)

Checklists:

Specialized Honours BA

Graduation requirement: students must successfully complete (pass) at least 120 credits which meet the Faculty’s degree and program requirements with a cumulative grade point average of at least 5.00.

Major credits: at least 54 credits from the religious studies list of courses, including:

  • AP/RLST 2805 6.0 (beginning Fall 2022);
  • AP/RLST 3803 3.00;
  • AP/RLST 3804 3.00;
  • at least one course from each of categories 1-4 of the religious studies courses;
  • 12 credits at the 4000 level.

Upper-level credits: at least 36 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level, including at least 18 credits at the 4000 level.

Credits outside the major: at least 18 credits.

(Note: Students who are completing a double major or major/minor are deemed to have fulfilled this requirement)

Checklists:

Bachelor’s (BA)

Graduation requirement: students must successfully complete (pass) at least 90 credits that meet the Faculty’s degree and program requirements with a cumulative grade point average of at least 4.00.

Major credits: at least 36 credits from the religious studies list of courses, including:

  • AP/RLST 2805 6.0 (beginning Fall 2022);
  • AP/RLST 3803 3.00;
  • AP/RLST 3804 3.00;
  • at least one course from each of categories 1-4 of the religious studies courses;
  • 12 credits above the 2000 level.

Note: at least 12 credits in the major at the 3000 level or above.

Upper-level credits: at least 18 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level.

Credits outside the major: at least 18 credits.

Checklists:

General education: a minimum of 21 general education credits as follows:

  • 6.00 credits in natural science (NATS)
  • a 9.00 credit approved general education course in the social science or humanities categories
  • a 6.00 credit approved general education course in the opposite category to the 9.00 credit course in social science or humanities already taken

Residency requirement: a minimum of 30 course credits and at least half (50 per cent) of the course credits required in each undergraduate degree program major/minor must be taken at York University.

Note, prior to Fall 2022: Students must take courses that cover at least three different religions. Up to 12 credits in approved language courses may be counted towards the Religious Studies degree.

Honours Double Major BA

The Honours BA program may be pursued jointly with approved Honours Double Major degree programs in the Faculties of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Environmental Studies, Fine Arts, Faculty of Health or Faculty of Science and Engineering. For more information, refer to the listings for specific Honours programs that may be pursued jointly with other Faculties.

Note: In a double major program, a course may count only once towards major credit.

Honours Major/Minor BA

The Honours BA program may be pursued jointly with approved Honours Minor degree programs in the Faculties of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Environmental Studies, Fine Arts, Faculty of Health or Faculty of Science and Engineering. For more information, refer to the listings for specific Honours programs that may be pursued jointly with other Faculties.

Note: In a major/minor program, a course may count only once towards major credit.

Honours Minor BA

The Honours Minor BA program described may be combined with any approved Honours BA program that offers a major/minor option in the Faculty of Environmental Studies, the Faculty of Health, the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, the Faculty of Science, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design, or the Lassonde School of Engineering. For further details on requirements, refer to the listings for specific Honours programs that may be pursued jointly with other Faculties.

Note: in a double major program, a course may count only once toward major credit.

Minor credits: at least 30 credits from the religious studies list of courses, including:

  • AP/RLST 3803 3.00;
  • AP/RLST 3804 3.00;
  • six credits at the 4000 level.

*Note: students must take courses that cover at least three different religions or two different religious traditions plus one course listed as covering “multiple” traditions.