Theology and Religious Studies

Hello, I am Professor Jorge Aquino, with the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. If you have chosen Theology and Religious Studies for your major, then I am delighted to welcome you to a department with an outstanding faculty, and a curriculum that considers the most important dimensions of religious life in the world today. Our courses survey major world religions including Hinduism, Judaism, Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical Christianities several traditions of Buddhism and Islam. We cover religious movements in the United States, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and South Asia and our faculty have led student field trips to countries in each of those regions. We study religion in interdisciplinary perspective, considering faith in multiple contexts, and in light of formidable social problems such as poverty, war, mass migration, gender oppression, racism, nationalism, and the global environmental crisis. Along the way you will be trained in a variety of approaches to the study of religion from the fields of anthropology, sociology, history, cultural studies, and the theological sciences.

So many possibilities. Let us get started!

A student typically registers for 16-18 credits per semester: Four, four-unit courses, plus 1 or 2 credits of extracurricular activities. To begin your work in the major, you must complete two introductory THRS courses, plus the required methods seminar.

One of those introductory courses must be a Core D-2 Theology course. The other intro course which you could take in the Spring or the Fall should be a Core D-3 Ethics offering from our departmental catalog. Take note: The Philosophy department also has Core D-3 Ethics offerings. However those courses will not fulfill the Ethics requirement that is built in to the Theology and Religious Studies Major. So be careful to choose your Core D-3 Ethics from the THRS catalog. Our core D-3 Ethics class will satisfy the Core Ethics requirement prescribed for all USF students.

You can find all these courses in the schedule of classes under the subject heading Theology and Religious Studies. After your first year, you will go on to choose a thematic emphasis track in Christianity, Global Religions and Theologies, Asian Religions, or Religion, Ethics and Social Justice. You will complete six courses in your chosen track.
For your other course, we recommend that you register for a Composition class. Developing good writing and speaking skills is essential to your success at USF.  If you do not know which class to register for, please review the chapter on Rhetoric and Composition. 

Here are some other options for your class schedule:

A transfer year seminar offers a great introduction to the academic environment at USF and will fulfill one of your Core requirements. 
A foreign language.  USF students are required to take three semesters of a foreign language. We recommend that you start early to complete this requirement. 
You can enroll in Public Speaking, an important course to take early in your college career.  This fulfills your Core A1 requirement.  
Or you may choose to fulfill another core requirement for Math, Science, History, Philosophy, or Visual and Performing Arts. 


Once you have selected your classes, your schedule should resemble something like this:
THRS 106 Introduction to Sacred Scripture
RHET 110 Written Communication I
First Year Seminar
Core or Foreign Language course

Or, for Transfers: 
THRS 290 Religious Ethics
RHET 250 Academic Writing at USF
Transfer Year Seminar
Core or Foreign Language course

If you are a transfer student, you may have completed some of these courses. It is important for you to review your degree evaluation to determine which courses you need to complete.  

Spend some time navigating the Schedule of Classes to familiarize yourself with the layout.  Look for courses that you would like to register for, including specific sections. Spend some time doing this to find a schedule that works for you.   You should also keep a back up list in case some classes are closed. 
If you need help, please contact us.
415.422.6601
theology@usfca.edu

If necessary, we will recommend course adjustments. 
We look forward to meeting you during Orientation.  During Orientation we will review the major requirements and you will have the opportunity to meet faculty and fellow students.  

Welcome to USF!