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Religious Studies

“I had incredible teachers and so much freedom to create what was meaningful to me, such as doing my thesis on the dropping of the atomic bomb. It was a great full year for me, to have intellectual and philosophic dimensions of learning attached to my activism.”

Anne Symens-Bucher '82
2009 Catholic Woman of the Year,
Catholic Charities of the East Bay

Bachelor's Degree in Religious Studies

The Religious Studies program welcomes students from a variety of faith and secular traditions and cultural backgrounds. Courses provide students the opportunity to explore their own spiritual questions and traditions, and the religious experience of peoples around the world from an intercultural perspective. The program provides a rich offering of courses, travel classes and fieldtrips, and experiential learning opportunities focused on both Christian and Catholic faith, spirituality, tradition, and ethics, and other religions as well.

Many of our courses combine an historical perspective with a focus on religion in the contemporary world. Consistent with the example of Jesus and Catholic social teaching, emphasis throughout the curriculum is placed on an intercultural perspective and on the experience of non-dominant groups, such as women, people of color, and marginalized groups.

Religious Studies majors take four core classes in which contemporary and ancient views of the human person, human and social political life, personal and social ethics, and world wisdom traditions are examined and compared. The remainder of the religious studies requirements is individually designed to meet specific interests and disciplinary goals. The capstone Senior Seminar in Religious Studies allows students to explore a question of special interest.

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The Value of HNU

Even with a commitment to small classes and personal attention, Oakland’s Holy Names University remains one of the most affordable private schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to state and federal financial aid, 100% of incoming freshman and day transfer students received scholarship and/or grant money from HNU to help pay for school. To learn more about HNU financial assistance, click here.

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