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Theology & Religious Studies Minor

A minor in Theology and Religious Studies complements any major. With one required course and five electives, you can build your own program from a wide range of offerings in Scripture, American Religion, Christian History, Judaism, Catholic Theology and Ethics, Islam, Buddhism, and more.

18 credits (4 courses beyond the 2 required core courses) make the TRS Minor a perfect match for any major.

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The TRS Minor consists of 6 courses (18 credits):

  • 5 electives
  • TRS 4990 |ÌýSenior Seminar

At least half of all courses in the minor must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.

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The flexibility of the TRS minor allows you to create a custom program around your interests. Students can roam widely or focus on an area such as:

  • American Religion
  • Catholic Theology
  • Interreligious Understanding
  • Islamic Studies
  • Jewish Studies
  • Religion and Contemporary Culture
  • Sacred Texts
  • Spirituality

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All TRS courses count toward the minor. If you select TRS versions of your EGC, ISJ, and LINK courses, you can complete the minor with only one additional course beyond your core requirements!Ìý

Here's how one student completed her core requirements and earned the minor:

  • TRS Core Requirement 1
    • TRS 1300 Sacred Quest
  • TRS CoreÌýRequirement 2
    • TRS 3242 History of Christmas
  • EGC Core Requirement
    • TRS 2450 Religions of India
  • ISJ Core Requirement
    • TRS 2500 Moral Decision Making
  • LINK Core Requirement
    • TRS 3272 Soul Food
  • Minor Capstone
    • TRS 4990 Senior Seminar
Because your work life is not your whole life.

Program Highlights

Three students sit in a classroom. One female student smiles at the camera.

Become a Minor!

If you're a current JCU student, stop by the department (St. Ignatius Hall B250) to explore how you can add a TRS minor to your undergraduate program. If you're a prospective student, call 216.397.4700 or email us to start designing your path through the TRS minor!

A flexible minor allows you to pick courses around your interests. You can even create your own focus. A sample program in Catholic Theology could include:

  • TRS 2300 | Contemporary Catholic Theology
  • TRS 2355 | Saints and Society
  • TRS 3371 | Ignatian Spirituality
  • TRS 3530 | Catholic Moral Theology
  • TRS 3536 | Catholic Social Teaching in Business (LINK)
  • TRS 4990 | Senior Seminar

A flexible minor allows you to pick courses around your interests. You can even create your own focus. A sample program in Islamic Studies could include:

  • TRS 2430 | Introduction to Islam
  • TRS 3110 | Abraham: Father of Many Nations
  • TRS 3441 | Islam in America
  • TRS 3442 | Islam and the Environment
  • TRS 3444 | Islamic Spirituality
  • TRS 4990 | Senior Seminar

A flexible minor allows you to pick courses around your interests. You can even create your own focus. A sample program in Jewish Studies could include:

  • TRS 2110 | Hebrew Bible
  • TRS 2410 | Introduction to Rabbinic Judaism
  • TRS 3412 | Jewish Messianism
  • TRS 3416 | The Rabbis on Sex & Gender
  • TRS 3499 | Ancient Jewish Prayer
  • TRS 4990 | Senior Seminar

A flexible minor allows you to pick courses around your interests. You can even create your own focus. A sample program in Interreligious Understanding could include:

  • TRS 2273 | African-American Religion
  • TRS 2440 | Introduction to Islam
  • TRS 2450 | Religions of India
  • TRS 3200 | Constructing Religious Identity
  • TRS 3227 | Minority Religions in the United States
  • TRS 4990 | Senior Seminar

A flexible minor allows you to pick courses around your interests. You can even create your own focus. A sample program in Religion & Culture could include:

  • TRS 1250 | Religion and Popular Culture
  • TRS 2587 | Tomb Raiders - Threats to Cultural Heritage
  • TRS 3126 | Jesus in Film
  • TRS 3273 | Martin, Malcolm, & Black Lives Matter
  • TRS 3338 | Catholicism in a Digital Age
  • TRS 4990 | Senior Seminar

Theta Alpha Kappa Honor Society

Theta Alpha Kappa is the national honor society for religious studies and theology. Founded in 1976 at Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY, to recognize the academic achievements of religion and theology students, the JCU chapter dates back to 2015. TRS majors and minors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 are eligible for induction into the JCU ΘAK chapter.