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Twin Cities Campus

Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures B.A.

Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures

College of Liberal Arts

Program Type: Baccalaureate
Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2023
Required credits to graduate with this degree: 120
Required credits within the major: 40 to 56
Degree: Bachelor of Arts

Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures is an interdisciplinary major with two tracks: "Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures" & "Languages and Literature," reflected over four sub-plans. The major enables students to gain a broad and in-depth appreciation for the complexities of ancient Mediterranean religion and culture. Through exploration of ancient literature, archaeological sites, artifacts, inscriptions, and manuscripts, students learn about major historical figures (e.g., Egyptian rulers, Alexander the Great, Cicero, Socrates and Plato, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Roman Emperors, etc.), fascinating ancient literature (e.g., Homer�s Iliad and Odyssey, the Epic of Gilgemesh, Plato�s Apology and Symposium, Euripides�s Prometheus Bound and Bacchae, poetry by Catullus and Virgil, the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, the Quran, etc.), and everyday ancient social realities (e.g., family, gender, status, economy, politics, agriculture, religious practice, sanctuaries, magic, etc.). You will also learn how to analyze ancient Mediterranean religions (Greek and Roman religion, ancient Israelite and Jewish religion, ancient Christianity and Islam). After some initial course requirements in one of several of our larger courses, students in the CNRC sub-plan take courses in three interrelated areas: State, Self, and Social Power; Literature and Intellectual History; and Religious Discourse, Authority, and Practice. Students in the Languages and Literature subplan take specific introductory courses and then can go on to study Greek, Latin, or Modern Hebrew. The field of classical and Near Eastern religions and cultures is at the root of many varied disciplines and careers from law and communications to non-profit work and administration. Any career that requires the skills of careful, critical analysis, deep research and understanding of cultural systems, and insight into the motivations of a plurality of religious perspectives active in the world today will benefit from this major. Our professors offer a collegial and friendly yet academically rigorous environment where you can grow in these skills and bring them to your current situation and future work.

Program Delivery

This program is available:

via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)

Admission Requirements

Refer to your chosen sub-plan for more information on what preparatory courses you must complete.

For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the Office of Admissions website.

General Requirements

All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the liberal education requirements. Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).

Program Requirements

Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of any second language. with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department or college.

All CLA BA degrees require 18 upper-division (3xxx-level or higher) credits outside the major designator. These credits must be taken in designators different from the major designator and cannot include courses that are cross-listed with the major designator. The major designator for the Classics BA is CNRC. No course may be used to fulfill more than one major requirement. At least 18 upper-division credits in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. All incoming CLA first-year (freshmen) must complete the First-Year Experience course sequence. All incoming CLA first-year (freshmen) students earning a BA, BS, or BIS degree must complete the second-year career management course CLA 3002. All students must complete a capstone in at least one CLA major. The requirements for double majors completing the capstone in a different CLA major will be clearly stated. Students must also complete all major requirements in both majors to allow the additional capstone to be waived. Students completing an additional degree must complete the capstone in each degree area.

Capstone

Students conduct independent research under a faculty member and produce a substantial, original research paper. Using documents or primary sources along with secondary sources, students show their mastery of disciplinary methodologies and their knowledge and understanding of ancient sources and modern scholarship related to their chosen topic.

Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling exactly 4 credit(s) from the following:

Students who double major and choose to complete the capstone requirement in their other major may waive the Classics BA capstone, but they do need to replace the 4 credits with another upper-division CNRC elective.

· CNRC 3994 - Directed Research: Capstone (4.0 cr)

Upper Division Writing Intensive within the major

Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.

Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:

· CNRC 3081W - Classical Epic in Translation [LITR, WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3082W - Greek Tragedy in Translation [LITR, WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3601W - Sexuality and Gender in Ancient Greece and Rome [AH, WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3016W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 5013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 5013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or CNRC 5502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or HIST 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

Program Sub-plans

Students are required to complete one of the following sub-plans.

Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures

The Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures track requires 40-45 total credits of coursework, including 3-4 credits of introductory courses and the capstone.

Introductory Course

Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling 3 - 4 credit(s) from the following:

· CNRC 1002 - World of Greece [HIS] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 1003 - World of Rome [HIS] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 1042 - Greek and Roman Mythology [AH] (4.0 cr)

or CNRC 1042H - Honors Course: Greek and Roman Mythology [AH] (4.0 cr)

· CNRC 1082 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 1082 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or HIST 1082 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 1201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible. [LITR] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 1201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 1201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 1203 - The Bible: Context & Interpretation, World of the New Testament [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 1203 - The Bible: Context & Interpretation, World of the New Testament [AH] (3.0 cr)

Upper Level Courses

Take 9 courses at the 3xxx-5xxx level, 3 from each of the following categories totaling 27 credits.

Take exactly 9 course(s) totaling exactly 27 credit(s) including 3 or more sub-requirements(s) from the following:

State, Self, and Social Power

Take 3 or more course(s) totaling 9 or more credit(s) from the following:

· CNRC 3103 - Ancient Greece: Alexander and the East [HIS] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3105 - Ancient Rome: The Age of Augustus (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3106 - Ancient Rome: The Age of Nero (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3601W - Sexuality and Gender in Ancient Greece and Rome [AH, WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 5787 - Visual Cultures in Contact: Cross-Cultural Interaction in the Ancient World (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3061 - "Bread and Circuses:" Spectacles and Mass Culture in Antiquity [HIS, CIV] (3.0 cr)

or HIST 3061 - "Bread and Circuses": Spectacles and Mass Culture in Antiquity [HIS, CIV] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

or CNRC 5121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 5121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3205 - Women, Gender, and the Hebrew Bible [AH] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3205 - Women, Gender, and the Hebrew Bible [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3205 - Women, Gender, and the Hebrew Bible [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3206 - Sex, Murder, and Bodily Discharges: Purity and Pollution in the Ancient World (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3206 - Sex, Murder, and Bodily Discharges: Purity and Pollution in the Ancient World (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3206 - Sex, Murder, and Bodily Discharges: Purity and Pollution in the Ancient World (3.0 cr)

or ANTH 3206 - Sex, Murder, and Bodily Discharges: Purity and Pollution in the Ancient World (3.0 cr)

or MEST 3206 - Sex, Murder, and Bodily Discharges: Purity and Pollution in the Ancient World (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or CNRC 5502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

or HIST 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3504 - Apocalypticism, Cosmic Warfare, and the Maccabees: Jewish Strategies of Resistance in Antiquity (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3504 - Apocalypticism, Cosmic Warfare, and the Maccabees: Jewish Strategies of Resistance in Antiquity (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3504 - Apocalypticism, Cosmic Warfare, and the Maccabees: Jewish Strategies of Resistance in Antiquity (3.0 cr)

· HIST 3617 - Pagans, Christians, Barbarians: The World of Late Antiquity [HIS, GP] (3.0 cr)

or CNRC 3617 - Pagans, Christians, Barbarians: The World of Late Antiquity [HIS, GP] (3.0 cr)

· Literature and Intellectual History

Take 3 or more course(s) totaling 9 or more credit(s) from the following:

· CNRC 3042 - Myths, Legends, and Literature of the Ancient Near East [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3081W - Classical Epic in Translation [LITR, WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3082W - Greek Tragedy in Translation [LITR, WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3103 - Ancient Greece: Alexander and the East [HIS] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3106 - Ancient Rome: The Age of Nero (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3601W - Sexuality and Gender in Ancient Greece and Rome [AH, WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3016W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 5013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 5013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3074 - Exploring the Quran: An intellectual odyssey with Islam's holy scripture [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3704 - Exploring the Quran: An intellectual odyssey with Islam's holy scripture [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3092 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3092 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or HIST 3092 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3115 - Midrash: Reading and Retelling the Hebrew Bible (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3115 - Midrash: Reading and Retelling the Hebrew Bible (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3115 - Midrash: Reading and Retelling the Hebrew Bible (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

or CNRC 5121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 5121 - Gender and Body in Early Christianity [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3205 - Women, Gender, and the Hebrew Bible [AH] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3205 - Women, Gender, and the Hebrew Bible [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3205 - Women, Gender, and the Hebrew Bible [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3213 - The Bible: Context & Interpretation, World of the New Testament (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3213 - The Bible: Context & Interpretation, World of the New Testament [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3535 - Death and the Afterlife in the Ancient World [AH] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3535 - Death and the Afterlife in the Ancient World [AH] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 5051 - Before Herodotus: History and Historiography of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (3.0 cr)

or HIST 5051 - Before Herodotus: History and Historiography of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (3.0 cr)

· JWST 3034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or HIST 3534 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)

· Religious Discourse, Authority, and Practice

Take 3 or more course(s) totaling 9 or more credit(s) from the following:

· CNRC 3016W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 3013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or JWST 5013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 5013W - Biblical Law and Jewish Ethics [WI] (3.0 cr)

· CNRC 3071 - Greek and Hellenistic Religions [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or CNRC 5071 - Greek and Hellenistic Religions (3.0 cr)

or RELS 3071 - Greek and Hellenistic Religions [HIS] (3.0 cr)

or RELS 5071 - Greek and Hellenistic Religions (3.0 cr)