The Bachelor’s Degree Programme (Religious Studies)

Full Name: The Bachelor’s Degree Programme (Religious Studies)
Abbreviation: B.A. (Religious Studies)

Philosophy:
To provide students with knowledge of their own religions and those of others, and to apply this knowledge to meet the challenging issues in contemporary societies; as well as to promote peace and cross-cultural understanding among people of diverse traditions.

Objectives:

     (1) To produce competent teachers of religion for schools and colleges.
     (2) To provide students with a deeper and critical understanding of the bases of religious belief; to give them the intellectual tools for the development of a more profound religious commitment.
     (3) To enable monks and novices of all sects to study Buddhism in wider contexts along with modern disciplines such as philosophy, science, sociology, psychology, so that they could live meaningfully in globalized society.

Admission Requirements & Selection Method:
Admission
     Applicants may sit for national entrance examination, set by the Ministry of Education or by Mahidol University. The applicants must have passed Grade 12 or Pali Grade V examinations.

Selection Method
     The applicants will be selected on the merit of their examination and interview.

Language
     Thai and English are used as mediums of instruction in this program.

Duration of Study:
     The duration of study is at least 4 academic years and must not exceed 8 academic years.

Registration:
     Students must register as full-time students and are expected to attend all classes regularly. To qualify to sit for final exams for any course, a minimum of 80% attendance is mandatory.

Evaluation:
     Student evaluation is in accordance with the rules and regulations of Mahidol University.

Courses:
     To meet all requirements, graduates must take the following courses for at least 136 credits.

     1. General education 34 credits
          1.1 University General Education (19 credits)
          1.2 College General Education (15 credits)

     2. Special Courses 90 credits
          2.1 Required courses (45 credits)
          2.2 Selective courses (45 credits)

     3. Elective Courses 12 credits

     Some of the courses offered in this program include:

     1. General Education Courses:
          1.1 General Education for Human Development
          1.2 Social Studies for Human Development
          1.3 Art and Sciences for Human Development
          1.4 The Art of Communication in Thai
          1.5 English I
          1.6 English II
          1.7 English III
          1.8 The Evolution of Scientific Thought
          1.9 Microcomputer Applications
          1.10 Man and Society
          1.11 The Art of Critical Thinking
          1.12 Principle of Management
          1.13 Man and Biosphere
          1.14 Western Civilization
          1.15 Eastern Civilization

     2. Required Courses in major religious traditions:
          2.1 Methods in the Study of Religion
          2.2 Introduction to Religious Studies
          2.3 World Religions I
          2.4 World Religions II
          2.5 New Religions
          2.6 Religion and Science
          2.7 The Nature and Destiny of Man
          2.8 Religion and Death
          2.9 Religious Meditation
          2.10 Religious Rituals
          2.11 Comparative Religion
          2.12 Methods of Teaching Religion I
          2.13 Methods of Teaching Religion II
          2.14 Independent Study

     3. Selective Required Courses:

    Students may choose one major from the three groups:

     Major Group 1: Buddhism

          3.1 Pali I
          3.2 Pali II
          3.3 Theravada Buddhism
          3.4 Mahayana Buddhism
          3.5 Tibetan Buddhism
          3.6 History of Buddhism
          3.7 Buddhism in Thailand
          3.8 Buddhism Philosophy
          3.9 Practice of Buddhist Meditation
          3.10 Buddhism in the West
          3.11 Buddhist Ethics
          3.12 Reading Buddhist Scriptures I
          3.13 Reading Buddhist Scriptures II
          3.14 Buddhist Psychology
          3.15 Buddhism in Visual Art

     Major Group 2: Christianity

          3.16 Latin I
          3.17 Latin II
          3.18 Latin III
          3.19 Latin IV
          3.20 The Bible
          3.21 History of Christianity
          3.22 Christian Ethics
          3.23 Life of Jesus Christ
          3.24 Christianity in Asia
          3.25 Christian Philosophy and Theology
          3.26 Contemporary Christian Thought
          3.27 Christian Art and Culture
          3.28 Christianity in Today World
          3.29 Reading in the New Testament I
          3.30 Reading in the New Testament II

     Major Group 3: Islam

          3.31 Arabic I
          3.32 Arabic II
          3.33 Arabic III
          3.34 Arabic IV
          3.35 The Koran
          3.36 History of Islam
          3.37 Mohammad: His Life and Work
          3.38 Islamic Laws and Ethics I
          3.39 Islamic Laws and Ethics II
          3.40 Islam in Today World
          3.41 Islamic Philosophy and Theology
          3.42 Islamic Art and Culture
          3.43 Contemporary Thought in Islam
          3.44 Reading Islamic Scriptures I
          3.45 Reading Islamic Scriptures II

     4. Elective Courses
          4.1 Women and Religion
          4.2 Religious Institutions
          4.3 Religion and the Individual
          4.4 Religion and Modernization in Southeast Asia
          4.5 Religion and Medical Ethics

Library:
     The College’s Library is equipped with more than 12,000 titles of books, journals and academic materials on religions, philosophy and related subjects, both in Thai and English. The library staff provides training in the use of the Internet to access libraries and organizations with religious and related materials and data throughout the country and beyond. In addition, students can obtain a full range of library services from the Central Library of Mahidol University, and from libraries of other faculties located on other campuses. Mahidol University Library is linked to the inter-library loan system through which materials from other universities can be made available upon request. Students can also conveniently access electronic libraries through the University’s Internet system.