Bachelor of Religious Studies at College of William & Mary

College of William & Mary

United States of America, Williamsburg

University Rank:#1001

The Religious Studies at College of William & Mary is a Bachelor program designed for students who want to build the knowledge and skills required for careers in this field. Delivered on campus at the university's main campus in Williamsburg, United States of America, the program is taught in English and takes 4 years to complete. Students study in a Full Time environment while preparing for future professional opportunities. The next intake starts on August 30, 2027.

About Bachelor of Religious Studies

The Religious Studies Department at William & Mary promotes the idea that the in-depth study of religious traditions, spiritualities, and lived experiences in a variety of historical, cultural, and experiential contexts is integral to our students' understanding of themselves and our world. Through studying religions, we gain insight into important aspects of social life: gender and sexuality, race, power, art, literature, and media, to name a few. We develop intimate portraits of diverse lives from antiquity into the present. Ours is a uniquely interdisciplinary field, employing theories and methods of disciplines from history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and literary studies. Our students have gone on to enjoy success in a wide variety of fields, including law, business, education, medicine, religious leadership, journalism, and academia, and we are committed to providing them with the tools they need for the careers of the future.

The faculty of the Religious Studies department is committed to inclusive and effective pedagogy, offering small, student-focused classes, creative assignments, and research opportunities. Our pedagogical focus on developing student capacities for the clear expression of ideas, persuasive argumentation, rigorous analysis, critical evaluation, and self-reflection make the religious studies major at William & Mary a quintessentially liberal arts education.

We offer a major and a minor in Religious Studies. We are also a major component of the interdisciplinary Judaic Studies minor.

About the Wren Building

Completed in 1700, the Wren stands on Kiskiack land of the Powhatan Confederacy. It was built using enslaved labor over the course of five years. The enslaved men, women, and children who constructed the Wren also worked, ate, and slept in the building.

For more information about the Wren Building, visit the Spotswood Society. For more information about the history of enslavement at W&M, visit the Lemon Project. For W&M's land acknowledgment, visit the American Indian Resources Center.

Our department is housed in the oldest U.S. academic building in continuous use.

Disciplines

Arts & Sciences

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Religious Studies at College of William & Mary

Entry Requirements

Secondary School Report Form including official records of your courses and grades from all secondary schools and universities you have attended. Please note that in order to have complete secondary school records, we need to have records from your ninth grade year (last year of middle or junior high school) as well as your complete senior high school records. These records must be sent directly to us from your school. Certified non-English transcripts or grade reports should be accompanied by official (literal, not interpretive) translations.

*Students applying as international transfer students need to complete the transfer student application requirements.

Optional Application Materials include:

Teacher Evaluation Form and Letter of Recommendation - you may submit one letter of recommendation with your application. Please do not submit more than two.
Results of optional standardized tests a) SAT or ACT; and b) TOEFL or IELTS. Results may be sent directly to William & Mary by the testing organization or self-reported in the application. Admitted students who self-reported standardized test scores in the application will be asked to have official scores sent by the testing organization at the time of enrollment.
Creative and Performing Arts Submission
InitialView - William & Mary is a welcoming community that offers endless opportunities to discuss big ideas both inside and outside the classroom. Applicants who are non-native English speakers are welcome to participate in a third-party, unscripted interview through InitialView. If you have interviewed with InitialView, we encourage you to consider adding William & Mary to your list of school as an optional way to supplement your application.

English Requirements

IELTSMin 7
TOEFLMin 100

Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Religious Studies at College of William & Mary

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for Bachelor of Religious Studies at College of William & Mary

Tell us your story. We want to learn more about who you’ve been, who you are and who you’ll become in college. Numbers will inevitably be part of your story, but we’re also interested in your ambition, your drive and your hidden talents.

William & Mary practices holistic review; decisions are not based solely on one aspect of your application. Rather, we review your essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular involvements, and yes, those numbers like GPAs and standardized test scores. Each application is read at least twice, including once by your regional counselor. At the end of this process, our goal is to bring together a class of dynamic, diverse and academically engaged students.

Our Applications & Instructions

William & Mary currently accepts:

The Common Application

Bachelor of Religious Studies at College of William & Mary

College of William & Mary

United States of America, Williamsburg