The Department of Religious Studies at UCSB is unique among California universities, state universities, and colleges. The courses it offers address the critical issues relating to the subject of religion in its many facets: historical, cultural, literary, aesthetic, sociological, experiential, and philosophical. In introductory and advanced courses, its faculty—respected in their fields nationally and internationally—regularly teach about the religions of the world, and about the complex relationships between religion and politics, society, war, and everyday life. It is the oldest and largest department in the University of California system to offer B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in Religious Studies.