The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2025. For students who entered the programme before September 2025, you can find the details of your programme: BA Philosophy, Ethics and Religion
Your course
Thinking about the world and the fundamental questions of life are central to this degree programme. It combines the disciplines of Philosophy and the Study of Religion (encompassing Theology and Religious Studies), which are both concerned with thinking about the world and the fundamental questions of life. Ethics, in both its secular and religious varieties, constitutes a prominent theme in the programme. In Year 1, you will study core topics in Philosophy and the Study of Religion by means of both compulsory and optional modules. This will enable you to begin to identify areas of personal interest that you may wish to pursue further in subsequent years. In Years 2 and 3, the programme provides the opportunity to gain knowledge of and competence in a range of important topics, along with general skills in each disciplinary area. You will also have the option of specialising in a disciplinary subfield (such as normative philosophy, philosophy of religion, or the social scientific study of religion). You may undertake a final-year project in either of the disciplines or on a topic that combines both disciplines, according to your own interests.
Year 2 includes a core module that prepares you for your final-year project as well as teaching transferrable skills for future employment.
In each year, you may choose one or more Discovery modules to extend your knowledge or skills beyond your programme of study.
The programme has an international variant, which includes a study abroad year, and an industrial variant, which includes a work placement year.
This programme is full time and in person. It does not include any distance learning elements.
Your future
You will gain numerous transferrable skills that are valued by employers. These include organisational skills (gained by developing a personal path through your programme, engaging in academic and extra-curricular activities, meeting assessment deadlines); the ability to work both independently and as part of a team; the ability to interpret and analyse texts and other sources of information; the ability to develop arguments and to effectively communicate your ideas; and awareness of how cultural or historical context affects scholarship in the disciplines and in a variety of issues in contemporary society. These skills will help you to transition either into an employment environment after completing your degree, or into postgraduate education if you decide to take your studies further.
Our world
In each year of your degree, you will engage with material that demonstrates the relevance of your areas of study to contemporary issues and concerns (such as those relating to ethical, political, environmental matters; ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, etc.). You will thus develop an informed understanding of your place in the world. Both Philosophy and the Study of Religion have crucial roles to play in explicating diverse ways of understanding the world, how our world is shaped, and how it can be changed for the better.
(For students entering from September 2025 onwards)
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates must study 120 credits, which may include up to 20 credits of Discovery modules.
Candidates must pass at least 100 credits, including any PFP (pass for progression) modules and a minimum of 40 credits in Philosophy (PHIL) and 40 credits in the Study of Religion (THEO), to progress to the next year of the programme.
Candidates must study the following compulsory modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHIL1080 | The Good, The Bad, The Right, The Wrong | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | PFP |
| PHIL1260 | How To Do Philosophy | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| THEO1001 | Bible and Theology: Texts and Traditions | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| THEO1122 | Introduction to the Study of Religions | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | PFP |
Candidates may study up to 40 credits from the following optional modules (no more than 20 credits in each semester):
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHIL1090 | Knowledge, Self and Reality | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| THEO1002 | Christian and Muslim Cultures: Global Religious Practice | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| THEO1177 | Religion, Politics and Society in the Modern World | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Candidates may study up to 20 credits from the following optional modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPSC1015 | Magic, Science and Religion | 10 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PHIL1007 | Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion | 10 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PHIL1015 | Thinking About Race | 10 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PHIL1022 | Philosophy Meets the World | 10 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| THEO1003 | Religions of India | 10 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.
Candidates may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules.
(For students entering from September 2025 onwards)
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates must study 120 credits, which may include up to 20 credits of Discovery modules.
Candidates must pass at least 100 credits to progress to the next year of the programme.
Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory module:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEO2022 | Researching Religion: Skills and Methods | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates must study ONE of the following modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHIL2915 | How to Live Together: Topics in Political Philosophy | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PRHS2000 | Human Rights and Religion | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Candidates must study 20-40 credits from the following modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHIL2615 | How Do You Know? Topics in Epistemology | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PHIL2631 | God, Thought and the World: Topics in Philosophy of Religion | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PHIL2906 | Do the Right Thing: Topics in Moral Philosophy | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PHIL2925 | Reality Check: Topics in Metaphysics | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) |
Candidates must study 20-40 credits from the following modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEO2001 | Dharma Traditions | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| THEO2023 | Theology in Context | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| THEO2024 | Religion and Culture in Postcolonial Worlds | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| THEO2025 | Religion, Gender and Sexuality | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| THEO2251 | Sociology of Religion | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.
Candidates may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules or one module from the following optional modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSER2206 | Developing Your Professional Identity: Preparing for a Career in Within The Arts, Heritage and Creative Industries | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| FOAH2020 | Towards the Future: Skills in Context | 20 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) |
(For students entering from September 2025 onwards)
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates must study 120 credits, which may include up to 20 credits of Discovery modules.
Candidates must pass at least 100 credits, including any PFP (pass for progression) modules, to be eligible for an honours degree.
Candidates must study ONE of the following compulsory modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRHS3000 | Independent Research Project in Philosophy, Religion or History of Science | 40 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) | PFP |
| PRHS3001 | Integrated Research Project in Philosophy, Religion or History of Science | 40 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) | PFP |
| PRHS3700 | External Placement: Beyond the University | 40 | Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) | PFP |
Candidates must study between 60 and 80 credits from the following optional modules:
[The following list of optional modules is indicative, as modules are under revision and different modules will be available each year depending on the availability of teaching staff. There will typically be a minimum of three optional modules offered per semester]
Augustine of Hippo - 20 credits
Bible and Society - 20 credits
Christian Theology and Contemporary Issues - 20 credits
Islam, Race and the State in Europe - 20 credits
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHIL3013 | Bioethics | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PHIL3014 | Truth | 20 | Not running in 202627 | |
| PHIL3015 | Non-Western Philosophy | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PHIL3016 | Philosophy of Work and Play | 20 | Not running in 202627 | |
| PHIL3125 | Continental Philosophy | 20 | Not running in 202627 | |
| PHIL3310 | Philosophy of Sex and Relationships | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| PHIL3322 | Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PHIL3700 | Feminist Philosophy | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PHIL3723 | War, Terror and Justice | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PRHS3170 | Religion, Belief and Ethics | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| PRHS3300 | Religion and Mental Health | 20 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| THEO3000 | Religion and Media | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| THEO3190 | Religions and Global Development | 20 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| THEO3280 | Religion, Politics and the Future | 20 | Not running in 202627 | |
| THEO3286 | God, Sex and Gender in Africa | 20 | Not running in 202627 |
Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.
Candidates may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules.
Last updated: 22/05/2026 16:41:04
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