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Religion BA (Hons)

UCAS code: V600

Religion is in what we read and watch. It’s on social media. In our workplaces and discrimination laws. And it’s present in what we wear and how we behave. Explore and challenge various faiths on our religion degree.

Overview

Course length: 3 years full-time
Start dates: September 2024
Location: Edge Hill University
Example offers: BCC-BBC (A Level) or DMM (BTEC) View full entry criteria
Subject(s): Religion
Faculty: Education
Department: Secondary and Further Education
Three Religion students standing outside Liverpool Anglican cathedral

Ask vital questions about religion’s place in the world as you explore major global faiths in a variety of social and cultural contexts. You’ll focus on people’s experiences of their beliefs, studying their philosophies and practices. And you’ll explore religious and non-religious spirituality of new and old faith movements. This includes less orthodox readings of religion, such as witchcraft, paganism and mysticism.

You’ll come to understand religious traditions and the influence they have at local, national, and global levels. We deliver our BA (Hons) Religion degree using research-informed explorations of religion, philosophy and sociology. You’ll examine how people use digital media to express their religious identities.

Whether you have faith or not, this inclusive programme will help you engage with the world, exploring faith through individual and collective perspectives. You’ll look at belief systems through the lenses of family origins, ethnicity and disability, along with gender, sexuality and social status.

Course features

  • International students can apply

  • Learn a language option available

  • Work placement opportunity

What you'll study

Appreciate the beliefs and practices of Abrahamic (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) and Dharmic (Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism) faiths, plus non-religious spirituality. We’ll look at the study of religion, and discuss areas like religious discrimination, religion and the law, and sacrality. In another module you’ll discuss religion in the workplace, and see what this is like for yourself through a voluntary, self-organised work placement. You’ll also explore digital religion in the twenty-first century.

Compulsory modules:

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Digital Religion
Introduction to the Sacred
Introduction to the Study of Religion
Religion in the Workplace

Two of:

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Abrahamic Traditions
Eastern Dharma
Language 1

Join religious communities to see how people express their beliefs. You’ll discuss the existence of God while considering the Bible’s influence on the modern world. We’ll encourage you to ask questions about the human body’s relationship with religious traditions, like appearance, food and drink, and health and fertility. Then you’ll have the opportunity to study Judaism in-depth, and explore philosophical religious arguments.

Compulsory modules:

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Ethnography: Living with Religions
Judaism
Religion, Belief and Reason
Religion in the Public Sphere
The Bible in the Modern World

One of:

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Religion and the Body
Language 2

You’ll produce independent research, with your tutor’s guidance, in a specialist research study masterclass. Examine controversial issues in modern Islam and Buddhism, along with expressions of spirituality, such as paganism. There are also opportunities to discuss witchcraft, and face some of religion’s more challenging questions, like how the subject addresses gender and sexuality.

Compulsory modules:

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British Buddhism
Challenges and Controversies in Religion
Contemporary Paganisms
Gender, Sexuality and Christianity
Issues in Contemporary Islam
Specialist Research Project in Religion

Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements. Some restrictions on optional module choice or combinations of optional modules may apply.

How you'll study

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Much of your time at university will be in a classroom setting with a focus on group work and discussion. These sessions will be complemented by field trips to religious communities and places of worship.

Timetables for your first week are normally available at the end of August prior to enrolment in September. You can expect to receive your timetable for the rest of the academic year during your first week. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities.

How you'll be assessed

You will be assessed through coursework which will include a combination of academic essays, reflective and creative portfolios, and technology-based assessments.

There are no formal written examinations as part of the current assessment methods on this programme.

Who will be teaching you

You will be taught by a team of highly qualified and research-active lecturers, many of whom have had work published in their specialist areas of expertise.

The programme team are enthusiastic and passionate about the study of religion in the contemporary world.

Guest speakers from diverse religious communities will also contribute to the delivery of the course, providing you with additional insight and fresh perspectives.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Typical offer 104-112 UCAS Tariff points. No specific subjects are required.

Example offers

Qualification Requirement
A Level BCC-BBC.
BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM).
T Level Overall grade of Merit.
International Baccalaureate (IB) We are happy to accept IB qualifications which achieve the required number of UCAS Tariff points.
Access to Higher Education Diploma 45 credits at Level 3, for example 9 credits at Distinction and 36 credits at Merit or 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.

Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.

If you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven't been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.

English language requirements

International students require IELTS 6.0, with a score no lower than 5.5 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.

If your current level of English is half a band, one band, or one-and-a-half bands lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.

How to apply

Apply full-time

Apply online through UCAS

Read our guide to applying through UCAS to find out more about the application process.

International

Apply as an international student

Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Did you know?

If you join a full time undergraduate degree at Edge Hill University, we will guarantee you the offer of a room in our halls of residence for the first year of your course.

Discover our accommodation

Facilities

Faculty of EducationHoused in a state-of-the-art £9million building, the Faculty of Education enjoys a stunning setting from both its lakeside and piazza buildings.

Facilities in the lakeside building include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology. The lakeside building is also home to a popular vegan and vegetarian cafe where students can meet to socialise and discuss their studies.

The nearby piazza building offers modern facilities including a lecture theatre and a number of seminar rooms.

Where you'll study

Faculty of Education

Finance

Tuition fees

UK Full-Time

£9,250

a year

International

£16,500

a year

The University may administer a small inflationary rise in tuition fees, in line with Government policy, in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.

Financial support

Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs.

Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). If you are an EU student who does not have settled or pre-settled status, or are an international student from a non-EU country, please see our international student finance pages.

Your future career

This degree prepares you for a variety of careers where you can work with and help others. You’ll develop key skills like empathy, interpersonal communication and teamwork. After the course has finished, you might consider applying for jobs in social work, the civil service, counselling, youth work, management, religious chaplaincy, or museums.

You’ll also be well suited for work in the NHS, the police or with religious services. Alternatively, you could continue your studies with a Masters, or take on a PGCE to train as a teacher.

In a globalised world, understanding diverse perspectives is vital for resolving conflict and promoting positive human values. The transferable skills you’ll learn on this course will give you the confidence to make valuable contributions in this line of work.

Discover Uni: Full-Time Study

Download our course leaflet