Introduction to the Study of Religion provides an overview of the different methodological approaches to the study of religion. You will study the main attempts to define religion and to engage in the debates surrounding such definitions. You will engage in multi-disciplinary approaches to the idea of religion through the traditional fields of historical, anthropological, philosophical, sociological and textual studies. In addition, you will examine religion in more contemporary fields such as the visual arts, politics, environmentalism, psychology and gender.

Eastern Dharma provides you with a philosophical and theological survey of the significant religious traditions of the east. You will focus on the Dharmic traditions emanating from India as the modules addresses the central aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. You will also examine the interaction between individuals and communities in diverse and complex religious settings both globally and in modern Britain.

Abrahamic Traditions provides you with a philosophical and theological survey of the significant religious traditions of the west, introducing the three major Abrahamic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. By looking at core beliefs, practices and texts, the module examines key developments and shared aspects of the formation of the Abrahamic Traditions up to modern times. The module will also investigate the concept of a shared ‘Abrahamic Tradition’ and explore key similarities and differences between the three faiths through an exploration of selected themes such as ‘the Oneness of God’, ‘Salvation’ and ‘the Afterlife”.

Establishing the Conditions for Studentship introduces the themes of studentship, educational research, learning environments and professional identity. You will develop an initial understanding of the four areas to construct an identity as an academic learner and student teacher. The module will build personal resilience and promote independence within a community of learners, encouraging you to connect with your own experiences to develop your practice.

Establishing Educational Values for Schools and Learners introduces you to the underlying concepts, principles and values in educational theory, policy and practice. Predominantly focused on the present day, the module will equip you with a deeper understanding of contemporary education. This will ensure that you are comprehensively prepared for practice in educational settings. You will also have the opportunity to consider your own sets of values and predispositions and begin to develop a critical understanding of how seemingly objective values may disguise highly subjective ideological concepts.

Establishing the Conditions for Learning in Religious Education combines taught sessions on campus with experiential observations in schools. The module introduces you to the practical elements of teaching religious education and provides an insight into good teaching practice and barriers to pupils’ learning. You will participate in lessons under the direction of a mentor and steadily increase your responsibility for planning and teaching. You will initially teach parts of lessons and build to whole class lessons, teaching jointly with your mentor at first, then individually. The placement will typically equate to 30 hours of teaching across an eight-week period. While being guided in the craft of teaching religious education, you will also be introduced to wider school issues such as behaviour management, inclusion, and child wellbeing and psychology. These combined elements will enable you to begin gathering evidence to show that you are starting to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

The Bible in the Modern World introduces you to the various ways that biblical themes, images and characters have an enduring presence and influence within contemporary popular culture. By learning to analyse religious and biblical references found in music, film, TV, art, advertising and the media, you will discover that, even in today’s increasingly secular world, the Bible continues to both influence and be influenced by our cultural, political, and religious landscapes. You will explore key themes and passages in the Bible as a contemporary literary work and consider how it is used by society at large as a cultural artefact. You will explore how the Bible has been used by entertainers, politicians and others, assessing on the one hand how this has shaped Western society, while at the same time people’s understanding and interpretations of the Bible are shaped by popular culture.

Religion, Belief and Reason provides you with an introduction to some of the key debates in critical thinking that have shaped religious and atheistic thought. Perspectives from philosophy, psychology and critical social sciences will be investigated to provide you with the lens through which to explore the relationship between reason and religious belief. You will develop your critical thinking skills through an exploration of the central premises of theistic belief, reasoned philosophical argument in defence and in critique of religious belief through examination of the classical and modern versions of theistic proofs. You will consider the contributions of thinkers such as Aquinas, Kant, Descartes and Hume. The module also explores the contributions of psychoanalysis and social science to post-Enlightenment thinking about religion in order to consider claims about the irrational or ideological nature of religion.

Judaism presents Judaism as a fascinating historical religion which has a variety of forms of expression in modern society. An understanding of Judaism as the foundational, Abrahamic, monotheistic faith is a fundamental pre-requisite of studying religion in the West.  You will explore religious thought within Judaism in order to understand its integrity and diversity and grasp its integrative role in relation to lifestyles, practices and ethics. You will also analyse the historical, social, philosophical, cultural and artistic role of Judaism in diverse contexts. The module provides perspectives of both practitioners and non-practitioners of Judaism, as well as exploring the tradition as plural, diverse, dynamic and evolving.

Building Research Informed Knowledge further develops the themes of studentship, educational research, learning environments and professional identity. You will progress your understanding of these four areas while continuing to develop your role as an academic learner, researcher and student teacher. Exploring the significance, implications and impact of educational research on your own practice, the module will explore a range of research perspectives and methodologies in education. You will receive a comprehensive overview of the research process and consider ethical issues related to the practical application of research.

Building Knowledge of Educational Values develops your critical engagement with the underlying concepts, principles and values of educational theory, policy, and practice. Through a central focus on the past, you will track the genealogy and evolution of values and gain insight into the mutability of these apparently fixed social concepts and principles. The module will engage you with the idea that values are not fixed, that they have not always been as they currently are, and that they will therefore continue to change and evolve in the future.

Building Knowledge of Teaching Religious Education develops the practical elements of teaching religious education while critically engaging with the underlying concepts and principles of educational theory and policy. The placement will typically equate to 60 hours of teaching across an eight-week period. You will assume significant teaching responsibility, developing your skills in planning teaching episodes and ensuring that pupils make progress. With comprehensive support and mentoring, you will plan lessons and sessions, or parts of lessons and sessions, for up to 50% of a Newly Qualified Teacher’s typical timetable, covering small group, whole class and solo teaching as appropriate. You will reflect on your own practice and school and educational policies and gather evidence to show that you are progressing towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards.

British Buddhism investigates Buddhism as both ancient and modern, global and local. The three jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha provide the lens through which Buddhism will be explored, enabling you to develop critical knowledge and understanding of Buddhist history, doctrine and practice. A variety of traditional and modern sources will be explored including sutras, biographies of the Buddha and iconography. Investigation of contemporary forms of Buddhism provide a special focus linked to a small scale fieldwork study exploring pluralism within modern western Buddhism.

Religion in the 21st Century enables you to reflect upon your knowledge about religion in the key challenges and evolutions of religion in the 21st century and, on completion, you will be able to reflect critically on some of the major characteristics of religion in an informed way. You will explore a number of theoretical and methodological problems in the study of religion, and reflect on these in relation to a range of faith traditions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Scientology and various paganisms.

Issues in Contemporary Islam recognises that with competing constructs of Islam dominating the domestic and international news agenda, a thorough understanding of the complex issues facing Islam is an essential aspect of religious education. A range of popular, stereotypical images come to mind when considering Islam in its contemporary setting. Questions raised about Islam often parallel similar questions raised globally among Muslims themselves about the decline of Islam and its place in the modern world. This is especially true of questions around the nature of the modern secular state and the degree to which religion has a role within it, both in Muslim majority societies and those in which Muslims constitute a minority. This module draws upon empirical research and a wide range of critical literature to enable you to develop an in-depth and critically reflective awareness of the challenging issues that have impacted upon Muslims through recent history.

Researching Possibilities in Secondary Education enables you to conduct a piece of self-initiated research on a relevant topic of your choice. The module draws together the themes of studentship, educational research, learning environments and professional identity from earlier in the programme. You will further enhance your knowledge and understanding of research, developing critical and analytical skills in reviewing both literature and educational research methodologies, while gaining additional expertise in presenting data in a variety of formats. The value of research for teachers and wider school communities will also be explored.

Exploring Possibilities for Schools and Learners considers a hypothetical future for education. Engaging you with the concepts and principles of educational values, the speculative nature of this module will equip you with the knowledge, understanding, critical skills and self-awareness to develop convincing and complex critiques of where education appears to be heading. You will contrast this with where you think it ought to be heading. The module will enable you to develop as a practitioner with sophisticated and robust opinions about how education ought to be practised and governed, informed by the latest insights into theory, policy and practice. This focus on the future will prepare you to become an agent of change in your future career, equipped with the knowledge, motivation and communication skills to lead movements for positive change.

Exploring Possibilities in Teaching Religious Education enables you review, consolidate, extend and apply your knowledge through a final professional practice placement. The placement will typically equate to 120 hours of teaching across a twelve-week period. Demonstrating excellence in the practice of teaching religious education, you will take a full role in school life, from tutor work and pastoral care to extra-curricular activities, parents’ evenings, school events, professional development activities and other enhancement opportunities which may be offered by your setting. You will also reflect on your own practice, assessing your strengths and weaknesses, responding to feedback and honing your skills and abilities. The module will enable you to demonstrate that you have met the Teachers’ Standards.

SEC1000 Establishing the Conditions for Studentship (20 credits), SEC1001 Establishing Educational Values for Schools and Learners (20 credits) and SEC1004 Establishing the Conditions for Learning in Religious Education (20 credits) replace REL1001 Introduction to the Sacred (20 credits), SUG1000 Professional Practice 1A (20 credits), SUG1001 Personal and Professional Conduct – Transition into Higher Education and the Teaching Profession (20 credits) and SUG1007 Principles, Pedagogy and Planning in Religious Education (20 credits) as compulsory modules in Year 1.

SEC2000 Building Research Informed Knowledge (20 credits), SEC2001 Building Knowledge of Educational Values (20 credits) and SEC2004 Building Knowledge of Teaching Religious Education (20 credits) replace SUG2000 Professional Practice 1B (20 credits), SUG2001 Personal and Professional Conduct – Legal Requirements for Professional Practice (20 credits), SUG2007 Creative Medium-Term Planing and Teaching in Religious Education (20 credits) and SUG2010 Educational Research Methods for School Improvement (20 credits) as compulsory modules in Year 2.
REL2001 The Bible in the Modern World (20 credits), REL2002 Religion, Belief and Reason (20 credits) and REL2003 Judaism (20 credits) change from optional to compulsory in Year 2, while REL2000 Ethnography: Living with Religions (20 credits) is removed as an optional module.

SEC3000 Researching Possibilities in Secondary Education (20 credits), SEC3001 Exploring Possibilities for Schools and Learners (20 credits) and SEC3004 Exploring Possibilities in Teaching Religious Education (20 credits) replace SUG3000 Professional Practice 2 (40 credits), SUG3001 Personal and Professional Conduct – Employability (20 credits), SUG3007 Classroom Assessment and Target Setting Skills in Religious Education (20 credits) and SUG3015 School Improvement Study in Religious Education (20 credits) as compulsory modules in Year 3.

104-112 UCAS Tariff points are required to join the 3-year route with effect from September 2021 entry.

Professional Skills Tests have been removed from the entry criteria for September 2020 entry onwards. Details of the replacement for the tests are still to be announced, however they will be benchmarked against a defined set of English and Mathematics skills that students will be expected to have by the end of the course (rather than at the point of entry).

The Professional Skills Tests remain part of the entry requirements for September 2019 entry in line with Government policy.