Lockers in the Monica Partridge buildings Digital Hub

Theology and Religious Studies BA

University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Profound. Inspiring. Divisive. Religion can be all of these things.
Making sense of religion and its impact is essential to understanding other cultures - and your own.

At Nottingham, you'll explore:

  • how religious ideas, practices, and identities develop over time
  • the insights theology and ethics bring to the biggest questions we face today
  • how religious beliefs influence science, philosophy, art, and literature.

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Big Questions in Theology and Religious Studies

Mandatory

Year 1

Christianity and the Challenge of Modernity

Mandatory

Year 1

Interpreting the Hebrew Bible

Mandatory

Year 1

Interpreting Islam

Mandatory

Year 1

Interpreting Judaism

Mandatory

Year 1

Interpreting the New Testament

Mandatory

Year 1

Philosophy for Theologians

Mandatory

Year 1

Reading World Religions

Optional

Year 1

The Bible in Music, Art and Literature

Optional

Year 1

Religion, Media and Ethics

Optional

Year 1

Atheism

Optional

Year 1

Biblical Hebrew

Mandatory

Year 2

Religion in Britain: Interfaith Encounters in a Secular Age

Optional

Year 2

Buddhism and the World

Optional

Year 2

Exile and Homeland: Jewish Culture, Thought and Politics in Modern Europe and Mandatory Palestine between 1890 and 1950

Optional

Year 2

Body and Soul: Christian Theological Anthropology

Optional

Year 2

The Theology of Paul

Optional

Year 2

Islamic Theology and Philosophy

Optional

Year 2

Africana Philosophies and Religions

Optional

Year 2

The Philosophy of Religion

Optional

Year 2

Jewish Theology and Philosophy from Philo to Kabbalah

Optional

Year 2

Beginners’ Latin or Greek for second and third years: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 2

Biblical Hebrew

Optional

Year 2

Intermediate Biblical Hebrew

Optional

Year 2

Employing the Arts

Optional

Year 2

Arts Work Placement Module

Mandatory

Year 3

Dissertation

Optional

Year 3

Islamic Theology and Philosophy

Optional

Year 3

Jewish Theology and Philosophy from Philo to Kabbalah

Optional

Year 3

The Theology of Paul

Optional

Year 3

The Philosophy of Religion

Optional

Year 3

The World of Orthodox Sainthood

Optional

Year 3

Exile and Homeland: Jewish Culture, Thought and Politics in Modern Europe and Mandatory Palestine between 1890 and 1950

Optional

Year 3

Body and Soul: Christian Theological Anthropology

Optional

Year 3

Africana Philosophies and Religions

Optional

Year 3

Beginners’ Latin or Greek for second and third years: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 3

Intermediate Biblical Hebrew

Information Icon

About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Monday 16 September 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Different topics suit different teaching methods. Depending on the modules you choose you may get involved in presentations to your peers, different forms of group work, be asked to develop a video, podcast, or other creative format.

We record all of our lectures. This allows you to watch important points again, review your notes and catch up if a personal situation means you can't attend in person.

Quality teaching

Over 90% of our students think staff are good at explaining things in the 2022 National Student Survey Supportive environment If you have worries about your work we won't wait for them to become problems. You'll have a personal tutor who will proactively review your academic progress and help find solutions to any issues.

"The personal tutoring role is important for building a sense of community between staff and students - we're not just distant lecturers talking at you in a classroom; we're here to help you grow and develop into your degree programme and beyond."
- Dr Tim Hutchings, personal tutor  

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Placements

A combination of essays and exams are the norm for most modules. Weekly reading summaries, presentations and online quizzes and tests may also be used by individual lecturers.


Assessment methods:

  • Dissertation
  • Essay
  • In-class test
  • Portfolio (written/digital)
  • Presentation
  • Reflective review
  • Written exam

 

The minimum contact time you will have is: 

  • Year one - at least 12 hours
  • Year two - at least 10 hours
  • Year three - at least 8 hours

Your lecturers will also be available outside your scheduled contact time to help you study and develop. This can be in person and online. As well as your timetabled sessions you'll carry out extensive self-study such as course reading and seminar preparation.

As a guide 20 credits (a typical module) is about 200 hours of work (combined teaching and self-study).

Class sizes vary. A popular lecture may have up to 70 students in it while a specialised seminar may only contain 10.

Your lecturers will usually be from our academic staff all of whom are internationally recognised in their fields.

Theology and Religious Studies prepares you for a wide range of potential careers.


You'll develop key professional skills such as how to:

  • understand and analyse others' ideas and beliefs, both spoken and texts
  • sift evidence and formulate arguments
  • think carefully and clearly
  • make reasoned decisions
  • develop sensitivity to cultural and religious diversity
  • communicate your ideas with confidence
  • engage intelligently and critically with the world in all its depth and complexity

The variety of skills you learn means your career is:

  • resilient - as the nature of work changes you can adapt
  • flexible - you can choose across different sectors as you develop and grow and opportunities arise

Recent graduates are currently working in areas such as:

  • law, public policy, strategy and consulting
  • banking and finance
  • church ministry
  • faith organisations
  • teaching
  • creative and cultural arts
  • journalism, advertising and communications
  • psychology and counselling

Find out more about opportunities for our theology and religious studies students.


Our graduates

Find out how two of our recent graduates, Jodi and Cat, have used their degrees to build careers.

Key fact

Only 14% of employers state that specific degree subjects are a selection criterion. (Institute of Student Employers recruitment survey 2019)

 

 

Average starting salary and career progression

78.8% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Arts secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £23,974.

HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017 to 2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

University undergraduate student Cole Pearce studying in Nightingale Hall accommodation's library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

"You literally get to stop and think and understand people in a whole new way. I don't think we do enough of this as a society, which goes a long way in explaining why there were so many different tensions in the world currently. "

Francis Adam

BA Theology and Religious Studies

Course data

Open Day June 2022