Religious Studies and Philosophy (BA)
- Subject areas: Philosophy, Religious studies and theology
- UCAS code: VV65
- Next intake: September 2025
- Duration: 3 years
- Mode: Full time
Why study this course
Tailored to you
With primarily optional modules you have freedom to choose a personalised degree.
Industry experience
Gain skills, confidence and connections through a variety of cultural internships.
Forge your own path
Through optional modules, you can explore subjects that interest you ranging from Islam to scriptual language to Buddhism.
Religion in context
Understand how religion influences and is influenced by the media, society, history and politics.
Dissertation with a difference
Explore a topic that sparks your curiosity; enhance multiple skills with a presentation and written element.
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Subject area: Philosophy
Subject area: Religious studies and theology
Entry requirements
We accept a combination of A-levels and other qualifications, as well as equivalent international qualifications subject to entry requirements. Typical offers are as follows:
These grades apply to applications received before 30 June 2024. Grades required for Clearing applicants can vary and may be higher or lower. Get in touch to discuss your options.
A level
Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.
Our grade range covers our standard offer and contextual offer. We carefully consider the circumstances in which you've been studying (your contextual data) upon application.
- Eligible students will be given an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range.
- Where there is no grade range advertised and/or where there are selection processes in place (like an interview) you may receive additional points in the selection process or be guaranteed interview/consideration.
Learn about eligible courses and how contextual data is applied.
International Baccalaureate
Baccalaureate Wales
From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3). This qualification will replace the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (Welsh Baccalaureate). The qualification will continue to be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.
English language requirements
GCSE
Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.
IELTS (academic)
At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.
TOEFL iBT
At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.
PTE Academic
At least 69 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.
Trinity ISE II/III
II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits.
III: at least a Pass in all components.
Other accepted qualifications
Please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our other accepted language qualifications.
Other qualifications from inside the UK
BTEC
T level
Please contact admission@cardiff.ac.uk for more information.
Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.
Tuition fees for 2025 entry
Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.
Learn how we decide your fee status
Fees for home status
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.
Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
Fees for island status
Learn more about the undergraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Fees for overseas status
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
Additional costs
Course specific equipment
No.
Accommodation
We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.
Living costs
We're based in one of the UK's most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.
Course structure
We are currently working with our students to update and improve the content of this course. The information shown below reflects the current curriculum and is likely to change. The review of the course is expected to be completed by August 2025 and this page will be updated by end of October 2025 to reflect the changes.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2025/2026 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2025.
Year one
You will take 60 credits of Religious Studies and 60 credits of Philosophy modules.
You may study religion through texts, poetry, art, film, biographies, fieldwork and drama. You will be introduced to key ideas about ritual, gender and place that provide a dynamic foundation for further study across a range of modules offered in your second and third years. You will also have the option to study one of the original languages of religious texts on offer.
Your Philosophy modules will provide a comprehensive grounding in the subject, giving you a strong foundation to build on in years two and three
Module title | Module code | Credits |
---|---|---|
The Origins and Legacies of Religion in the Modern World | RT0101 | 20 credits |
Mind, Thought and Reality | SE4101 | 20 credits |
Moral and Political Philosophy | SE4103 | 20 credits |
Critical Thinking | SE4107 | 20 credits |
Module title | Module code | Credits |
---|---|---|
A World Full of Gods | HS0001 | 20 credits |
Themes and Issues in the Study of Religion | RT0102 | 20 credits |
Introduction to the Bible | RT0105 | 20 credits |
The Story of Christianity | RT0106 | 20 credits |
Year two
In Year Two, you will take 60 credits of Religious Studies modules and 60 credits of Philosophy modules.
In Religious Studies you will have the opportunity to develop a more advanced knowledge of a range of religious traditions, building on introductory modules undertaken in year one and develop your awareness of the role of religion in shaping the cultural, intellectual, and ethical concerns of contemporary societies.
After Year 1 there are no compulsory Philosophy modules. We give you choice – but we also give you the skills and knowledge to make informed choices. The second year of your degree will equip you with a thorough understanding of the core arguments of the principal areas of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Module title | Module code | Credits |
---|---|---|
What is Religion | RT0201 | 20 credits |
Year three
You choose a further 60 credits of Religious Studies and 60 credits of Philosophy modules.
You will have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of religious themes and topics with a range of specialised modules. You may also acquire skills in qualitative and quantitative research into religion(s) in contemporary societies, depending on the modules you choose.
Philosophy modules in year three reflect the current research activities of the staff who teach them, building on the themes studied in year two. You will read and think about the very same texts that the module leader is currently thinking and writing about and will have the opportunity to explore issues in greater depth, as your competence, knowledge and confidence increases.
If you wish, you can write a dissertation on a topic of your choice in either Religious Studies or Philosophy.
Module title | Module code | Credits |
---|---|---|
Dissertation or Critical Translation | RT0301 | 30 credits |
The Life and Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer | RT0305 | 30 credits |
Religion and the News: Conflict and Context | RT0310 | 30 credits |
Identity and Integration: Muslims in Britain | RT0314 | 30 credits |
Religion and Political Thought | RT0319 | 30 credits |
Ancient Israel: Portrait of a Near Eastern Society | RT0324 | 30 credits |
Money, Sex and Power in the Early Church | RT4329 | 30 credits |
Metaethics | SE4367 | 20 credits |
The Problem of Consciousness | SE4379 | 20 credits |
Dissertation in Philosophy | SE4385 | 20 credits |
Cyfiawnder Byd-eang | SE4394 | 20 credits |
Hanes Athroniaeth yr 20fed Ganrif yng Nghymru | SE4396 | 20 credits |
The Social Imagination | SE4412 | 20 credits |
Belief & Irrationality | SE4419 | 20 credits |
Ethics of Knowing | SE4422 | 20 credits |
Beauty & Ethics | SE4425 | 20 credits |
A Sense of the Possible | SE4427 | 20 credits |
Aesthetic Injustice | SE4434 | 20 credits |
Sociality Online | SE4435 | 20 credits |
Reasons and Relationships | SE4438 | 20 credits |
The Politics of Language Diversity | SE4439 | 20 credits |
The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.
Learning and assessment
Careers
Career prospects
School of English, Communication and Philosophy
English literature and philosophy graduates have excellent analytic and communication skills that fit them for a full range of professions and further training. Their cultural expertise and intellectual abilities are valued in the public and private sector, and in contexts as varied as the classroom, the law courts or the media.
School of History, Archaeology and Religion
We believe in giving our graduates the best opportunities to find employment.
Some of our graduates enter professions which make direct use of their academic expertise, while others compete successfully in a wide range of other fields.
Studying in Welsh
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How to apply
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HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.