Religious Studies (with Foundation Year)
UCAS Code: Combined Honours only – see combinations tab|Duration: 4 years|Full Time|Hope Park|UCAS Campus Code: L46Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
Religious Studies at Liverpool Hope explores the practice and significance of religion in contemporary society through the study of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, African religion, and Indic traditions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. A balance between the study of religious texts and lived religion in the contemporary world is maintained throughout the degree. Religious Studies pays close attention to what supporters to these religions believe, and explores the very real differences that exist between various groups within each faith.
Throughout your studies, you will analyse and contextualise the theology behind key religions to appreciate their history and their relevance to the social and political landscape. All of our teaching is research-informed and you will be taught by highly-qualified academics, all of whom have a PhD in the area, who are both active and published researchers and committed teachers. We work hard to provide top-quality educational opportunities for all our students, and the Department has recently invested heavily in learning resources; combined library holdings in Theology and Religion are now in excess of 100,000 volumes.
Above all, the Religious Studies degree treats religions as lived faiths by looking at the way that they are followed in Britain and across the globe today. You acquire skills in the different methods of studying religion. The degree looks at questions of faith and life and at the same time is intellectually challenging. By drawing out the complex issues that surround religious belief and expression, the degree equips you to engage with the pressing questions of our time and to play your part in promoting religious and social harmony.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars of smaller groups of around 15-20 students, and tutorials which typically have no more than 10 students. You also have the opportunity to have a one-to-one meeting with your tutor each week.
For the Religious Studies part of your Combined Honours degree, in your first year of study there are approximately 6 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 5 teaching hours each week in your second and third years. On top of teaching hours, you are also expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments you may have.
Assessment and feedback
Throughout your three years of study you will have a number of assessments, including written exams, essays, case studies and portfolios. Depending on choices you make in your third year, assessments may also include textual analysis, fieldwork reports and literature reviews.
You will receive your feedback via the University’s Virtual Online Learning Environment (Moodle), and you are also welcome to discuss the feedback with your tutors.
Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is a great opportunity if you have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualifications required to enter directly onto our degree programmes. A significant part of the Foundation Year focuses upon core skills such as academic writing at HE level, becoming an independent learner, structuring academic work, critical thinking, time management and note taking.
Successful completion of the Foundation Year will enable you to progress into the first year (Level C) of your chosen honours degree. Further details can be found here.
Year One
Your first year gives you a broad introduction to the approaches of the study of religion. You will also be introduced to a number of religious traditions, including African religions, Judaism, African Christianity, Global Christianity, Islamic traditions and Hinduism.
Year Two
In your second year, you will explore contemporary religious ethics, including Ethical traditions and current issues in Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. You will explore the relationship between the religious and the ethical, sacrifice, sexual ethics, bio ethics, the holocaust, jihad and radicalisation, environmental ethics, forgiveness and the problem of evil.
You will continue your exploration of global Christianity and of Islam, engaging with the history and development of Sharia and its application to various context in the Islamic world relating to contemporary questions about gender, secularism and religious law in Islam. The year also includes a detailed study of Buddhism, looking at liberation, meditation, schisms and Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, Emptiness, and Zen. Finally, you will have weekly tutorials in the Study of Religion.
Year Three
During your third year you will undertake advanced studies of Islamic political theory and Sufism and Jewish thought through the critical reading of primary texts in translation. You will also engage with the broader theme of Religion, Conflict, and Reconciliation, critically evaluating key points of conflict around the world and the role that religions play in cultivating tensions and resolutions.
This level also provides students with an opportunity to pursue a theme related to the programme through a substantial dissertation, an independent research project led by the student working with a supervisor.
Entry requirements
There may be some flexibility for mature students offering non-tariff qualifications and students meeting particular widening participation criteria.
Careers
Religious Studies equips you to enter a range of careers. It prepares you to go on to become a religious education teacher at a primary or secondary level through the study of a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), which is offered at Liverpool Hope University.
The interaction between different religions in the global arena and the complex social and political implications mean that you will be equipped with the knowledge to take forward a career in areas such as politics, media, international relations and social work.
Many students also undertake further studies. In addition to the PCGE, there is the opportunity to undertake a range of Master programmes at Liverpool Hope in Theology and Religious Studies, including Religious Education.
Enhancement opportunities
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are £9,250 for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,250.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
Additional costs
As well as your tuition fees, you also need approximately £100 to purchase key text books.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2022/23 are £12,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is also available with Foundation Year as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: