Program Overview

Religion, Philosophy and Ethics BA

Overview

Dive into the profound world of religion, philosophy, and ethics with our engaging programme. Philosophy and religion are fundamental to shaping our ethics. And by shaping us as individuals, they shape society as a whole.

Ethical thinking is unavoidable, difficult and demanding. The world's philosophical and religious traditions can help us cope with these demands.

This course encourages you to think deeply about the foundations of our beliefs and ethics. You’ll explore how religious thought and philosophy address these fundamental questions. You’ll develop the skills and confidence to argue your views, and gain professional experience with opportunities for bespoke internships, work placements and volunteering schemes.

Key Information

• Qualification: BA Jt Hons
• Entry Requirements: ABB
• Start Date: September 2026
• UCAS Code: 86V4
• Duration: 3 years full-time
• Fees: £9,535*

Course Structure

• Year One:
  • Introduction to Practical Philosophy
  • Introduction to Theoretical Philosophy
  • Abraham's Children: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
  • Optional modules:
    • Being Human A
    • Being Human B
    • Gender, Justice, and Society
    • Introduction to Philosophical Traditions
    • Metaphysics, Science, and Language
    • Atheism
    • Creation, Revelation and Catastrophe: Introducing the Bible
    • Peace and Justice: Studying Theology and Religion
    • Philosophy of Religions
    • Reading World Religions
    • Religion, Media and Ethics
    • Arts Engaged in Health (Engaged Arts)
    • Data, Culture and Society (Engaged Arts)
    • Digital Projects: Data and Text (Engaged Arts)
    • Digital Projects: Sound and Vision (Engaged Arts)
    • Disease and Society (Engaged Arts)
    • Exploring Digital Arts (Engaged Arts)
    • Exploring Sustainability (Engaged Arts)
    • Sustainability Action (Engaged Arts)
    • The Critical Citizen: Modes of Thinking in Contemporary Society (Engaged Arts)
    • Writing and Being: Academic, Activist, Professional, Creative and Personal (Engaged Arts)
• Year Two:
  • Applying Contemporary Philosophical Research A
  • Moral Philosophy
  • Optional modules:
    • Africana Philosophies and Religions
    • Applied Ethics
    • Aesthetics
    • Applying Contemporary Philosophical Research B
    • Being, Becoming and Reality
    • Exploring European Philosophy, Ancient and Modern
    • Formal and Philosophical Logic
    • Freedom and Obligation
    • Knowledge and Justification
    • Meaning, Truth and Existence
    • Mind and Consciousness
    • Music, Ethics and Identity (Level 2)
    • Musical Visions of Life, Death and the Beyond (Level 2)
    • Philosophy of Art
    • Philosophy of History
    • Science and Society
    • Social Philosophy
    • Space, Time and Motion
    • Topics in Asian Philosophy
    • Buddhism and the World
    • Central Themes in Biblical Studies
    • Ecotheologies of Love: Christian Theology and Climate Change (Level 2)
    • Exile and Homeland: Jewish Culture, Thought and Politics in Modern Europe and Palestine
    • Interfaith Encounters and Project Design
    • Philosophies of God: Unsettling Belief
    • Religion in Britain: Interfaith Encounters in a Secular Age
    • Applying the Digital Humanities (Engaged Arts)
    • Arts Work Placement Module (Engaged Arts)
    • Community Engagement and Social Impact (Engaged Arts)
    • Decolonisation and Justice (Engaged Arts)
    • Employing the Arts (Engaged Arts)
    • Issues in the Health Humanities (Engaged Arts)
    • Living and Working in a Multi-Lingual World (Engaged Arts)
    • Made in Nottingham (Engaged Arts)
• Year Three:
  • Optional modules:
    • Advanced Topics in Modern Philosophy
    • Advanced Topics in Moral Philosophy
    • Advanced Topics in Political Philosophy
    • Authenticity and Existentialism
    • Communicating Philosophy
    • Dirty Talk
    • Elegance and Simplicity in Science
    • Environmental Ethics
    • Philosophy Independent Project Module
    • Knowledge, Ignorance and Democracy
    • Mind, Psychology and Mental Health
    • Mind, World, and Knowledge in Ancient Greek Philosophy
    • Music, Ethics and Identity (Level 3)
    • Musical Visions of Life, Death and the Beyond (Level 3)
    • Philosophy and Mortality
    • Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
    • Philosophy of Criminal Law
    • Philosophy of Life and Living
    • Topics in Metaethics
    • Advanced Topics in Theology and Religion
    • Buddhist Philosophy
    • Christianity and Capitalism
    • Ecotheologies of Love: Christian Theology and Climate Change (Level 3)
    • Religion in Real Life: Problem-Solving and Public Communication
    • Science and Religion

Assessment

• 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.

Careers

• This degree opens the doors to a wide range of possible careers.
• You'll develop key professional skills such as how to:
  • understand and analyse others' ideas and beliefs
  • think carefully and clearly
  • sift evidence, make reasoned decisions and argue persuasively
  • 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

Contact

• For more information, please head to our help and support hub, where you can find frequently asked questions or details of how to make an enquiry.