Program Overview

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BA Religion and Theology (V600)

2026 entry

Course summary

Studying Religion and Theology makes you an expert at understanding how people across the globe interact. You will learn how cultures and individuals deal with life-shaping questions and why changes and conflicts occur in religious cultures both past and present. These skills form a solid basis from which to pursue a range of careers including journalism, law, politics, publishing, teaching, communication and more.

Bristol is a culturally diverse and vibrant city, and we organise and encourage excursions to churches, mosques, and synagogues as well as Hindu and Sikh temples and Buddhist Centres. As part of your degree, you will have the opportunity to conduct fieldwork, enabling you to build community connections and discuss some of the big global questions with local people of diverse faiths and cultures. You will be taught by experts in a variety of fields including Buddhist studies, Christian theology, Islamic studies, Jewish studies and East Asian religions.

We have links with universities all over the world, and you have the option to study abroad for a semester in your second year. Our students can study at the global top 100 universities on four continents and in countries including Israel, Japan, Singapore, Canada, US, Belgium and Denmark.

Overview

Typical offer

• A-level standard offer: ABB
• A-level contextual offer: BBC

Programme duration

• 3 year(s) full-time
• Part-time study is not available for this course

Application method

• UCAS (Code: V600)

Location

• Clifton campus

Fees

• £9,535 per year, home students
• £27400 per year, international students

Course structure

Your first year provides a solid foundation in global religions' complex interactions across history and modernity. You will take units covering approaches to and issues in the study of world religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism across regional and cultural contexts.

Years two and three give you the opportunity to develop expertise and shape your degree by choosing optional units according to your interests. We offer a wide range of units on various aspects of and approaches to different Western and Asian religious traditions.

In your third year, you will also complete a dissertation working closely with your supervisor who will advise you on choosing and researching a topic. The annual dissertation conference is an opportunity for all final-year students to share their research.

In any year you can choose to study one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin or Sanskrit (subject to availability).

You will join a welcoming community which enables you to interact closely with lecturers. Tutors employ a variety of teaching styles, ranging from small-group sessions to larger lecture units.

Entry requirements

We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.

A-level standard offer

• ABB

A-level contextual offer

• BBC

BTEC

• DDM in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma

International Baccalaureate Diploma

• 32 points overall with 16 at Higher Level

International Baccalaureate Diploma contextual offer

• 29 points overall with 14 at Higher Level

European Baccalaureate

• 77% overall

Scottish Qualifications Authority

• Advanced Higher: AB and Standard Higher: AABBB

Access to HE Diploma

• Access to HE Diploma in Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or History (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include 15 credits at Distinction and 30 at Merit or above.

Welsh Baccalaureate

• Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales or the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.

Cambridge Pre-U

• Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.

International qualifications

• The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

GCSE profile requirements

• No specific subjects required.

English language requirements

• If English is not your first language, you need to have one of the following:
  • IELTS 7.0 overall with 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other skills
  • GCSE English Language grade B or 6
  • an alternative qualification outlined in our Profile level B.

Selection process

• Regulations and codes of conduct we abide by to create a positive environment for learning and achievement are found in the University admissions policies and procedures.
• If applying with extenuating circumstances please see our policy.
• Full information about our selection processes for Religion and Theology can be found in the Admissions Statement.

Related courses

• BA Religion and Theology with Study Abroad

Related Subjects

• Ancient History
• Classics
• History
• Philosophy