Program Overview

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BA Philosophy and Religion

Overview

This joint degree offers the best of both Philosophical and Religious Studies.

You will study the sacred texts and world philosophies taught by various religious traditions, alongside the writings of some of the greatest world philosophers.

You will explore fascinating debates concerning human nature, conceptions of the divine, belief and doubt, existence, truth, and you'll reflect on the ways we think we know what we know.

You will also learn a variety of methods for approaching such profound questions, and Manchester's emphasis is distinctive: for Religious Studies, we offer the opportunity to study a diversity of religious traditions and their texts, with special emphasis on their real-world impact and for Philosophy we offer both Analytic and Continental philosophy.

Analytic Philosophy is concerned with the clarification of ideas and the language we use to express our ideas and has been highly influential in Anglo-American philosophy.

Continental Philosophy denotes a cluster of philosophical movements originating in 19th and 20th century continental Europe, and covers such areas as structuralism, hermeneutics, existentialism, phenomenology and deconstruction.

Aims

We aim to:

• provide multidisciplinary curricula informed by the research and scholarly activities of the teaching staff;
• develop your critical understanding of the interaction between philosophy and religions through a range of learning and teaching methods;
• equip you with the skills necessary to interpret primary and secondary sources;
• provide appropriate language instruction, where feasible;
• help students from diverse backgrounds progress through their course by providing effective academic and pastoral support;
• equip you for a variety of careers through subject specific knowledge, active engagement in your own learning and the development of analytical and other transferable skills.

Special Features

• Learn in a multi-faith city
• Study abroad
• Connect with like-minded students
• Placement year option

Course Details

Year 1

• Studying Philosophy
• Introduction to the Study of Religions and Theology
• Truth and Truth Telling
• Histories of the Islamic World
• The History and Sociopolitics of Palestine/Israel
• Introduction to Ethics
• Critical Thinking
• History of Philosophy
• Introduction to Metaphysics and Epistemology
• Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
• Digital Greek New Testament
• Introduction to Christianity
• Introduction to Judaism
• Religion, Ethics and the Environment
• Bible in Ancient and Modern Worlds
• Being Human[e]: Theological Studies in Philosophy and Ethics
• Standing on The Shoulders of Giants: Foundations for Study in The Arts

Year 2

• Ethics
• Problems in Theology, Philosophy and Ethics: Evil
• World Philosophies: Ethics and Ideas in the History of Thought
• Religions in China
• The Politics of Women and Gender in the Middle East and North Africa
• History of Modern Islamic Thought
• Philosophy of Religion
• Applied Philosophy
• Philosophy of Race
• Formal Logic
• British Empiricism
• 20th Century Analytical Philosophy
• Philosophy of Science
• Existentialism
• Hegel and Marx
• Digital Greek New Testament
• Religion, Culture and Gender
• Biblical Hebrew
• New Testament in Greek II
• World Christianities
• Interpreting Religion
• God at the Movies
• Jewish Philosophy and Ethics
• End of the World and Apocalypticism
• All about Eve: Encountering the First Woman from Antiquity to Today

Year 3

• Religions in China
• Dissertation (40 credit)
• Philosophy of Language
• Metaphysics
• Special Author: Wittgenstein
• Environmental Philosophy
• Philosophy of Action
• Phenomenology
• Advanced Topics in Aesthetics
• Language & Oppression
• Digital Greek New Testament
• Biblical Hebrew
• New Testament in Greek II
• Dissertation
• Holocaust Theology and Ethics
• Science and Islam
• Gender and Sexuality in the Bible
• Paul: Theology, Ethics, Philosophy
• Interdisciplinary Literature and Theology: Empathy, Ethics, Liberation
• Making Sense of Christ
• Contemporary Religion in the British Isles

Facilities

Our most distinctive research resource is the John Rylands Research Institute and Library - an internationally renowned resource which holds one of the finest collections of rare books, manuscripts and archives in the world.

Career Opportunities

You will develop versatile and transferable skills including presentation, critical thinking and analysis, team working and cultural sensitivity.

Course units will enable you to develop more specific skills, such as translation, source handling, exegesis, data collection and geo-historical awareness.

The University of Manchester has an excellent reputation for employability, and we are the second most targeted university by the nation's top employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research).

Degrees in Religions, Theology and Ethics provide some of the best skills to prepare for roles in fields such as:

• teaching and education;
• cultural heritage;
• counselling;
• the creative industries;
• law;
• research consultancies and think-tanks;
• finance;
• publishing;
• faith-based organisations;
• youth work;
• charity work;
• media;
• the public sector.

Our graduates have gone on to work for employers including the BBC, the Civil Service, Xaverian College, PwC, SPCK, the Church of England, Christian Aid and the Liberal Jewish Synagogue.

A substantial number of students opt for postgraduate study in Religion and Theology or on PGCE courses.

Entry Requirements

A-level

AAB including one essay based/humanities subject.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels.

A-level Contextual Offer

BBB including one essay based/humanities subject.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels.

UK Refugee/Care-Experienced Offer

BBC including one essay based/humanities subject.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels.

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall, with 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects

GCSE/IGCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 6 or B in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and 4 or C in Mathematics.

GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Other Entry Requirements

Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.

• Scottish requirements
• Welsh Baccalaureate
• Foundation year
• Pearson BTEC qualifications
• OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
• Access to HE Diploma
• T Level
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Fees and Funding

Fees

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Policy on Additional Costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme.

Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application.

Scholarships/Sponsorships

• Find out more from student finance
• Eligible UK students can apply for bursaries and scholarships
• Funding for EU and international students is on our country-specific pages
• Many students work part-time or complete a student internship

Application and Selection

How to Apply

Apply through UCAS

Advice to Applicants

We are looking for applicants who have the predicted A-level grades (or other relevant qualifications) for the relevant degree programme and whose personal statement demonstrates an enthusiasm for the subject.

Home-Schooled Applicants

If you have followed a non-standard educational route and have been, for example, educated at home, your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course to which you applied.

You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the academic entry requirements as specified for the course.

We will also require a reference which should be written by somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.

Non-Standard Educational Routes

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.

Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest.

There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.

If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

Further information for mature students can be found here.

How Your Application is Considered

We don't normally interview for this degree, except in the case of mature applicants.

In considering your application, all the information on the UCAS form is taken into account, particular attention being paid to academic qualifications and predictions, to your referee's confidential report, and to your personal statement.

Returning to Education

We welcome applications from mature students.

We accept a wide range of qualifications including Access courses.

Deferrals

Deferrals are normally allowed; however, we do ask applicants to let us know as early as possible if they are intending to defer.

This helps us to adjust the number of offers we make, in order to achieve the required number of students in a given year.

Re-Applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again.

Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.

In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.

We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course.

If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements.

In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

Transfers

We will consider applications to transfer to Manchester from other universities and would normally ask for a letter explaining why a transfer was needed, relevant transcripts, a copy of the applicant's UCAS form and a confidential reference from one of the applicant's current university tutors.

We will consider applications to transfer from other degrees within the University of Manchester but applicants are required to have the A-level grades (or other qualifications) needed for entry to that degree programme.

Transfers are subject to our having enough places to accommodate such applicants.

Enquiries should be made to the admissions administrator for the subject (see contact details).

English Language Requirements

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency.

The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

• GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade B/6, or;
• IELTS 7.0 with 6.5 in each component, or;
• An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above.

Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help.

Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page.

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level.

Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here.

English Language Test Validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years.

Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.