Study at Cardiff | Undergraduate

Religion has been part of human experience from the earliest traces of human existence up to the present day. It has been the way most cultures have sought to express their understanding of the purpose of life and the foundation of personal and social behaviour. The study of religion is therefore rich and exciting, and as a student of Religious and Theological Studies at Cardiff, you will have the opportunity to explore your own and other peoples' religious history and culture, and some of the fundamental questions of existence. The School of Religious and Theological Studies is a flourishing centre of research at the cutting edge of the subject. All of your lecturers and tutors will be active researchers in their fields and inform their teaching with the latest state of knowledge.

Key Facts

The BA in Religious and Theological Studies (Single and Joint Honours) provides students with a critical understanding of religious and/or theological studies with relevance to the historical development of religion(s) in contemporary societies. The programme encourages students to explore religions and theologies in relation to a wide range of historical, theoretical, and social issues, and according to a range of methodological approaches (incl. textual hermeneutics, language study, gender theories, cultural and theoretical anthropology, conflict studies, media, globalisation etc.). The programme is ‘research-led’: tutors thereby draw on a range of approaches to studying religion and theology, which do not claim to be exhaustive, but rather are intended to equip students with the skills needed in order to contextualise religious discourse as a way of understanding the role of religion and theology in e.g. the formation of group and individual identities.

In Year One, you will

• acquire broad knowledge of the history of Christian theology (e.g. History of the Christian Church) and Christian theological thought (e.g. Introduction to the Study of the Bible)
• acquire broad knowledge of a number of ‘World Religions’, e.g. Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam (e.g. Religion, Culture and Society 1 and 2)
• acquire the basic skills required for the academic study of religions and theology (how to read a scholarly article, construction of essays, referencing, note-taking, use of evidence and sources, all addressed in the principal Yr. 1 discursive modules, as outlined above)
• There is also the option to be introduced to the study of religious texts in their original languages, through the acquisition of introductory and intermediate languages, and through the acquisition of fundamental exegetical and text-critical skills (e.g. Introduction to Sanskrit; Introduction to Arabic; Introduction to Hebrew; Introduction to New Testament Greek)

In Year Two, you will

• develop a more advanced knowledge of Christian theology and history, building on introductory modules undertaken in Yr. 1 (e.g. New Testament Epistles; Beliefs in the Crucible; Exploring Gnosticism)
• develop a more advanced knowledge of a range of religious traditions, building on introductory modules undertaken in Yr. 1 (e.g. Islam in the Contemporary World; Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Judaism; Life of the Buddha)
• develop your awareness of the role of religion in shaping the cultural, intellectual, and ethical concerns of contemporary societies (e.g. Emotions, Symbols and Rituals)
• If you have taken a language module in Yr. 1 (e.g. Classical Hebrew; New Testament Greek Texts 1 etc) you will have the opportunity to deepen your ability to translate and exegete a range of religious texts.

In Year Three, you will

• deepen your understanding of a range of theological/religious themes and topics with a range of specialised modules (e.g. Gender and Sexuality: Islamic Perspectives; Theology on the Edge; Christian Social Ethics Today)
• are encouraged to write a research-dissertation (i.e. Open Choice Dissertation) based on expertise built up over yrs. 2 and 3
• acquire skills in qualitative and quantitative research into religion(s) in contemporary societies (e.g. Religion in Modern Britain)
• If you have taken a language module in Yrs 1 and 2, you will have the opportunity to acquire high-level translation, exegetical, and text-critical skills.

A range of teaching methods and learning styles are used throughout the BA Religious and Theological Studies. Lectures introduce students to the general issues that will guide their own reading; they will develop their ideas in private study, and they will test and gain feedback on those ideas through seminars. Seminars will include activities such as group discussion, oral presentation, and source criticisms.

How the programme will be assessed

Progression is built into assessment, in that students do smaller guided tasks in Year one, as well as formative essays in Years Two and Three. Progression is also evident in the growing emphasis on types of lengthier, independent written work, e.g. written portfolios as 100% assessment model; 8,000 word final yr. Dissertation. Modules at Level 6 also demand deeper engagement with independent methods of working, together with greater demands on handling critically a larger number of bibliographical tasks and items.

Formative and summative assessments include the following

• A portfolio of skills (incl. Annotated Bibliographies) and methodical approaches in e.g. Religion, Culture and Society 1 and 2 (Yr.1)
• Portfolios of written essays (typically, two 3,000 words)
• A final year dissertation (8,000 words)
• Oral presentations (10-20 minutes)
• Source criticisms (1000 words) at Yrs. 1, 2, and 3
• In-class tests (esp. for language modules) of, typically, 3 x 1 hour per module
• Written Examinations (Typical model incl. 3 questions in 2 hours)

Students receive extensive feedback in a variety of forms, incl. Essay Clinics on formative written work, seminar discussion, written feedback on essays, essay tutorials, lecturer contact-hours (in office, and electronically)

Other skills that will be practised and developed

Students will develop a range of discipline-specific skills that employers also value. Students learn to assess critically a body of knowledge, to develop hypotheses, test them against qualitative and quantitative evidence, and present conclusions both in writing and orally. They learn to work both independently and as part of a team.

What is expected of you

Students will be expected to attend lectures and seminars, to prepare for the latter through private study, and to participate in seminar activities. They will also be expected to participate in group presentations, as appropriate, and to attend and prepare for supervisory sessions for the Open Choice Dissertation. Students are expected to spend at least five hours per discursive module each week preparing for seminars, presentations and writing essays. Students taking Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced language and text modules are expected to spend between six-eight hours per module working on translation tasks, exegetical assignments, and presentations.

How we will support you

As appropriate, modules use the Learning Central electronic learning environment, on which students find course materials, links to related materials, as copyright permits, and electronic tests. Students undertaking the Open Choice Dissertation are allocated a research supervisor at the start of the academic year. Opportunities for students to reflect on their general abilities and performance are provided through Personal Development Plans (which we call ‘CV Building’), which are integrated into the Personal Tutor system.

Welsh language teaching

The department provides significant opportunities for learning and teaching through the medium of Welsh. Subject to staff availability, seminar teaching in Welsh is available on some or all of the major core courses, and at least one Welsh language option is offered in Years Two and Three. Welsh language supervision is also available for long essays (Exploring Historical Debate) and dissertations, and students may elect to write all or some of their assessed work and examinations in Welsh.

A list of commonly accepted alternative entry qualifications and admissions and selection criteria for this degree programme can be read here.