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Religious Studies at Lancaster University - UCAS

Course options

2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Why Lancaster?

  • Study a course designed to explore religion through the lens of different disciplines
  • Learn from experts who specialise in research areas such as the roles of women in Islam and global Christianity
  • Our team are at the cutting edge of the discipline and you’ll benefit from their insights into new religious movements
  • Build your professional experience by presenting your ideas and getting feedback at the department’s postgraduate conference
  • Use the advanced research skills you’ll develop to enhance your career or pursue a future in academia
Religion plays a role in many aspects of today’s world – from popular culture to conflict, gender equality to our understanding of the past. We’ve designed this course to help you unravel those relationships using research methods from different disciplines such as sociology and anthropology. Hone your research skills We kickstart this course with our Studying Religion module. It covers a lot of ground – you’ll study areas like social and cultural transformations of religion and spirituality, as well as sharpening your skills in making sense of conflicting data from different sources and forming an evidence-based argument. You’ll also dig deeper into an area that interests you with our dissertation module. Past students have looked at a very wide range of topics, depending on their own interests. For example, they’ve written about religion and spirituality during lockdown, and charismatic leadership in new religious movements. A range of areas to explore Alongside core modules, you might analyse Indian source texts on politics and ethics or perhaps discuss major debates in religious and atheistic thought. With our Independent Study module, you can pick any area within the subject to explore. Religious Studies is a rich and fascinating area of study, constantly evolving as our understanding expands and matures. Your MA Religious Studies degree will show potential employers that you understand cultural differences and appreciate diversity. This is something that’s valued across a range of sectors.

Modules

Core modules: Studying religion; dissertation (standard); theory and methods in postgraduate studies. Optional modules: Classical Islam; religion and psychoanalytic thought; religion and popular culture; spirituality: Asian perspectives; independent study module; Buddhism and society.

Assessment method

Coursework and dissertation.

Entry requirements

2:1 degree in a related subject is normally required. We will also consider applications where you have a degree in other subjects, have a 2:2 or equivalent result and/or extensive relevant experience. In these cases, you should clearly demonstrate how your experience and skills have prepared you for postgraduate study. We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously. We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 5.5 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

For information about fees and funding please visit our website: www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding.

Sponsorship information

Funding may be available from the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council). Limited University funding is also available.

Religious Studies at Lancaster University - UCAS