BA Study of Religions

Programme Code: V627 BA/SR

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

Who is this programme for?:

This degree is for students who seek to broaden their understanding of the world by studying the social, political, cultural and historical forces contained in religious traditions.

• We are looking for applicants who believe that religions are important to think about, whether or not they are religious themselves.
• We welcome all applicants whether they have previously focused in religions in their education or not.
• We offer widely transferable skills and insights that unlock a broad range of career trajectories, from media and consulting to teaching and development work, among others.
• Our graduates have gone on to employment in global businesses, media companies, universities, government institutions, development organisations, religious institutions, schools, museums, libraries, and more.

At SOAS we study religions because they are powerful and enduring forces in all societies at all times. They give insight into human values, identities, and histories like no other aspect of culture.

The study of religions at SOAS offers:

• a unique combination of core subject knowledge with regional expertise
• a wide range of traditions that is second to no other programme in the UK or worldwide
• the opportunity to specialise in a tradition of your choice
• a comprehensive set of disciplinary skills and insights for studying human histories and cultures through religious thought and practice.

Studying religions is for all who seek to further global understanding while attaining a world of graduate employment opportunities.

Note: The structure displayed below is for students enrolled in 2018 or after. For students enrolled in the BA Study of Religions in 2017 or before, please see the programme structure pre 2018 .

General Information

• You must register for 120 credits each year.
• To be eligible for an Honours degree a student must have passed a minimum of eleven courses, of those passing only ten being awarded a Pass degree.
• Only the grades of years two and three count towards the final degree result. In their first year, students only need to pass their modules to continue. The pass mark is 40%.

Programme Structure

Each year, your programme consists of the following components:

1. one core module (30 credits)
2. modules selected from set of guided options (60 credits)
3. an open option (30 credits)

Modules for each component must be selected as follows:

Open Option

The Open Option consists of a free choice of modules (30 credits total each year), which may include:

• A language from the Department of Religions and Philosophies, see List V (below)
• A language from the Faculty of Languages and Cultures
• An ‘open option’ from any department, including additional modules from the Study of Religions (see module lists below)

Guided Options

List I) Year 1 Introductions to Religious Traditions

List II) Religions in Historical and Cultural Contexts

Note: These modules commence in 2019. Some may run only every two years.

List III) Thematic Study

List IV) Specialised Study

Note: Some modules in this list may run only every two years.

List V) Languages offered by the Department of Religions & Philosophies

Note: The specialist languages in this list may not be on offer every year. Languages from other departments at SOAS can also be taken as part of a Study of Religions Degree.

Disclaimer

Teaching & Learning

Most courses involve a 50- 100-minute lecture as a key component with linked tutorial classes. 

The programme works with a variety of assessments:

• response papers and reading comprehension tasks
• written exercises in methodology
• essays of up to 3,000 words
• written exams

All modules are assessed by more than one assessment in the interest of balanced grades and student progressions. Many tutorials and classes include formative exercises to prepare the assessments.

Tuition Fees

Full details of undergraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Undergraduate Tuition Fees page.

Fees for 2018/19 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

A degree in the Study of Religions from SOAS equips students to follow many different careers. Graduates are provided with important knowledge and understanding of peoples’ different culture, history and beliefs concerning fundamental issues which they can develop in the field of research or utilise in a professional career. Students also develop a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in business, public and charity sectors. These include: the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources - often both in the original or other relevant languages; analytical skills to assess critically the materials relevant to a specific issue; written and oral communication skills to present, discuss and debate opinions and conclusions; and problem solving skills.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts