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.

Programme Code: V627 BA/SR

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

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.

Note: The structure displayed below is for students enrolled in 2019 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)

Year 1

Compulsory Module: Year 1

Guided Options: Year 1: Introduction to Religious Traditions

Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from the "Introduction to Religious Traditions" list below.

Open Options: Year 1

Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits from the open option lists (language list | non-language list)

Year 2

Compulsory Module: Year 2

Guided Options: Year 2

Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from "Religions in Cultural & Historical Contexts"/ "Comparative Study"/ "Specialised Study" according to stipulations below

Open Options: Year 2

Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits from the open option lists (language list | non-language list)

Year 3

Compulsory Module: Year 3

Guided Options: Year 3

Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from "Religions in Cultural & Historical Contexts"/ "Comparative Study"/ "Specialised Study" according to stipulations below

Open Options: Year 3

Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits from the open option lists (language list | non-language list)

Year 2 and 3 Guided Options

NB: Some modules are only expected to run every other year. See module descriptions for details.

Religions in Cultural and Historical Contexts - 60 credits in total in years 2-3 combined

Comparative Study - 0-30 credits in total in years 2-3 combined

Specialised Study - 30-60 credits in total in years 2-3 combined

Programme Specification

• BA Religion Culture and Society programme specification 2019/20 (pdf; 78kb)

Important notice

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 2019/20 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 Religion, Culture and Society 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