Philosophy Ethics and Religion BA Hons

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Course Summary

Philosophy and religion are fundamental to informing the way that people live. The choices we make, our sense of what’s right and wrong, our understanding of what we owe to each other: all of these are shaped by our fundamental beliefs about the nature of the world and our place in it.

This course places the big questions of philosophy and ethics in conversation with the religious traditions that have shaped them across the globe and throughout history, and continue to shape them here and now.

You will learn from subject specialists who have expert knowledge of the traditions they teach, and the experience to help you draw connections between ancient wisdom and the urgent debates of our time: the nature of authority, how belief shapes behaviour, the relationship between rights and responsibilities, what it means to be human, how to balance competing claims for justice.

Why you'll Love it

Our courses are nationally recognised for their excellence

You’ll have maximum flexibility to pursue your own interests

UK top ten for world-leading and internationally excellent research

Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Chester

What you'll Study

The BA in Philosophy, Ethics, and Religion course introduces the core areas of both Philosophy and Ethics, and the Study of Religion to enable students to develop existing or new interests through a choice of specialist topics in the second and third years.

In the first year, students are provided with introductions to all the key areas of Philosophy, Ethics and Religion: World Philosophies; Ethics; Christian Theology; Biblical Studies; and Religious Traditions such as Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism.

In the second and third years, the modules contain a choice of specialist topics in Philosophy and Ethics, such as: Political Philosophies; the Philosophical Imagination; God in Chistian Theology and Philosophy; Responding to Evil; Religion, Violence and Nationalism. Students can also choose to study topics in the study of Religion in the present and past, for example: Spirituality and Popular Culture; Contemporary Islam; Religion and Society in Britain; Religion and Gender; Feminist Theology; The Religion of Ancient Israel; Novelistic Texts in the Hebrew Bibles; Jesus and the Gospels; and Jews, Christians and Pagans.

In addition, at Level 5, students undertake a module with a placement or project using their skills in work-place settings or for real-world tasks. At Level 6, the Dissertation module offers students the opportunity to undertake an extended project, working independently with a personal supervisor on a topic of their choice.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

While the exact details of delivery will vary depending on the content of a particular topic (or even a particular session), most student class sessions will be a mix of lecture, discussion, group work, and practical demonstration. Some topics may have specifically designated seminars, to facilitate discussion among a smaller group of peers. Some may include field trips. Students will also have one-to-one tutorials in every module to help you prepare for your assessment. Scheduled contact hours range between approximately eight and ten hours per week depending upon level of study.

Students should also expect to spend around 30 hours per week on independent study which might include following asynchronous learning, tutorial time with staff, using the University’s library, working with peers and preparing work for assessment.

Teaching will be delivered by experienced academics in the subject, drawing on their research and expertise. This will be supplemented by occasional guest lecturers and speakers.

There is a wide range of assessment designed to help students consolidate their learning and develop key skills to equip them for a range of careers. The emphasis is on coursework rather than exams. In addition to essays, students are likely to write book reviews, text analysis, blog posts, dictionary entries, give oral presentations, video presentations, reports, research journals, workbooks, or critical reflections on students’ own learning. All assessments involve some element of independent choice, and are supported by formative activities, one-to-one tutorials, and feedback which highlights the next steps to enhance student achievement.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Entry requirements

112UCAS points

UCAS Tariff	112 points
GCE A Level	Typical offer – BCC-BBC
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM
International Baccalaureate	26 points
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H3 H4 Scottish Highers - BBBB
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above
T Level	Merit
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diplima: DMM
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72UCAS points

UCAS Tariff	72 points
GCE A level	72 points overall, including grade D in A level
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP
International Baccalaureate	24 points
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4 Scottish Highers: CCDD
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall
T Level	T Level: Pass (D or E on the core)
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diploma: MMP
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs. If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree.

Fees and funding

£9,250per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,250 a year, or £1,540 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

The University may increase these fees at the start of each subsequent year of your course in line with inflation at that time, as measured by the Retail Price Index. These fee levels and increases are subject to any necessary government, and other regulatory, approvals.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £13,950.

This fee is set for each year of study. All undergraduate students are eligible for international and merit-based scholarships which are applicable to each year of study.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials.

Students often elect to purchase a laptop, where students choose to do so, the cost it likely to be around £800-£1000.

Most software specific to your course is available free to students through agreements we have with the software vendors.

Occasional, optional, field trips may be offered, depending on student demand, these are typically within the UK and where chargeable the cost is likely to be under £100. Students are not required to participate in order to successfully complete the course.

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

Who you'll Learn from

Dr Ben Fulford

Associate Professor of Christian Theology

Prof Hannah Bacon

Professor of Feminist Theology

Dr Steve Knowles

Senior Lecturer in Religion and Popular Culture

Dr Dawn Llewellyn

Associate Professor in Religion and Gender

Prof Paul Middleton

Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity

Professor Caroline Tee

Professor of the Anthropology of Islam

Dr Matthew Collins

Senior Lecturer in Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism

Dr Deborah Casewell

Associate Professor in Philosophy

Where you'll Study Exton Park, Chester

The location

Modern learning resources and library

Seaborne library, seating and reception area.

Support Services

Fitness Facilities

A male student wearing goggles is swimming in the training pool between the red rope lane marker lines.

Chapel, Chaplaincy and Multi-Faith Spaces

Accommodation

Catering

Your Future Career

Job prosects

Philosophy, Ethics and Religion builds skills that are in high demand with employers across all sectors. Alongside critical thinking, argumentation, independent decision making, and the ability to present complex information clearly, our course develops cultural and religious literacy, empathy and understanding of diverse perspectives, media literacy and technological skills, and helps you gain project management experience that is crucial for career advancement.

Students go on to work in a number of professions, including teaching, banking and financial business, marketing and advertising, publishing, the civil service, health and social care, counselling, customer service, church and youth work, and ordained ministry.

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

Philosophy, Ethics and Religion BA (Hons)

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