Philosophy and Religion

Entry requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in a relevant background.

We may also consider non-standard applicants, please contact us for information.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Why Lancaster?

• Join a unique department that brings together scholars specializing in Global religions and a wide range of philosophical traditions
• Study a course designed to explore religion through the lens of different disciplines
• Go beyond Western philosophy with modules designed to explore philosophy from a global perspective
• Learn from experts who specialise in research areas such as reproductive ethics, roles of women in Islam, philosophy of psychiatry and global Christianity
• Benefit from an applied approach – understand how philosophy can help us solve pressing challenges in the modern world
• Build your professional experience by presenting your ideas and getting feedback at the department’s postgraduate conference

This cross-disciplinary programme provides you with the opportunity to pursue and develop your interests in philosophy and religious studies, and to focus on the interface between the two. It builds on core modules, which aim to introduce you to central disciplinary skills and knowledge, with a choice of optional modules across both disciplines.

Digging deeper

We start this course with our modules Studying Religion and What is Philosophy? with both modules covering a lot of ground. In Studying Religion you’ll explore 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. In What is Philosophy? you’ll explore the methods used and debates within the subject. At the same time, our teaching team will discuss their fascinating research on everything from the ethics of work to feminist philosophy.

The freedom to explore

Alongside the core module and dissertation, you’ll choose from our range of optional modules. You might analyse Indian source texts on politics and ethics or look at an applied area such as philosophy of mental disorders. Perhaps you’ll pick our independent study module to focus on any topic that sparks your interest.

Hone your research skills

You’ll also dig deeper into an area that interests you with our dissertation module. You’ll have 20,000 words to explore a topic at the intersection of philosophy and religion that interests you. Whenever you need support, you’ll be able to turn to your academic supervisor.

Information for international students

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.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Fees and funding

Learn more at our fees and funding page