Religious Studies (MA)

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.

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?

• 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.

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.