Overview
Religion spans history, influences cultures and plays a major role in shaping today’s political landscape. It’s a subject that remains on our news feeds constantly and in many different contexts, from discussions about marriage and gender identity to concerns about immigration and terrorist attacks. As many of these issues provoke heated reactions, often with great consequence, it has never been more important to explore the many facets of religion, and understand the term’s meaning in a range of social and cultural contexts.
Studying Religion at the University of Stirling gives you a chance to examine all these relevant issues from many different angles. You’ll explore how the meaning of “Religion” differs around the world, and take a positively interdisciplinary approach to considering how the term might be re-interpreted. Our teaching team is dedicated to carrying out cutting-edge research into what they call critical religion, and they feed their findings not only into new books and papers, but also back into your coursework. Through your studies, you’ll develop a critically discerning mind, and by extension, an invaluable understanding of other people’s point-of-view and approach to the world, by which you can help to change thinking, policy and practice both locally and globally.
We are committed to equipping you with transferrable skills that will make you a valuable asset to a range of employers. Join us and benefit from a fresh, innovative approach to studying one of the world’s most foundational topics, and one that continues to integrate multiple disciplines across the Humanities and beyond.
Religion at Stirling can only be studied as part of a combined degree with a range of other subjects.
Murray MacBeath Religious Studies Prize: a prize of £100 to be awarded annually to the graduating Honours student who achieves the best First Class Honours performance in the Religion component of any combined honours degree involving Religion.
Jim Meldrum Memorial Prize: a bequest by Jim Meldrum who endowed a prize of £300 to the Friends of the Logie Kirk, given annually to the student who does the best dissertation on a Christian topic, broadly construed.
Entry requirements
SQA Highers
ABBB
GCE A-levels
BBB
IB Diploma
28
BTEC (Level 3)
DDM
Essential subjects
Please consult combined degree subject page(s) to check for any required subjects.
Widening access students
Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.
Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.
Scottish HNC/HND
Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.
Access courses
University of Stirling access course - for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.
SWAP access course - for mature students only.
Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B
English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND
Merits and Distinctions
English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses
Access to Higher Education - 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.
Advanced entry is not available for this course.
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, University of Stirling International Study Centre offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses
Course details
The module lists below provide a detailed overview of what you'll study on our combined Religion degrees.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2024. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Course details
Most teaching takes place through a mixture of formal lectures and smaller, more informal, seminar groups. You can choose to write your dissertation on a topic in Religion, but this will be through the channels of the other programme in your combined degree.
There is no fieldwork required for this course, though dissertation topics have been known to take students into a specified field for research.
A variety of assessment methods are used, including essays, reports, class tests, reviews and oral presentations. But there are no formal exams during the exam period.
As a University of Stirling student, you’ll have the opportunity to broaden your horizons and study abroad through our well-established connections with several international universities.
Dr Andrew Hass, Course Director
+44 (0) 1786 466240
andrew.hass@stir.ac.uk
Fees and funding
Scottish students
This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.
Although you’re liable for annual tuition fees, if you are domiciled in Scotland you can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government on your behalf.
You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.
You can apply for financial assistance, including a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, from your relevant funding body. Students from the Republic of Ireland are eligible for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
We also offer additional funding – such as our Honours Year Scholarship – for students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. See our funding opportunities section below for more information.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy and terms and conditions.
International students (including EU)
Eligible students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. See our range of generous scholarships for international undergraduate students.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.
Students from Scotland
Find funding opportunities for Scottish students.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Eligible students will automatically receive our Undergraduate Welcome Scholarship, Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, and our Honours Year Scholarship, which are worth between £1,000 and £9,250.
International students
Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. Find funding opportunities for international students.
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.
After you graduate
Preparing you for the world of work
The key transferable skills gained by studying Religion will make you a valuable asset to employers in whatever career path you choose. You’ll graduate with a greater knowledge of cultural differences and alternate perspectives, greatly enhancing your ability to manage or work with others.
Your employability is one of our highest priorities, and we want to make sure you have every possible advantage when you enter the job market. We offer a comprehensive employability and skills programme to help you maximise your time at Stirling and develop the attributes required by employers.
We also have a dedicated Faculty Employability and Skills Officer and a Careers Service that work in partnership with academic staff to ensure you get the best out of your University experience and are given the right opportunities to make you ready for the world of work.
