Masters Degrees (Religious)

Today's world is beset by problems, and yet as a society we are given few opportunities to consider the big questions of life. Religious Education gives learners this opportunity. The Religious Education PGCE programme supports students in developing the skills they need to help pupils explore what they think about life, the world and beyond.

Degree information

This programme provides an understanding of why religious education is taught in schools and allows student teachers the chance to research how the subject has evolved and thus is just as relevant as part of the English curriculum today as it always has been. The Religious Education PGCE also enables students to reflect upon the aims of religious education and how different pedagogies can support learners to develop key religious education skills and be challenged and excited by the world today.

Students undertake two level 7 (Master’s-level) modules of 30 credits each, totaling 60 credits. These can be carried forward onto full Master’s programmes at the IOE.

The Secondary PGCE consists of three core modules: two Master’s-level (level 7) modules, which are assessed through written assignments, and the Professional Practice module, which is assessed by the observation of practical teaching in placement schools.

Completion of the Professional Practice module and the two level 7 (Master’s level) modules (60 credits) will result in the award of a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). Completion of the Professional Practice module and one or two level 6 (undergraduate/Bachelor’s level) modules, will lead to the Professional Graduate Certificate of Education (PgCE). There are no optional modules for this programme.

Core modules
-Learning, Teaching and Assessing Religious Education (30 Master's-level credits)
-The Philosophy of Religious Education (30 Master's-level credits)
-Professional Practice

Placement
You will spend most of your time (120 days) in schools, working with religious education mentors who support you through your two school placements. We are fortunate to have a good choice of schools with whom we work, with many outstanding mentors and strong religious education departments. The Professional Practice module is assessed through these placements, associated tasks and a portfolio.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered via keynote lectures, subject lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials and directed study days at the IOE, as well as time spent in placements. Assessment is by practical teaching, assignments and portfolio tasks.

Students will also record their progress in a Career Entry and Development Profile statement. This will form part of an ongoing portfolio charting the student's continuing professional development.

Careers

Graduates of this programme are currently working in schools across London and around the UK as teachers, heads of departments and heads of year. A number of graduates continue with their Master’s level study on completion of the PGCE.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Religious Education Teacher, Unspecified Grammar School
-Philosophy and Theology Teacher, Unspecified Secondary School
-Religious Education Teacher, Unspecified Academy
-Religious Education Teacher, Unspecified Girls' School

Employability
A PGCE from the IOE carries considerable currency in schools which, alongside the quality of training you receive, puts you in a strong position in the employment market. Last year, all those students who sought employment in a school were successful. We expect 100% success rate in gaining a post in a school by the end of the year.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This programme offers students unique opportunities such as visits to places of worship, national galleries and museums, as well as the chance to discuss religion with leading philosophers and people of faith and consider the impact of religion on society today. Current research at the IOE and elsewhere is drawn upon to inform a student's religious education teaching and encourage them to engage with recent debates and literature in the field.

Tutors on the Religious Education PGCE are skilled classroom practitioners with extensive experience in secondary schools and colleges as well as in school leadership, inspection, educational research and consultancy.

Students also benefit from the opportunity to develop strong peer networks both within the IOE and with religious education student teachers from other London providers to share ideas and resources.

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School Direct (Tuition Fee) is a route into teaching at both primary and secondary levels. Trainees join other student teachers on the established Religious Education PGCE programme at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), whilst undertaking their teaching experience at their host school or alliance.

Degree information

This programme provides an understanding of why religious education is taught in schools and allows student teachers the chance to research how the subject has evolved and thus is just as relevant as part of the English curriculum today as it always has been. The Religious Education PGCE / School Direct (non-salaried) course also enables students to reflect upon the aims of religious education and how different pedagogies can support learners to develop key religious education skills and be challenged and excited by the world today.

Students undertake two Master’s-level (level 7) modules of 30 credits each, totaling 60 credits. These can be carried forward onto full Master’s programmes at the IOE.

The Secondary PGCE consists of three core modules: two Master’s-level modules, which are assessed through written assignments, and the Professional Practice module, which is assessed by the observation of practical teaching in placement schools.

Completion of the Professional Practice module and the two level 7 (Master’s level) modules (60 credits) will result in the award of a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). Completion of the Professional Practice module and one or two level 6 (undergraduate/Bachelor’s level) modules, will lead to the Professional Graduate Certificate of Education (PgCE). There are no optional modules for this programme.

Core modules
-Learning, Teaching and Assessing Religious Education (30 Master's-level credits)
-The Philosophy of Religious Education (30 Master's-level credits)
-Professional Practice

Placement
You will spend most of your time (120 days) in schools, working with religious education mentors who support you through your school placements. The Professional Practice module is assessed through these placements, associated tasks and a portfolio.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered via keynote lectures, subject lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials and directed study days at the IOE, as well as time spent in placement at the host school or alliance. Assessment is by the observation of practical teaching, assignments and a portfolio (which links into continuing professional development in the induction year).

Careers

Graduates of this programme are currently working across schools in London and around the UK as teachers, heads of departments and heads of year. Some graduates decide to pursue an academic science education route by pursuing Master's or doctoral level study.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Religious Education Teacher, Unspecified Secondary School
-Religious Education Teacher, Unspecified Girls' School
-Religious Education Teacher, Unspecified Academy

Employability
A PGCE from the IOE carries considerable currency in schools, which alongside the quality of training you receive, puts you in a strong position in the employment market. Last year, all those students who sought employment in a school were successful. We expect 100% success rate in gaining a post in a school by the end of the year.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This course offers students unique opportunities such as visits to places of worship, national galleries and museums, as well as the chance to discuss religion with leading philosophers and people of faith and consider the impact of religion on society today. Current research at the IOE and elsewhere is drawn upon to inform a student's religious education teaching and encourage them to engage with recent debates and literature in the field.

Tutors on the Religious Education PGCE are skilled classroom practitioners with extensive experience in secondary schools and colleges as well as in school leadership, inspection, educational research and consultancy. Students also benefit from the opportunity to develop strong peer networks both within the IOE and with religious education student teachers from other London providers to share ideas and resources.

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The University of Brighton is one of the UK's largest teacher training universities, rated ‘outstanding’ in our last Ofsted inspection.

This course leads to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for the 11–16 age range which enables you to teach in schools in England and Wales. The course also offers enrichment opportunities to teach the 16–18 age phase.

The programme is suitable if you have graduated with a good honours degree or equivalent, in the traditional areas of religious studies and theology, or associated disciplines such as anthropology, philosophy and sociology.

Studying with us, you will have access to excellent resources and gain practical experience in two of around 250 schools with whom we have partnerships. You will be mentored by a successful teaching team with an outstanding national reputation and comprehensive research profile that informs course content.

Religious education continues to occupy a lively, distinctive and often controversial place in education and we engage in this debate as part of the healthy growth of the subject. You will be required to work out your own answers and approaches to the exciting challenges in religious education in professional, reflective and practical ways as you take on the role of a religious education teacher.

Specialising in religious education at PGCE level means that you will be able to take a role in the leadership and development of this subject area throughout your career. Find out more about teaching RE and training bursaries:

http://www.teachre.co.uk/want-to-teach-re/

Course structure

Two-thirds of your year will be spent teaching, under supervision, in schools. Our tutors and mentors will advise and support you throughout each placement. You will receive comprehensive feedback during this time, enabling you to see where you are doing well and where you could improve.

The university works in partnership with schools and colleges to provide a high quality programme of support, ensuring a sound relationship between theory and practice. You will benefit from undertaking two placements in two schools or colleges, with the opportunity to visit additional schools or colleges as part of the 'Peer Observation' programme.

You will be encouraged to approach your teaching strategies creatively, to aid the progress of your students and your own skills as an RE teacher. You will learn and practice a variety of teaching approaches and innovative classroom practices on this programme.

Please visit the website to find out more about the course structure:

https://www.brighton.ac.uk/courses/study/secondary-religious-studies-pgce.aspx

Areas of study

A number of support systems are put in place before and during the course, to help students develop their subject knowledge in key curriculum areas. The subject knowledge required for Key Stages 3/4 includes the six major world faiths, religious philosophy and ethics, and secular philosophies and other religious traditions.

There are four strands to this course: subject study/subject education, education studies, school placements and professional development.

Course content is kept up to date with changes in local and national initiatives and legislation, so you will be confident that your working knowledge is based on current theory and practice.

The subject study/subject education strand builds upon your existing expertise in religious studies and provides you with the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of religious studies in the secondary school context. You will consider the learning and teaching strategies that are relevant to the specialist subject.

The subject education module is specifically related to teaching the specialist subject in school while the subject study module enables you to take your subject specialist studies to an increased depth. You can earn 20 masters-level credits through the assessment for the subject study module.

The education studies strand will give you a thorough understanding of the learning process itself, including an appreciation of individual differences. The study of the principles and practices of learning and teaching is through both school and university settings, allowing you to develop practical competences, supported by analytical skills. By the end of the course you will:

• refine your understanding of pedagogy, including an appreciation of current and emerging educational theories and debate
• understand how to use and adapt a range of teaching, learning, management and assessment strategies in order to meet the varying needs of learners
• understand how the progress and well-being of learners is affected by a range of influences and know how to take account of the principles of equality, inclusion and diversity.

Professional development is intrinsically linked to all key strands of the programme and is designed to enable you to evaluate critically and reflect upon your learning in order to make improvements. You will be expected to gather and justify evidence of your achievements on a regular basis and develop and implement improvement plans.

Students use an e-portfolio to record their achievements, and this is reviewed throughout the course. An action plan is used to support professional development during placements and makes up a significant part of the improvement planning process.

At the end of the course, the e-portfolio provides evidence that you have met the Teachers’ Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

Placements

Ofsted identify our approach to training in schools as a key strength of this course, with an excellent balance between university tuition and school-based training.

You will spend a minimum of 120 days on school-based activities, with your training shared between the university and the partner school.

Your school-based training will include observing teachers, working with individual pupils and groups of pupils, team teaching and independent teaching. Your training will also entail completing specific subject tasks and developing your knowledge of school policy and effective practices.

You will maintain a professional training portfolio and be supported to review your work critically and analytically as well as to set appropriately challenging targets. We will also develop an action plan with you to identify strengths, development needs and actions, so that your practice is continually developing. Please visit the website for further details regarding the placements:

https://www.brighton.ac.uk/courses/study/secondary-religious-studies-pgce.aspx

School Direct

School Direct is an alternative route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and the University of Brighton is working with a number of schools to deliver this programme across a range of secondary subjects as well as in the primary phase.

To train as a teacher through the School Direct programme you need to apply directly to a school for a School Direct training place, with schools advertising their vacancies on the UCAS Teacher Training website. The University of Brighton supports School Direct through providing training and assessment opportunities at the request of participating schools. Please follow the link below to find out more about School Direct and view vacancies:

https://www.brighton.ac.uk/courses/study/School-Direct-Tuition-and-School-Direct-Salaried.aspx

Careers and employability

You will graduate from this course equipped with the skills and knowledge to become a confident and competent secondary school teacher.

As well as gaining a PGCE, you will be assessed against the national Teachers’ Standards in order to be recommended for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

Most students gain employment in schools across the UK very soon after they have completed the course and achieved the teaching qualifications.

If you demonstrate a high level of understanding you may be eligible for masters-level credits.

If you are considering whether a career in teaching is for you, and you are a UK resident, the Department for Education’s School Experience Programme (SEP) offers 1 to 10 days’ classroom experience in a secondary school. For details,visit http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/school-experience.aspx.

The teachers we train are:

• highly committed to their pupils’ learning and ambitious in what they want to help them achieve
• inquisitive, critically reflective and motivated to keep learning and improving their own practice
• quick to adapt to different learning contexts and confident to challenge inequalities
• an asset to the profession, willing to share their knowledge and experience and to collaborate with others
• well-prepared for the realities of teaching, with the confidence, resilience and skills to be innovative, to take risks and be creative.

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Aimed at current and future subject leaders and teachers in religious education, this Masters in Advanced Educational Practice: Religious Education programme from Liverpool John Moores University enhances teaching capability and builds on theoretical and practical knowledge. ​


• Programme is part of the 3forRE Scheme supported by the Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
•Study part time over three years on a course designed to support effective change in the classroom
•Develop your subject knowledge and professional practice in religious education
•Enjoy flexible course delivery and fit studying around your work commitments​


We recognise that our students are busy professionals and have taken this into account in the design of our programmes and assessments. Study on this programme is on a part time basis, enabling you integrate your learning with your full time professional role.​



​The course is delivered around school/college term times, with 20 credits being studied per term for the first two years.

During your first year you will study three compulsory (core) modules specialising in key current themes in religious education. Your second year will involve selection of two optional modules from an identified suite, and the core module in Researching Professional Practice. Your final year will involve 60 credits of research-based study through completion of the Dissertation or Professional Enquiry modules.

University-based study includes taught sessions scheduled late afternoon (4pm to 7pm) and occasional conference style days scheduled on Saturdays.

A blended learning approach ensures you can usually study at a time to suit you and all modules are supported by online study resources with additional guidance available through face-to-face or virtual tutorials.

To keep on top of your study you should be prepared to work between five and 10 hours per week (evenings and weekends). The practical applications of the course will involve the integration of study with your professional activity in school or college.​


​During your studies you will have access to LJMU learning resources including our libraries for independent study. You will be allocated a personal tutor to support your academic and professional development and will also receive guidance via email.

Taught sessions mostly take place at the IM Marsh campus, four miles outside Liverpool centre, although some sessions may take place in the city.

The IM Marsh campus has independent study spaces with IT facilities, a library with relevant stock and study spaces, access to student welfare and support, a gym and other sports facilities, a cafeteria and shop. The campus library, open 8am to 11pm, houses the main collections linked to this course and you will also have access to the 24 hour, city centre Aldham Robarts and Avril Robarts libraries.


YEAR 1

Context and Purpose for Religious Education (core)

Provides opportunities to investigate and engage with current thinking and research relating to the nature of religious education and its role in the school curriculum, and encourages practitioners to develop critical reflective practice.

Curriculum and Practice in Religious Education (core)

This module develops understanding of curriculum and pedagogical issues in Religious Education through learning based on engagement with current educational theory, research, and policy and the implications for professional practice.

Controversial Issues in Religious Education (core)

This module investigates the teaching of controversial issues in Religious Education through learning based on engagement with current educational theory, research, policy and practice in relation to your own professional setting.

YEAR 2

Researching Professional Practice (core)

This module provides an introduction to a range of research methods applicable to educational contexts, with a focus on practitioner enquiry, and to the development of a research project proposal and plan.

Approaches to Learning in the 21st Century (option)

This module develops critical professional practice in teaching and learning through analysis of engagement with and reflection on current educational theory, research, and practice in the context of your own professional setting.

Exploring Curriculum Change (option)

Explores key theoretical frameworks and concepts in curriculum models, drivers, innovation and the evaluation and curriculum change and their implications for professional practice.




Learning Through Assessment (option)

Provides a grounding in educational assessment practice in a time dominated by change and developing educational theories, policies and challenge.

Developing the Role of the Subject Leader (option)

Explores the characteristics of effective subject leadership through engagement with current educational theory, research, policy and practice to inform the organisation and management of learning in a range of professional settings and frameworks.

Professional Development for Leadership (option)

Provides professional development for leadership and management through learning based on engagement with current educational theory, research, policy and practice in Leadership and Management and its application within your professional setting.

YEAR 3

Dissertation (option)

This module involves the development and implementation of a major research project relevant to your subject area with the support of an experienced academic tutor.

Professional Inquiry (option)

This module involves the development and implementation of several linked practice based research projects relevant to your subject area with the support of an experienced academic tutor.

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Summary

As faiths of all kinds navigate their way through a period of great social change, it is more important than ever to possess an in-depth understanding of how faiths interact with each other and society. This MA creatively balances the close study of particular traditions with a broad understanding of the subject area. It is one of the few programmes in London that offers specialised teaching in Islam as well as several different aspects of Christian theology.

On this course, you can study a variety of religious traditions in relation to key topics such as social justice, gender, text and textual interpretation, and inter-religious dialogue and conflict. You will have the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of particular religious themes, with a broad view of religious studies, and its diverse forms of interpretation and practice. This course will suit students who want to develop advanced skills in the study and analysis of a range of issues, rather than focus on one specialist subject.

A strength of the course is that it allows you to have a critical awareness of the relationship between different religions and modern secular society, with an informed and scholarly understanding of differences within as well as between religious traditions and cultures. From this,you will use advanced methods of research and critical analysis to explore the ways in which different religious perspectives contribute to contemporary debates about identity, politics and culture.

Drawing on London's rich resources for studying religions in their material, social and historical contexts, this course provides an enhanced learning environment and contributes to your wider cultural awareness and understanding. This is underpinned by a focus on advanced study and research skills, designed to equip you with a high level of proven academic competence and preparing you for careers and vocations that require this expertise. This might include educational institutions, NGOs and other organisations in which understanding of religious perspectives is an advantage.

Content

The MA in Theology and Religious Studies allows you to focus on a broad range of topics within the subject area, and study your particular interests in-depth.

On offer is specialised teaching in Hinduism and Islam as well as different aspects of Christian theology. You could study gender across these traditions, for example looking at women in Islam from feminist, reformist and traditionalist perspectives, or specifically looking at gender across religious texts and narratives. Or you could study contemporary doctrine, such as Pentecostalism in different parts of the world, or in Christian marriage and family life, also taking into account qualitative and quantitative data on marriage and family today, and the political and policy decisions that affect families.

As well as contemporary debates, you will look at historical issues, for example through the effect of Christian theology on art and culture throughout history. You will look at how depictions of nature and grace, suffering and redemption, and gender and incarnation, changed through the Reformation, and then how these new representations influenced modern art and philosophy.

The course also provides opportunity to investigate the relationship of religion and society through modules look at, for example, human rights and community engagement. You will gain an understanding of the historic and contemporary relationship between the Church and the State, as well as the nature of Christian activism in public policy and public discourse.

Finally, you will write a dissertation on a topic of your choice, which can be informed by your study on the optional modules, or from an area of interest of your own.

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Current health and social care frameworks regard spiritual care as an essential component of health and wellbeing and all health and social care professionals should assess and respect the spiritual and religious beliefs of patients and their carers. But what does that mean? This certificate programme enables health and social care professionals to draw from their own professional experience and to gain knowledge and skills of the multicultural, ethical, legal and safe provision of spiritual and religious care in practice.

Why this programme

-The programme enables students from across the UK and the world to benefit from Scotland's leading role in the development of spiritual and religious care in health and social care and it's published resources.
-This distance learning programme enables students to engage in advanced professional education relevant to their health and social care practice and gain a recognised postgraduate award from a leading University.
-For Health and Social Care professionals: the programme dispels the many popular misconceptions around spiritual and religious care and is rooted in a capability and competence based approach to delivering spiritual and religious care as it relates to the student's clinical role and setting.
-For Health and Social Care Chaplains not resident in the UK: The programme has been developed from the highly successful PC Certificate in Healthcare Chaplaincy. It enables prospective and exisiting Health and Social Care Chaplains from around the world to study their field without the need for a UK based students chaplaincy placement.
-Existing and prospective Health and Social Care Chaplains resident in the UK should consider the PgCert in Spiritual and Religious Care in Healthcare Programme which is accredited by the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy for professional registration.
-This programme is delivered by highly experienced and published experts in the field of spiritual and religious care in health and social care. All teaching staff maintain a clinical role in hospitals, hospices and the community that enhances and informs their expertise.

[[Programme structure
Students study three courses:
-Principles of Spiritual and Religious Care in Health and Social Care
-Spiritual and Religious Care in Health and Social Care Practice
-Advanced Health and Social Care Practice

Studying online

Online distance learning at the University of Glasgow allows you to benefit from the outstanding educational experience that we are renowned for -without having to relocate to our campus.
You do not need to have experience of studying online as you will be guided through how to access and use all of our online resources.

Virtual learning
You will connect with your fellow students and tutors through our virtual learning environment where you will have access to a multitude of learning resources including:
-Recorded lectures
-Live seminars
-Videos
-Interactive quizzes
-Journal articles
-Electronic books and other web resources

A global community
As an online student at the University you will become part of a global community of learners. Community building and collaborative learning is a key focus of our online delivery and you will be encouraged and supported to interact with your fellow classmates and tutors in a number of ways. For example, through the discussions areas on our virtual learning environment, by skype, during live seminars and in our virtual campus on Second Life.

Supported
Great emphasis is placed on making sure you feel well supported in your learning and that you have good interactions with everyone on the programme. Support is available in a number of ways and you will find out more about this during orientation.

All you need to participate in our online programmes is a computer and internet access.

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Current health and social care frameworks regard spiritual care as an essential component of health and wellbeing and all health and social care professionals should assess and respect the spiritual and religious beliefs of patients and their carers. But what does that mean? This certificate programme enables health and social care professionals to draw from their own professional experience and to gain knowledge and skills of the multicultural, ethical, legal and safe provision of spiritual and religious care in practice.

Why this programme

-The programme enables students from across the UK and the world to benefit from Scotland's leading role in the development of spiritual and religious care in health and social care and it's published resources.
-This distance learning programme enables students to engage in advanced professional education relevant to their health and social care practice and gain a recognised postgraduate award from a leading University.
-For Health and Social Care professionals: the programme dispels the many popular misconceptions around spiritual and religious care and is rooted in a capability and competence based approach to delivering spiritual and religious care as it relates to the student's clinical role and setting.
-For Health and Social Care Chaplains not resident in the UK: The programme has been developed from the highly successful PC Certificate in Healthcare Chaplaincy. It enables prospective and exisiting Health and Social Care Chaplains from around the world to study their field without the need for a UK based students chaplaincy placement.
-Existing and prospective Health and Social Care Chaplains resident in the UK should consider the PgCert in Spiritual and Religious Care in Healthcare Programme which is accredited by the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy for professional registration.
-This programme is delivered by highly experienced and published experts in the field of spiritual and religious care in health and social care. All teaching staff maintain a clinical role in hospitals, hospices and the community that enhances and informs their expertise.

Programme structure

Students study three courses:
-Principles of Spiritual and Religious Care in Health and Social Care
-Spiritual and Religious Care in Health and Social Care Practice
-Advanced Health and Social Care Practice

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Programme description

This programme provides the opportunity study a variety of religious traditions, while combining advanced learning in the theory and method of the study of religion.

Religious beliefs, behaviours and institutions are fascinating and powerful components in human societies. Understanding their motivations and structures can help the search for solutions to major challenges in the contemporary world.

This programme allows a deepening engagement with the methodological ramifications of the field, while encouraging in-depth study of one or more religious traditions.

Our focus extends beyond theory and method in religious studies to specific local, national and international religious traditions. We study Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Indian traditions, as well as indigenous religions of Africa, North America and East Asia, and new age and diasporic traditions.

This combination of theoretical know-how with studies in specific traditions equips you to compare, interpret and explain religion in a cross-cultural perspective.

The programme also offers the opportunity to learn Sanskrit, Arabic or Persian (subject to availability) through our leading expertise in Asian Studies and in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.

Programme structure

This MSc is run over one year full time (or two years part-time).

You will participate in seminars, tutorials and lectures. You will be given training in research methods and will receive individual supervision for your 15,000-word dissertation.

Compulsory courses:

Theory and Method in the Study of Religion
Selected Themes in the Study of Religion
Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies

Option courses:

Contemporary Theories of Religion
Gender and Ethics in Islam
New Age Spirituality in Contemporary Culture
New Dimensions in Jewish Thought
New Indigenous Religious Movements
Religion and Nationalism
Religion and the New African Diaspora

You can choose a further postgraduate course offered elsewhere in the School of Divinity, or a course or language from another School, at the discretion of the Programme Director and subject to availability.

Career opportunities

The programme is designed to give you a good basis for postgraduate research in religious studies, or for employment in a wide range of areas requiring critical analysis and empathetic understanding.

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This course will enable you to explore the diversity of global religious and spiritual life; probe relationships between religion, spirituality, society, identity, ethics and popular culture; explore texts and traditions; consider the phenomenon of religion from a range of disciplinary perspectives; receive training in advanced research skills; and undertake field research.

Why Study Religious Studies with us?

Our course is ideal for anyone seeking to gain greater understanding of the impact of religion and spirituality in the contemporary world and at some key points in history, and to develop critical thinking skills. It is also ideal as a means of training for further doctoral studies in religion.

Professionals in both the private and public sectors engage in this Master’s course to increase their ‘religious literacy’ and to demonstrate to their employers the many transferable skills fostered by the study of religions. Teachers take the course to bolster their expertise in a range of religious traditions. Many students take this course simply because they consider studying the world’s religious beliefs, texts, histories and practices fascinating and relevant.

We will provide you with opportunities and training to undertake field research in religious communities, both abroad and in the UK.

What will I learn?

You will study two introductory core modules, which provide a foundation in key literature on theory and training in practical research methods and ethics. You may then select three specialist modules, covering many major traditions, as well as spirituality and popular culture; the contemporary religious and spiritual landscape; indigenous religions; and field research.

How will I be taught?

The course is available entirely through online distance learning or through a combination of face-to-face taught sessions, intensive residentials and online learning.

Full-time and part-time students should expect to devote 30 hours or 15 hours respectively per week to their studies. You will also have two to six contact hours per week.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments include long essays (usually 4,000 words), shorter critical reviews, research proposals, and other shorter tasks. There are no examinations. The dissertation is a single piece of work comprising 20,000 words.

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Research profile

The interests of staff in religious studies include Islam, contemporary Judaism, indigenous religions (Africa and the Arctic), south Asian and south-east Asian traditions, and new age religions. The methodologies supported include phenomenology, anthropology and cultural studies.

There is a regular religious studies research seminar, for both students and staff, to which postgraduates regularly contribute work-in-progress papers, and at which research students, staff, and visiting academics present special lectures.

The School of Divinity is home to a thriving research community. All of our academic staff are engaged in individual research and writing projects and many are also involved in collaborative projects with colleagues across the globe.

The School of Divinity has consistently scored exceptionally highly in the Research Assessment Exercise, the most recent assessment putting us among the best schools in theology, philosophical theology and religious studies in the UK.

Our researchers currently boast the highest percentage of 4* scores (world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour) of any Scottish university in theology and religious studies.

We have the largest number of divinity research-active staff in Scotland, and the third largest in the UK. Overall, the RAE ranked us third in the UK with 60 per cent of our research activity judged internationally excellent or world-leading.

Training and support

Our community comprises 450 students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and nearly 30 full-time academic staff, including internationally respected scholars in a wide range of specialisms.

We welcome students from around the world, from religious and non-religious backgrounds, taking pride in our status as a renowned research centre in a broad spectrum of subject areas.

We take a personal interest in our students and offer a welcoming and friendly setting in which to pursue the exciting and demanding study of theology and religious studies.

The large graduate school and the presence of visiting academics from around the world help ensure a diverse and stimulating research environment.

All research students are assigned a primary and secondary supervisor. You are offered a training course in research methods, and are given conscientious supervision from your first weeks through to submission of your thesis.

There are also special orientation events for international students.

Facilities

As a postgraduate researcher you can draw on the outstanding library resources of New College, the University of Edinburgh and the nearby National Library of Scotland.

New College Library has one of the largest theology collections in the UK, with more than a quarter of a million items and a large and rich manuscript collection, including the papers of Thomas Chalmers, John Baillie, JH Oldham and James S Stewart.

The strengths of the Library collections contribute greatly to the teaching and research of members of the School as well as students elsewhere in the University.

These collections are complemented by the many resources available in the University and beyond. The total holdings in all the University libraries exceed 2.25 million volumes. In addition, the National Library of Scotland holds more than five million volumes.

The New College Library boasts a magnificent reading hall, originally built as the sanctuary of the Free High Kirk.

The School provides extensive and well-equipped computing facilities for coursework and research at all levels, including dissertations. We provide all students with access to PCs, scanners and printers, across four labs.

Research opportunities

We offer two types of research-based masters degree, as well as PhD programmes.

Masters by Research (MSc by Research/MTh by Research)

These one-year masters degrees by research are designed for students with an academic training in divinity or religious studies (or other relevant subject) who wish to focus on a particular topic.

The programme may be taken as either a Master of Theology by Research or a Master of Science by Research. The difference is one of nomenclature only.

Both involve research training and orientation courses, after which you may either research and submit a dissertation of about 30,000 words, which comprises the remaining assessment for the degree, or write three supervised research essays to provide appropriate background and preparatory study for the topic of your research, and then submit a dissertation of about 15,000 words.

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This PGCE will equip you with a range of academic, professional and vocational knowledge, understanding, skills and values necessary to become a high quality and skilled teacher of Religious Education. You will experience professional training, delivered to the highest of standards, which immerses you in the very latest teaching and learning pedagogies. The programme aims to develop reflective and analytical skills as well as providing practical experience in planning effective RE lessons and learning strategies.

Hands-on classroom experience, and opportunities to further your own subject knowledge is an integral part of the programme and helps you to develop useful contacts for the future, through meeting and talking with faith practitioners from a variety of world religions.

If you have a degree in Religious Education or a related subject, want to raise cross-cultural awareness and encourage empathy, enquiry and critical thinking in secondary school pupils aged 11 to 16, this is the programme for you.

What will I study?

You will start with an extensive subject knowledge and understanding audit. This will identify your main strengths and weaknesses, and enable your tutor to focus on your individual development needs.

During 12 weeks of study on campus, you’ll develop:

- Understanding of the role RE can play in promoting inter faith dialogue and community cohesion;
- Knowledge of essential educational and pedagogical theory in RE;
- Awareness of appropriate and innovative teaching and assessment methods, including collage and display work, active learning strategies, role play, effective use of IT and presentations, videos, and the requirements of examination boards;
- Strategies to develop students’ understanding of various religious and ethical issues through discussion and debate, research, and field trips to faith communities;
- Understanding of the curriculum and Local Agreed Syllabi*, which influence the teaching of Religious Education according to the concerns and values of the faith communities within a particular area;
- Ability to plan lessons effectively;
- Excellent working knowledge of the latest ICT tools and software used in schools;
- Greater subject knowledge, reflective professional and academic skills such as research methods and methodologies;
- Wider awareness of your role within the teaching profession through study of professional values;
- Knowledge and understanding of RE as Key Stage 3 and Religious Studies at Key Stage 4 and post-16.

How will I study?

A combination of academic study, group discussion and reflection, and practical, work-based learning in the classroom will give you all the knowledge and skills you need to become a creative and innovative teacher. The programme also aims to develop a reflective and a critically analytical approach to education.

You will spend 26 weeks on placement in schools, colleges and settings, putting your training into practice through assisting in and taking responsibility for classes, and working alongside mentors and peers to further your professional development. The focus initially is on observation and supporting teaching and learning. Your teaching timetable will increase as your training progresses and you become more confident and competent in the classroom.

You will also develop your subject knowledge and gain useful contacts with religious communities that could help you during your teaching career, by visiting places of worship and meeting faith practitioners from the six main world religions represented in the Local Syllabi.

How will I be assessed?

A balanced combination of coursework and observed classroom experience will be assessed against academic criteria at Level 7 and the QTS Standards. Various other tasks will enable you to show your competence in ICT and other areas of Religious Education.

Before the end of your PGCE you will need to complete a Career Entry and Development Profile (CEDP) which acts as a useful bridge between your initial teacher training programme and your Induction Year as a Newly Qualified Teacher.

Who will be teaching me?

You will be taught by a dedicated team of knowledgeable, experienced, friendly and supportive tutors who have the welfare of their trainees as a number one priority.

What are my career prospects?

Successful completion of this programme will allow you to gain QTS and progress into employment as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) at secondary school level in Religious Education.

Our proactive careers advisory service can help you to find job vacancies and offers in-depth advice on teacher job applications and interviews, to help you secure work.

Teaching is a rewarding job and there are many ways in which you could progress in your career, either in the classroom or in a leadership role.

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The MRes is an exciting new study, appropriate for all those seeking to further their knowledge in the multidisciplinary academic fields associated with the study of religious experience. It consists of 60 credits of taught modules and a Dissertation of 120 credits amounting to up to 30,000 words in total.

Course Overview

The programme has a unique focus on anthropology of religion, encouraging students to explore in depth a range of topics relating to religious experience in contemporary and historical, theoretical and methodological perspectives. The study of religious experience is a long-standing area of research at the university, and our academic team have contributed to the field through publications, specialist research, and participation in international conferences.

The programme is linked to the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre located on the Lampeter campus. It enables further co-operation, and collaboration, with the Alister Hardy Society for the Study of Spiritual Experience. Students will be encouraged to make use of the Alister Hardy Archive with its unique collection of personal accounts of religious experience. The database is available via an online access gate on the website of the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre, where the Alister Hardy Archive of recorded religious experiences is held.

The programme is delivered as a full-time and part-time programme of study, and is also available as distance learning. All module content is available through the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and students will be supported throughout their studies through regular access to their module tutors, either one to one (by email, skype, phone), in groups (using media such as Skype), or via VLE module discussion forums.

All students will be supported through their studies particular during the Research phase of their programme which amounts to 120 credits overall. An annual residential graduate summer school is held for all students in July where students are able to experience lectures and seminars covering both issues related to generic learning and subject-specific information and to engage with a number of our research students.

Key Features

The programme is based upon an established pool of expertise in anthropology of religion and related areas in the School. The staff expertise represents a considerable bank of knowledge and skills that will underpin this programme and will ensure student experience a high quality educational experience.

In addition students will benefit from the vibrant research culture of the School and in particular the Religious Experience Research Centre.

Students will also benefit from the unique opportunity to work with the Alister Hardy archive housed in the research centre.

Assessment

A range of assessment methods are used from essays and short written evaluation, and reflective pieces. The Dissertation is between 25,000 and 30,000 words.

Career Opportunities

The programme has been designed to attract students interested in developing both their generic as well as their subject-specific skills. It offers opportunities for students who have recently graduated to move on to work at level 7 in their specialist field of study and help prepare them for careers in education and other areas as well as research.

The programme also offers excellent continuing professional development for teachers at various stages of their career, ministers currently in pastoral charge seeking further professional development and other interested parties. In addition, the programme will be attractive to students who wish to study out of personal interest or faith commitment.

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Religious Studies is a challenging research-oriented programme that prepares you for participation in current debates in the international community of scholars of religion.

The programme combines an advanced grounding in the central themes and theories of the study of religion, with ample opportunity for specialisation. You can choose and develop your specific expertise in relation to one of the key research areas of our institute:

-Religious texts and interpretative practices: This research area focuses on the study of religious traditions from the perspective of sacred texts: their interpretation and the religious rituals and practices associated with them, and discussions on the authority of religious texts.

-Materiality and physicality of lived religion: This area focuses on the study of the use of the body and the senses in religious practices, such as praying, dancing, fighting, and fasting; the function of objects withing the context of religious practices, such as images, buildings, food, clothing, and money; and public controversies.

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Gain qualified teacher status (QTS) with a subject specialism in secondary religious education, qualifying you to teach in secondary schools and post-16 colleges.

On the course you:
-Learn how to teach religious education across Key Stages 3 and 4.
-Understand different techniques and approaches to behaviour management.
-Learn how to plan lessons and assess student work.
-Learn how to develop resources.
-Learn about the wider role of teachers in school.
-Gain knowledge about schools and the education system.
-Apply your skills and knowledge on school placements.

We help you develop the skills you need to be a successful teacher of pupils of all abilities. By studying with us you build your enthusiasm, confidence, knowledge and ability to teach religious education.

You also gain self-evaluation skills by completing a career preparation profile. This provides evidence that you meet the QTS standards for personal development.

School placements are central to the course. You complete two teaching placements, one in the autumn term between mid-October and December and the second longer placement from February to June. During this time you are supported by a University-trained mentor with regular meetings and observations. Your course tutor also visits you to discuss your progress.

By the end of the placements you are able to show how you meet the qualified teacher status standards that are required by this course.

We have strong partnerships with secondary schools and colleges in the area and many of our students are offered teaching jobs in their placement schools. Many of the mentors at our partnership schools also come to the University to speak in the teaching sessions.

Your placements are complemented by university and academy-based study that includes teaching sessions, seminars, group study and tutorials. The course is assessed by a combination of academic assignments and practical hands on experience in the classroom.

During the course you can choose to complete either the PGCE or the professional graduate certificate in education (ProfGCE). Both qualifications achieve QTS but the PGCE also gives you 60 masters level credits, which you can use towards a masters degree.

If you are studying for a PGCE you may be entitled to a tax-free bursary. For further information about financial support see the funding pages on the Department for Education Teaching Agency (DfE) website.

For more information, see the website: https://www.shu.ac.uk/study-here/find-a-course/pgce-secondary-religious-education

School Direct

Apply for a place through the School Direct scheme for a dedicated route into a job after graduation. During School Direct, the school or partnership of schools that you've applied to will be much more involved in your selection, recruitment and professional development as there is the expectation that you will be employed by them once qualified. For more information visit http://www.shu.ac.uk/schooldirect

Course structure

Full time – 1 year. Starts September.

Modules
-Developing and reflecting on professional practice in secondary religious education
-Learning and teaching in context in religious education
-Block placement 1
-Block placement 2

We support your work in schools with a programme of preparation and support. You experience various school placements, including at least two continuous blocks of time on teaching practice. These are in two different schools and usually require some travelling within the region.

Assessment: research projects, individual and group work, presentations and reports, preparing teaching materials and plans, teaching practice.

Other admission requirements

You are encouraged to gain experience of schools through direct observation of teaching and learning and/or by working with young people in religious studies-related or other educational activities.

If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to a selection event, and you should bring a passport or photo driving license with you. You can bring other forms of photo ID for the selection event, but if you do, you will still need to present valid identity documents required by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at your pre-course day. View our selection event guidance to ensure you understand the selection process. http://www.shu.ac.uk/selection-event/210

If English is not your first language you must have an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in all skills or equivalent. For equivalents see our English language entry requirements web page. http://www.shu.ac.uk/international/english-language-entry.html

We welcome applications from people seeking a career change, and we actively encourage applications from those groups under-represented in teacher education, in order to ensure that the teaching profession represents the diverse nature of contemporary UK society.
*GCSE mathematics and English equivalents are
-12 level 2 credits from an Access course.
-Equivalency test from http://www.equivalencytesting.co.uk

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Supervision in Theology can be offered in areas such as Biblical studies; Patristics; Church History; History and Interpretation of Christian doctrine; Systematics/Constructive Theology; Modern Theology and Philosophy, Theology and Sexuality; Theology and Theatre/Performance Studies, Political Theology and Black Theology.

Supervision in Religious Studies can be offered in areas such as Comparative Religious Studies; Jewish Studies; Jewish-Christian dialogue; Hindu Studies; Buddhist Studies; Tibetan Studies; Religion and Visual Culture; Religion and Literature; Philosophy of Religion; Religion and Social Theory; Religion, Gender and Sexuality; Religion and Postmodernity.

Visit the website: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/courses/postgraduate/theology-and-religious-studies-by-research.aspx

Course detail

You should discuss your initial ideas for a MA by research topic with a suitable supervisor from the programme team in the area of your study. If you are unsure, please contact Dr Maria Diemling, the Subject Lead in Theology and Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, who will be able to advise you whom to contact.

Your research topic may develop from a recent undergraduate encounter with a particular aspect of Theology or Religion, Philosophy and Ethics or you may be returning to education looking for a structured environment in which to formally pursue an established passion.

Please note that while students can build up on their BA research dissertation, they will not be allowed to submit identical material again under the current QAA policies.

Suitability

Are you fascinated by religions and their role in shaping our diverse, globalised, and multicultural world? Are you drawn to thinking about God, or relish the prospect of understanding how people of faith have instilled life with religious meaning? Are you concerned about questions of ethics, society, and justice in modern life? Do you value open-minded, independent and critical thinking? If so, you will enjoy studying the Theology and Religious Studies MA by Research.

Format

The teaching team at Canterbury Christ Church provide an excellent student experience in Theology and Religious Studies. They are passionate about their subject, and encourage students to share their enthusiasm and excitement. Drawing on academic expertise in major areas of Judaism and Christian Theology, as well as Indian and Chinese Philosophies, the team can offer supervision in an exciting and broad range of topics, including studies in world religions, the history and interpretation of religious thought, and the study of critical challenges in the contemporary world.

Assessment

Students will write a research thesis on their chosen topic. For an MA by Research students will need to demonstrate critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at the forefront of their own academic discipline.

The length of the Masters by Research thesis excluding bibliography and appendices, but including footnotes, is 25,000-30,000 words.

The MA by research will be assessed by dissertation. The examination will be done by an internal and an external examiner and might include a viva voce examination.

What can I do next?

This programme is a significant qualification in its own right but could also fast-track you, if you're successful, to MPhil and ultimately to PhD qualifications.

The research and writing skills you'll gain, together with the specialist disciplinary knowledge developed during the course, will enhance your employability and can provide an invaluable grounding for careers in teaching, media and journalism, publishing and marketing.

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow this link: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/how-to-apply/how-to-apply.aspx

Funding

-Masters Loans-

From 2016/17 government loans of up to £10,000 are available for postgraduate Masters study. The loans will be paid directly to students by the Student Loans Company and will be subject to both personal and course eligibility criteria.

For more information available here: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/funding-your-degree/funding-your-postgraduate-degree.aspx

-2017/18 Entry Financial Support-

Information on alternative funding sources is available here: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/funding-your-degree/2017-18-entry-financial-support.aspx

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