Religion MA

The MA in Religion provides advanced study of the religious traditions of both the West and Asia. The programme offers two pathways:
-Buddhist Studies
-Theology and Religious Studies

These reflect the expertise in the Department of Religion and Theology and allow you to study various religious traditions with scholars who are world-renowned experts in those fields.

Programme structure

Students follow one of two pathways, taking units worth 180 credit points.

BUDDHIST STUDIES PATHWAY
Core units (40 credit points):
-Buddhism: the Foundations (20 credit points)

Plus one of the following language units (20 credit points):
-Introductory Sanskrit I
-Classical Chinese
-Pali and Buddhist Sanskrit (only available to students with one year of Sanskrit)

NB: Not all languages will be taught each year

Optional units (80 credit points total; 20 credit points each). Optional units can vary each year but may include:
-Introductory Sanskrit 2
-Buddhism: The Mahayana Tradition
-The Practice of Theravada Buddhism in Asia
-Aspects of Chinese Buddhism
-Buddhist Psychology and Mental Health
-The Origins and Development of Zen Buddhism
-Yoga and Meditation
-Supervised Individual Study (on an aspect of Buddhism not covered by other units)
-An open MA unit chosen from those available in the Faculty of Arts

Dissertation
You will engage in supervised research on a topic of your choice and submit a dissertation of between 10,000 and 15,000 words.

THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES PATHWAY
Core units
-Buddhism: The Foundations (20 credit points)
-History of Christianity: Core Texts (20 credit points)

Optional units (80 credit points total; 20 credit points each)
-Medieval Mystics and Visionaries in Medieval England
-Reflection on Religious Pluralism in Contemporary Society
-Alchemy, Magic and Science in Early Modernity
-The Renaissance and the Rise of the Modern Age
-Reflection on Religious Pluralism in Contemporary Society
-Greek Language Level A
-Latin Language Level A
-Jesus in an Age of Colonialism
-Ancient Jewish Novels
-Atheism
-Buddhism: The Mahayana Tradition
-The Origins and Development of Zen Buddhism
-Yoga and Meditation
-Buddhist Psychology and Mental Health
-An open MA unit chosen from those available across the Faculty of Arts.

Dissertation
You will engage in supervised research on a topic of your choice and submit a dissertation of between 10,000 and 15,000 words.

Careers

Students who complete this MA programme have taken up many different careers, including academic research, social work, banking and industry, counselling and teaching, design, journalism, film and the arts.

Visit the Religion MA page on the University of Bristol website for more details!