MA Theology and Religion
Please note: This page is for 2027 entry. Click here for 2026 entry.
| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year full time 2 years part time |
| Entry year | 2026 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Typical offer | We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in a social science* or humanities subject. |
|---|---|
Why study MA Theology and Religion at Exeter?
- Our imaginative and exciting programme offers a great breadth of learning with the flexibility to specialise in the areas that interest you the most
- You can further develop interdisciplinary approaches by taking a module outside the Department of Theology and Religion, with the agreement of the programme director
- Throughout your studies you will benefit from access to the department’s extensive resources and enjoy a close working relationship with our exceptional academic staff
- You will learn to understand other people’s viewpoints, to communicate and debate effectively, to work independently and as part of a group, all skills essential for the workplace
Top 50 in the world for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies
QS World University Subject Rankings 2026
Top 5 in the UK for Theology and Religious Studies
No. 1 in the UK for our world-leading research in Theology and Religious Studies
Research Excellence Framework 2021
100% of our Theology and Religious Studies research has world-leading impact
Based on research impact rated 4* in REF 2021
Entry requirements
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in a social science* or humanities subject. While we normally only consider applicants who meet these criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.
*Accepted social science subjects include:
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Area and Development Studies
- Criminology
- Demography
- Development Studies
- Economics
- Economic and Social History
- Education
- Environmental Planning
- Human Geography
- International Relations
- Law
- Linguistics
- Management and Business Studies
- Media and Communication Studies
- Philosophy
- Politics and International Studies
- Psychology
- Science and Technology Studies
- Social Policy
- Social Statistics, Methods, and Computing
- Social Work
- Socio Legal Studies
- Sociology
Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.
Entry requirements for international students
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course.
The required IELTS test scores for this course fall under Profile B1.
Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
The programme is divided into units of study called modules which are assigned 'credits'. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with 1 credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work.
Students on the MA Theology and Religion study 180 credits in total. All students study the dissertation. You will choose your remaining credits from a range of Masters modules. Any requests to take modules outside of the Department of Theology and Religion are dependent on the agreement of the programme director.
Our modules allow you to focus on a wide range of short topics drawn from the whole breadth of our research expertise. This will give you deeper understanding of a wide range of key topics and questions at the heart of research in theology and religion today, alongside the sustained study of one particular topic that will be the topic of your dissertation.
The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
Please note that the module information displayed here is subject to change.
Overall you must take 60 credits of compulsory modules and 120 credits of optional modules
Cyclical Choice 1 and Cyclical Choice 2 run in alternate years - you may only choose the module running in the current academic year.
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory 1 | ||
| Dissertation | 60 | |
THEM020: Dissertation
For this module, you will produce a piece of independent research on a topic in Theology or a related area (as determined by your specific MA programme), and present the findings of research in an extended piece of analytic writing in academic prose. Although you will work for the most part independently, each dissertation is supervised by a member of staff. Your supervisor will support you with discussions about the topic proposed and the methods of investigation as well as guidance on the planned structure of topics and argument. Your supervisor will also read and comment on a first draft and make recommendations about the direction of research, argument and style.
To produce a piece of independent research on a topic in Theology or a related area (as determined by specific MA programme), and present the findings of research in an extended piece of analytic writing in academic prose.
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclical Choice 1 | ||
| Elements of New Testament Greek | 15 | |
| Intermediate New Testament Greek | 15 | |
| Cyclical Choice 2 | ||
| Intermediate Biblical Hebrew | 15 | |
| Introducing Biblical Hebrew | 15 | |
| Optional 1 | ||
| Research Skills in Classics, Ancient History and Theology | 30 | |
| Debates in Public Holocaust Memory | 15 | |
| Poets and the Religious Imagination | 15 | |
| Modern Christian Thought | 15 | |
| Monsters in the Bible and Beyond | 15 | |
| The Ethics of Decision-Making | 15 | |
| Heaven and Philosophy | 15 | |
THEM124: Elements of New Testament Greek
In this module, you will start learning New Testament Greek from scratch. This will equip you to read biblical texts in their original language, and also give you a clearer insight into the interpretative difficulties facing translators and interpreters of biblical texts. From this introductory module you can progress to further study of the language of the New Testament texts.
This option module will enable students to acquire a good working knowledge of the basic elements of New Testament Greek, and to translate short passages from Greek into English with appropriate glossary.
THEM126: Intermediate New Testament Greek
This module, which continues from the initial module THEM124, will not only equip you to read New Testament texts in their original language, but will also give you a clearer insight into the interpretative difficulties facing translators and interpreters of biblical texts.
This module, continuing from the initial learning undertaken in THEM124, will enable you to apply and to develop your knowledge of New Testament Greek through work on a short set text and on further grammar. It will also enable you to engage in the translation and exegesis of the set text and to consider the issues involved in translation.
THEM125: Intermediate Biblical Hebrew
This module will build on your knowledge from pre-requisite THEM127 Introducing Biblical Hebrew. You will focus on selected chapters from Genesis. You will be able to develop your knowledge of Biblical Hebrew through the study of the set text and further grammar.
This option module will enable you to apply and to develop your knowledge of Biblical Hebrew through work on set texts and on further grammar. It will also enable you to engage in the translation and exegesis of the set texts and to consider the issues involved in translation.
THEM127: Introducing Biblical Hebrew
Following Kahn, Routledge Introductory Course in Biblical Hebrew, you will acquire a good working knowledge of the basic elements of Biblical Hebrew. This will enable you to translate short passages from Hebrew into English (with appropriate glossary and the aid of a dictionary) and to translate short sentences from English into Hebrew.
This module will enable students to acquire a good working knowledge of the basic elements of Biblical Hebrew, to translate short passages from Hebrew into English (with appropriate glossary and the aid of a dictionary) and to translate short sentences from English into Hebrew.
CTHM007: Research Skills in Classics, Ancient History and Theology
This module focuses on developing the advanced research skills required for the MA programmes in Classics and Ancient History, and Theology and Religion. It will inform you of key issues and debates within the disciplines, and introduce you to a range of subject-specific research skills. It will also support you in formulating, planning and disseminating your ideas for your dissertation, guiding you through the process of planning a major research project and helping you to communicate the aims, methodology and outcomes of your research effectively.
The module aims to:
- Deepen your understanding of the place of the disciplines of Classics and Ancient History and Theology and Religion in the modern world
- Develop your subject-specific research skills by introducing you to a range of methodological approaches and conceptual frameworks
- Provide training in formulating and developing a major research project
- Improve your ability to critically evaluate the methodology, arguments, and communication skills of others working within your discipline
- Develop your own skills in the practice of research communication, both written and oral
HASM033: Debates in Public Holocaust Memory
Public memory of the Holocaust has gained increasing prominence in many Western nations during recent decades. This module critically examines some of the key debates regarding this phenomenon. These include discussions of the basic purpose of Holocaust memorialisation and education, the ways in which the Holocaust has or should be compared to other events, its representation through varied public media forms, and the extent to which the identity of those remembering shapes the meanings created. The module will consider how all of these issues are shaped by complex historical and social contexts, and some of the key controversies that have arisen. The module is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing in aspects of memory studies, modern history, Jewish studies (also incorporating discussions of Christianity and Islam), and politics.
THEM014: Poets and the Religious Imagination
This module will enable you to explore the interaction of spirituality and poetry in a selection of modern authors in English (or in English translation). It requires no specialist background knowledge, only a keen interest in poetic texts and a willingness to explore the influences that led to their composition and final form. The module is highly suitable for interdisciplinary work, especially by theology students with an interest in literature, or students of English, Modern Languages and History with a curiosity about spirituality.
The module aims to provide a general introduction to the role of theology and spirituality in modern poetry. You will be introduced to the biography, historical context and spiritual journey of a number of poets constituting the main focus of the module. You will undertake close readings of selected poems, in conjunction with biographical studies and the latest criticism (often drawing on interdisciplinary resources), in order to explore the theology and spirituality that informed the poems' composition and the ways in which the poems themselves function as theological and spiritual resources.
THEM150: Modern Christian Thought
In this module you will explore the major developments in, and challenges to, Christian religious thought from roughly 1700 to the present day in Christian East and West. You will look at Christian concepts and teaching in thinkers ranging from the philosophers Kant, Hegel and Kierkegaard to the pillars of modern theology, Barth, Rahner, Balthasar and Bulgakov, and finally closing with contemporary Christian theology. You will examine texts and thinkers in relation to their social and intellectual contexts, and will study theology in the three major Christian traditions (Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy).
This module aims to:
- explore modern Christian thought, philosophy and theology, from roughly 1700 to the present day, in Christian East and West
- examine key texts and thinkers, from Kant, Hegel and Kierkegaard to Barth, Rahner, Balthasar and Bulgakov, closing with contemporary Christian theology.
- introduce you to some of the reoccurring themes in modern theological and philosophical texts, including: the "Modern" and the "Pre-Modern"; apophaticism; dialecticism/polarity/antinomism; faith, doubt and history; theology as science vs theology as prayer/worship; divine self-revelation and mystery; systematic theology and first principles; metaphysics; Christocentrism; God, Christ and historicity; freedom: grace, obedience, self-determination and autonomy; subjectivity: historical, self and God consciousness; enlightenment: knowledge of God, self and reality; revelation and experience; tradition and innovation; exile and identity; God and the world: panentheism vs contingency; kenoticism; and the role of the Church in modern society.
- examine texts and thinkers in relation to their social and intellectual contexts, focusing on the three major Christian traditions (Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy)
THEM151: Monsters in the Bible and Beyond
In this module you will use Monster Theory to interpret and analyse monsters and images of the monstrous in biblical texts. Understandings of these biblical monsters will allow you to assess how biblical writers conveyed their cultural concerns and challenges via the monstrous. Additionally, you will interrogate the use of biblical texts and motifs alongside representations of the monstrous in television, films, and video games. You will examine some of the most salient challenges we face in contemporary society that intersect with shifting attitudes towards the Bible. You will be introduced to approaches to the study of biblical reception history alongside the use of Monster Theory in order to develop liberative critiques of biblical texts in relation to social justice issues.
Being an interdisciplinary module, this module is recommended for students on MA Theology and Religion, MA Film and Screen Studies, MA Magic and Occult Science. There are no module pre-requisites.
THEM152: The Ethics of Decision-Making
Humans typically make hundreds of decisions every day. Some are habitual, e.g., when to drink herbal tea or coffee. Some are potentially life-changing, e.g., whether to foster a child. Some are difficult in the extreme.
Drawing upon relevant literature, from ancient and medieval sources to recent psychological science, this module invites your critical reflection on what is needed for reasoned decision-making, how the emotions/passions impact reasoning processes, the extent to which situational factors, e.g., lack of sleep or hunger, impact decision-making, and more.
Following an initial overview, the journey of the module starts with the history of decision-making models and associated research from the 1980s. We keep close to the needs of decision-makers in workplace environments throughout the module. We widen the lens to think societally about how the decision-making of citizens can be influenced by potentially hostile adversaries. We narrow the lens to think personally about moral injury that might result from decisions taken, decision decisions observed, or being swept up in the consequences of decisions taken by others. Given recent advances in AI, we also think about human-machine teaming. Particular attention is paid to the continuing relevance of ancient and mediaeval teleological thinkers, notably Aristotle and Aquinas.
Successful completion should equip you to:
THEM306: Heaven and Philosophy
In recent years, analytic philosophers have sought to understand and articulate the Christian doctrine of heaven with greater precision, to assess its plausibility. In this module you will grapple with some of the key questions they have been asking. We will consider what heaven is supposed to be like; how it relates to earthly bodies and time; what the blessed might do there; and, above all, whether you would actually want to go there at all.
Although the topic is theological, the approach is philosophical, so the module would be suitable for students with a good background in philosophy even if they have little background in theology. Students from a more theological background should have at least some experience with analytic philosophy.
The purpose of this module is to extend your knowledge and understanding of philosophical investigation of the doctrine of heaven. More broadly, you will learn to analyse and assess theological doctrines, and different interpretations of those doctrines, using the tools of analytic philosophy. This will develop your skills of comprehension and analysis, as well as critical reflection and argument. You will also reflect upon the relationship between religious belief and philosophical analysis, and critically assess the methodologies used in this module.
Fees
2026/27 entry
UK fees per year:
£12,650 full-time; £6,325 part-time
International fees per year:
£25,550 full-time; £12,775 part-time
Scholarships
The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships. We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship
We are pleased to offer the University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship, a scholarship for University of Exeter alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship worth 20% of the cost of your first year tuition fees.
Terms and conditions, including deadlines, apply.
Teaching and research
Learning
We are focused on making sure your MA programme works well for you and are happy to give you advice on module choices and combinations. Our aim is to help you develop the skills you learned at Undergraduate level and add further expertise in a range of connected disciplines.
Teaching
Our distinctive areas of teaching expertise include Eastern Orthodox Christianities; the art and architecture of West Asia; and decolonial studies in religion and the legacies of racism and empire in our disciplines. Our teaching prepares you to lead meaningful action against the climate emergency, make key breakthroughs to transform human wellbeing and help create a just and socially inclusive society.
You might encounter teaching in established and emerging areas such as theological responses to trauma, religion and genocide, ecotheology and ecological hermeneutics, death, burial and memorial practices, concepts of modernity and secularity across faith traditions, and many more. These will help you develop your critical skills, preparing you for a future in a world where creative solutions to challenging questions matter more than ever.
Methodology
We will give you the opportunity to engage with the latest methodology through small group teaching and seminars where you will have excellent access to our top academic staff. MA students are at the heart of our discipline’s life and contribute in diverse ways such as hosting their own postgraduate discussion groups and editing a student journal. As well as face-to-face classes you will have an opportunity to participate in online seminars and discussions.
We encourage our Postgraduate students to become part of our lively research culture, meeting regularly with other students and staff for study groups and informal discussions about interesting topics. You will also be given opportunities to develop your digital skills and competencies and to develop your expertise in research using online databases and research libraries.
Third term
Most of your teaching will take place in the first two terms. The third term is dedicated to your dissertation where you will design, research and write a piece of original research. Progress in your modules will be assessed through a variety of coursework, and if you choose to study Greek or Hebrew your language skills will be assessed by a combination of exams and other coursework.
Research areas
We have a very active research culture with international scholars who are publishing cutting-edge research, we encourage interdisciplinary and collaborative research which is reflected in our projects.
Our research focuses on the interaction between theology and matters of current social and political importance.
Specialisms
Some of our specialist areas of interest include:
- “Just War” reasoning in the twenty-first century
- Rhetoric and literary composition in the early church
- The theology and ethics of trans identity, gender variance, and same-sex relationships
- The interaction of evolutionary theory with Christian theology
- The materiality and sociality of the body in biblical traditions and ancient religion
- Eastern Orthodox Christianity
- Disability studies and biblical texts
Wider research
In addition to the research-led content of the course, as an MA student you are closely involved in the wider research life of our discipline. We also operate the Exeter Centre for Ethics and Practical Theology (EXCEPT) which provides a centre for research into contextual, practical and ministerial theology. Our Centre for Biblical Studies provides a focus for a range of research activity and research projects including seminars, public lectures and hosting academic visitors. You can find out more about our department staff and their research interests on the Theology webpages.
Facilities
Libraries and archives
You will be perfectly placed to take advantage of the resources of Exeter Cathedral including the Cathedral Library and Cathedral Archives which date back to Saxon times.
Expertise
Our broad range of expertise within the Department will give you a unique opportunity at MA level to specialise in the areas that interest you most. The main University Library is a modern facility with extensive collections, including digital, and provides a range of study spaces as well as excellent resources.
Digital Humanities Lab
In addition we have recently invested £1.2 million into Digital Humanities to create a new lab and research space for the examination and preservation of important historical, literary and visual artefacts. The Digital Humanities Lab will enable you to use high-tech equipment to find out more about our cultural heritage, examine items in greater detail and share discoveries with the public.
Careers
Our MA programme is excellent preparation for a research degree in Theology if you choose to take your studies on to doctoral level. Many of our students find our MA in Theology and Religion an excellent way of furthering their career or opening up new job prospects.
Skills
Our MA programme will deepen your understanding of Theology and bring you up to date with the latest developments in the field. The skills you will develop are highly relevant regardless of the path you take. You will learn to understand other people’s viewpoints, to communicate and debate effectively, to work independently and as part of a group. We will encourage you to use your own initiative and keep an open mind while training you in a range of academic, personal and professional skills.
As with all humanities degrees, there is a very wide range of possible careers for our MA students. Some of our recent graduates have gone on to work in a variety of related fields such as:
- Assistant Curate
- Chaplain’s Assistant
- Junior Pastoral Assistant
- Lecturer
- Legal Assistant
- Marketing Assistant
- Ministry Trainee
- Publicity and Fundraising Manager
- Registry Officer
- Teacher
- Youth and Families Worker
Several students are working professionals who use our MA programme as a form of continuing professional development, a means of reflecting on the meaning or purpose of their current careers in areas such as teaching, social work, and faith leadership.
Careers and employment support
While studying at Exeter you can also access a range of activities, advice and practical help to give you the best chance of following your chosen career path. For more information visit our Careers pages.
