Programme Specification for the 2024/5 academic year
BA (Hons) Philosophy and Theology with Study Abroad
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | BA (Hons) Philosophy and Theology with Study Abroad | Programme code | UFA4HPSCTH01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Full Time Part Time |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 6 (Honours) |
2. Description of the Programme
The BA CH Philosophy and Theology programme at Exeter will offer you an excellent Honours-level education in Philosophy and Theology. It will provide you with a stimulating and supportive environment that is informed by research where deemed appropriate. Questions that pertain to the nature of God, religion, faith and moral life have been the domain of both Philosophy and Theology for many centuries. Philosophy offers invaluable logical and analytical tools to address theological questions, both old and new. This programme will also enable you to reflect in depth about the role of religion in contemporary life and society.
You will spend the 3rd year of study in a partner University on an Erasmus/Socrates exchange or other approved programme of study.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
1. Offer an excellent Honours-level education in Philosophy and Theology, which meets the standards set in the national Subject Benchmarks.
2. Provide a stimulating and supportive environment for you that is informed by research where deemed appropriate.
3. Offer a coherent and structured framework of study which ensures that within the time-span of the programme you follow a balanced and complementary range of modules, whilst allowing sufficient choice to ensure that you are able to follow individual pathways of learning.
4. In philosophy, produce graduates who are grounded in the main themes and methods of philosophy through a combination of modules, which develop a reflective understanding of some pervasive and problematic features of the world and of ourselves.
5. In theology, produce graduates who are able to demonstrate comprehension of and critically analyse a range of themes, debates and methods of the discipline, through the study of various modules, including the in-depth study of biblical and other texts in relation to contexts of interpretation, and the study of philosophical theology and Christian ethics, through engagement with key historical figures, and in relation to significant contemporary issues
6. Provide a range of academic and personal skills, which will prepare you for employment or further study, which will foster mental agility, adaptability and critical enquiry, and which will enable you to deploy your knowledge, abilities and skills in their entirety, displaying balance and judgement in a variety of circumstances.
4. Programme Structure
The programme is studied over three years, all of which are university-based. Study is undertaken in three levels, one for each year of study. The programme is divided into units called modules. Modules have a credit value of 15 or 30 credits. Each stage comprises 120 credits.
Credits at stage 1 must be successfully completed in order to proceed to stage 2, but marks gained at this stage play no further part in the final assessment.
Modules are not all available every year; options are offered each year at the discretion of the relevant Disciplines. A module may be taken only if the necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, if the timetable allows, and if the module or an equivalent module has not been taken previously.
The University’s rules on modularity include a provision that the degree programme contains compulsory and optional modules and as part of the degree programme. Students may take up to 30 credits a year outside their main degree subject, after they have met the compulsory requirements of their main subjects.
However, you must graduate with a minimum of 150 credits from each side of your programme (meaning that you may take a maximum of 60 elective modules in total).
Any student wishing to take an option of up to 30 credits outside the programme should seek permission from the Director of the Philosophy Programme or the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Theological Studies).
5. Programme Modules
The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.
Philosophy modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=philosophy
Theology & Religion modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=theology-religion
The University’s rules on modularity include a provision that the degree programme contains compulsory and optional modules and as part of the degree programme. Students may take up to 30 credits a year outside their main degree subject, after they have met the compulsory requirements of their main subjects. However, the normal expectation on this programme is that students will take 60 credits in each subject, in order to gain sufficient skills and expertise in philosophy and theology to complete the programme effectively. The level 3 programme in Philosophy already allows students to choose a 30-credit option from a range of philosophical subjects offered by other disciplines. Any student wishing to take an option of up to 30 credits outside the programme should seek permission from the Director of the Philosophy Programme or the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Theological Studies).
If students wish to undertake their study abroad in a University which does not teach in English, they must normally take 30 credits from the Foreign Language Centre at stages 1 and 2 in the appropriate language. In doing this they would be deemed to have exercised their rights under the University’s modularity provisions.
Stage 1
60 credits Philosophy modules (45 credits core / 15 credits options), 60 credits Theology modules (30 credits core / 15 credits options)
Compulsory Modules
Philosophy
a - you must take 3 of the 5 core modules listed
Theology
You must take THE1106 and THE1110
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHL1002A | Knowledge and Reality 1 [See note a above] | 15 | No |
| PHL1002B | Knowledge and Reality 2 [See note a above] | 15 | No |
| PHL1005A | Evidence and Argument 1 [See note a above] | 15 | No |
| PHL1006 | Introduction to Philosophical Analysis [See note a above] | 15 | No |
| PHL1013 | Philosophy of Morality [See note a above] | 15 | No |
| THE1106 | Philosophy of Religion and Christian Ethics | 15 | No |
| THE1110 | The History of Early Christianities | 15 | No |
Optional Modules
Philosophy
You may choose one 15 credit option module. Philosophy modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=philosophy
Theology
You may choose one 15 credit option module
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theology and Religion stage 1 option modules 2024-5 | |||
| THE1076 | Religion in the Modern World | 15 | No |
| THE1103 | Introducing Christian Theologies | 15 | No |
| THE1101 | The Bible: Past and Present | 15 | No |
| THE1109 | Introduction to the History and Literatures of the Bible | 15 | No |
| THE1072 | Introducing Biblical Hebrew | 15 | No |
| THE2035 | Intermediate Biblical Hebrew | 15 | No |
| ARA1018 | Introduction to Islam | 15 | No |
| ARA1041 | Religious Communities of the Middle East: Culture, Endangerment and Survival | 15 | No |
Stage 2
You will take 60 credits in Philosophy and 60 credits in Theology.
Compulsory Modules
Philosophy
b - you must take 3 of the core modules listed
Theology
There are no core modules for stage 2
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHL2010A | Philosophy of Mind 1 [see note b above] | 15 | No |
| PHL2043 | Philosophical Research [see note b above] | 15 | No |
| PHL2015 | Body and Mind [see note b above] | 15 | No |
| PHL2016 | Metaphysics [see note b above] | 15 | No |
| PHL2018 | Philosophy of Language [see note b above] | 15 | No |
| PHL2118 | Moral agency in social context [see note b above] | 15 | No |
Optional Modules
Philosophy
You choose a 15 credit option module. Philosophy modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=philosophy
Theology
You choose 60 credits of Theology and Religion option modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theology and Religion stage 2 option modules 2024-5 | |||
| THE2044 | Reading New Testament Letters | 30 | No |
| THE2228 | Criminal Justice in Religious and Philosophical Perspectives | 30 | No |
| THE2218 | The Invention of God | 30 | No |
| THE2231 | History of Encounters Between Philosophy and Theology | 30 | No |
| THE2026 | Postcolonial Theology | 30 | No |
| THE2230 | Conflicts and Encounters between Religions: War, Peace, Politics and the Quest for Dialogue | 30 | No |
| THE2219 | Religion and Holocaust Memory in Public Life | 30 | No |
| THE2229 | Syriac Christianity: Monks, Monasteries and Mimre | 30 | No |
Stage 3
Students spend this stage in a partner University on an Erasmus/Socrates exchange or other approved programme of study. The year abroad comprises 120 credits. Assessment is normally based on the credits gained at the partner institution abroad.
Compulsory Modules
120 credit compulsory placement module
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAS3999 | Study Abroad (HASS) | 120 | Yes |
Stage 4
60 credits at Level 3 in Philosophy, and 60 credits at Level 3 in Theology in total, less the credits for the corresponding dissertation - see below.
Compulsory Modules
Philosophy or Theology dissertation
c - You must choose either PHL3040 or THE3082
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHL3040 | Philosophy Dissertation [See note c above] | 30 | No |
| THE3082 | Theology Dissertation [See note c above] | 30 | No |
Optional Modules
If PHL3040 is chosen, then students take 30 credits of Philosophy option modules, and 60 credits of Theology and Religion options modules
If THE3082 is chosen, then students take 30 credits of Theology and Religion option modules, and 60 credits of Philosophy options modules.
Philosophy modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=philosophy
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theology and Religion Final stage option modules 2024-5 | |||
| THE3044 | Reading New Testament Letters | 30 | No |
| THE3228 | Criminal Justice in Religious and Philosophical Perspectives | 30 | No |
| THE3218 | The Invention of God | 30 | No |
| THE3231 | History of Encounters Between Philosophy and Theology | 30 | No |
| THE3026 | Postcolonial Theology | 30 | No |
| THE3230 | Conflicts and Encounters between Religions: War, Peace, Politics and the Quest for Dialogue | 30 | No |
| THE3219 | Religion and Holocaust Memory in Public Life | 30 | No |
| THE3229 | Syriac Christianity: Monks, Monasteries and Mimre | 30 | No |
6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
1. Show familiarity with philosophical ideas about the nature of society and the social sciences. | [Philosophy] In explicit terms, 1 and 2 are developed through lectures, seminars and essay work in PHL1002A and PHL1002B,; 3 and 4 through similar methods and strategies in PHL1006A, PHL1005a, PHL201a, PHL2016, PHL2015, and PHL2018; 5 and 6 through similar methods in PHL1013 and PHL2118; and 7 through similar methods on PHL2010A, PHL2010B, and PHL2018. However, depending on the student’s chosen portfolio of modules, they will be developed, with increasing intensity as s/he progresses through the Stages, on the elective modules as well. 8 is developed through the optional modules taken. The level of competence expected of students intensifies at each stage of the programme.
| [Philosophy] The assessment of skills 1-8 is made through a combination of course essays, oral presentations, examinations; also, where appropriate, Research Methods Project or dissertation. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
12. Analyse critically individual texts and combine those analyses to demonstrate understanding of the development of literary genres | [Philosophy] The skills are mainly developed through lectures, seminars, and formatively and summatively assessed essay work (on different topics and in different areas of philosophy: Knowledge and Reality, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Nature, and Ethics), practical exercises (Evidence and Argument, Introduction to Philosophical Analysis) and special close reading seminars (Philosophical Readings 1-3) which are designed to improve not only the philosophical knowledge but also analytic skills and depth of understanding.
| [Philosophy] Skills 12-18 are assessed though course essays, assessed oral presentations and examinations at stages 1-2 and through the dissertation at stage 3. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
22. Select, organise and analyse material for written work and oral presentations of different prescribed lengths. | a) Skills 22, 24, 25 and 26 are developed through the preparation and delivery of oral presentations in many modules at all levels in both sides of the programme, and through the oral discussion of challenging material in all modules in the programme.
(b) Skill 27 is also developed through meetings with personal tutors, one-to-one or small-group tutorials giving feedback on written work and through discussion in seminars.
(c) Skills 22, 24, 25, 28, and 30 are developed through written assignments (essays) in most modules and examinations in many modules at all levels.
(d) Skills 28-29 form essential parts of the successful completion of the programme but are encouraged especially through preparation for written and oral assignments and seminars. They are also promoted in Philosophy through the student Self-Appraisal system in the mid-semester break and in Theology through the use of tutorials for feedback on formatively assessed essays. (e) Skill 31 is developed through the dissertation in Philosophy/Theology. (f) Skill 32 is developed in both sides of the programme through the requirement that all written work is word-processed and that students use the WWW to access texts and other learning materials. (g) Skill 33 will result from assessment on the Study Abroad module. | (a) Skills 22, 23, 25 and 26 are assessed through seminar presentations. In philosophy, oral contributions to seminars are assessed formatively; in theology seminar presentations are sometimes assessed summatively and sometimes formatively.
(b) Skills 22, 24, 25, 28 and 30 are assessed through written work at all levels and in all modules by examination in many modules and by the dissertation.
(c) Skill 32is assessed through written course-work in all modules.
(d) Skill 31 is assessed by the dissertation in either subject. |
7. Programme Regulations
Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.
Classification
Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
Personal and Academic Tutoring
It is University policy that all Faculties should have in place a system of academic and personal tutors. The role of academic tutors is to support you with individual modules; the role of personal tutors is to provide you with advice and support for the duration of your programme, and this support extends to providing you with details of how to obtain support and guidance on personal difficulties such as accommodation, financial difficulties and sickness. You can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff.
Information on the Faculty Personal Tutoring system, library provision, ELE resources and access to Faculty support services can be found on the Faculty website.
Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC)
SSLCs enable students and staff to jointly participate in the management and review of the teaching and learning provision.
9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning
Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.
10. Admissions Criteria
Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.
The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.
14. Awarding Institution
University of Exeter
15. Lead College / Teaching Institution
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
16. Partner College / Institution
Partner College(s)
Not applicable to this programme
Partner Institution
Not applicable to this programme.
17. Programme Accredited / Validated by
0
18. Final Award
BA (Hons) Philosophy and Theology with Study Abroad
19. UCAS Code
VV5P
20. NQF Level of Final Award
6 (Honours)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | 480 |
ECTS credits | 240 |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
[Honours] Theology and religious studies
[Honours] Philosophy
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 01/10/2009 |
Date of last revision | 28/07/2020 |
|---|
