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This module aims to support first year students in the transition into Higher Education and prepare them to succeed in their theological and philosophical studies. It covers academic and study skills, such as researching information; bibliographic referencing; academic writing; reading primary theological and philosophical texts; critical analysis; and summarising and evaluating sources.
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This module provides the foundational knowledge and critical skills needed to understand the dynamic relationship between sacred texts, religion and society. It considers how the Jewish and Christian scriptures were produced, and the different ways in which they have been interpreted and applied to different issues throughout history and in the present day.
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This module introduces the key features of Christian Theology and the work of some of the leading theologians throughout history. It explores how Christian Theology engages with questions of race, sexuality, gender, disability and class and can contribute to meeting the great challenges facing humanity today.
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This module explores the role of religion and politics in Britain by bringing classical texts of political philosophy into dialogue with real case studies from the recent past. Political concepts like religious toleration, individual freedom, and the role of the state may seem abstract and theoretical, but this module will draw out their real consequences for how people live in our contemporary world.
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This module introduces some of the most foundational questions in philosophy such as: Can we know anything? Are we free? Is there such a thing as ‘reality’? Through an encounter with the works of some of the most well-known philosophers, for example Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Descartes, and Hume, and some who write from different standpoints, for example bell hooks and Cornel West, students will be able to explore the variety of ways in which these questions have been answered and how this shapes our view of ourselves and the world around us.
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This module focuses on the relationship between the academic study of religion and its place in society and the workplace. First, it introduces students to the skills necessary to research religious studies both inside and outside the classroom, partly through visits to religious centres in the Birmingham area. Second, it aims to equip students with the knowledge and self-management skills to make informed choices in preparing for work placement and the transition to employment or further study on graduation.
Theology and Philosophy BA (Hons)
Honours Degree, Undergraduate, September 2025
Key Details
- VV56 Course Code
- 3 Years
- TBC Typical UCAS Tariff
The study of Theology and Philosophy is really relevant to the issues of today, as almost every story covered in the media has an ethical, philosophical or religious dimension to it. This subject helps to make sense of the world in which we live, since both our history and our modern culture are shaped by religious beliefs and philosophical traditions. The course engages with the deep questions facing individuals and society about life and death, self and identity, and the responsibility of human beings to one another and to the environment. The BA (Hons) in Theology and Philosophy is, therefore, an ideal course for the student with wide interests who loves thinking and debating. Students from a range of backgrounds and prior learning experiences are welcome, and the course is open to those of any religious tradition or none.
- The course challenges students to think deeply about the greatest questions facing society today such as climate change, human rights, gender equality and the nature of work.
- Theology and Philosophy at Newman regularly ranks highly on the National Student Survey; in 2023 our average positivity score was 98%.
- The programme includes a strong employability strand, with work placements, assessments covering real-world issues, and optional modules in Religious Education for those students considering a career in teaching.
Year 1
10 hours per week over 4 days
Year 2
7 hours per week over 3 days plus 100 hours (in total) in a work placement setting
Year 3
6 hours per week over 2 days plus individual dissertation tutorials approx. 2 hours per month
Theology and Philosophy is a broad field of study, which embraces a whole variety of other subjects, including history, literature, politics, sociology and anthropology. The Theology and Philosophy degree at Newman offers you the opportunity to study all the key aspects of the wide subject of theology, including: Christian theology, both classical and modern; philosophy of religion; ethical theories and issues; biblical interpretation; and how different religions interact with society and politics.
The first year of the Programme aims to give you a solid grounding in all of these areas and also to help you make the transition to University study. In the second and third years you will develop your knowledge and skills further through a combination of compulsory and optional modules. These will cover both ancient and modern perspectives on Theology, Philosophy, and Ethics, and provide opportunities to study areas such as biblical interpretation and Religious Education. During your final year you will explore deeply a topic of your choice in writing a 10,000 word dissertation.
A key element of the whole course is engagement with primary texts, including the scriptures of the major religions, and a willingness to evaluate a variety of perspectives is expected.
In addition to the compulsory work placement strand which is a feature of all Newman’s degree programmes, the Theology and Philosophy course includes an employability-related module in the third year. This allows students to engage directly with community organisations, charities and other agencies to apply their theological and philosophical knowledge to solving real-life problems.
The course uses a variety of assessments to help develop a range of different skills useful for various careers, including essays, oral presentations, textual commentaries, case studies, portfolios, digital artefacts, reflective logs and research projects. There are no written examinations.
Theology and Philosophy graduates go on to a wide range of careers, including teaching, the police service, the NHS, administration in the public and private sectors, human resources, and retail or hotel management. Others take professional post-graduate courses to qualify as, for example, lawyers, accountants, youth workers, social workers or librarians. The skills of critical thinking, evaluation, communication, and cultural and religious understanding gained during the course are valued by many different kinds of employers.
Birmingham Newman University is located in Britain’s second city – Birmingham. With one of the youngest city populations in Europe, it is a vibrant and dynamic place to study.
Studying at Newman University, you have the advantage of being near to the city, but living in, or commuting to peaceful and comfortable surroundings on campus.
Dining out
Birmingham has lots of wonderful places to dine out with a range of different cuisines. Places where you can dine out include; Brindley Place, Mailbox and Hagley Road (just 10 minutes’ from Newman).
Entertainment
Whether you like to go to; the theatre, gigs or clubs, or enjoy: sports, shopping visiting art galleries or exhibitions – Birmingham will not disappoint and you will be spoilt for choice!
Location
Getting around Birmingham is easy via train, bus or by car. Birmingham has excellent transport links to the rest of Britain, making it easy for those weekend getaways!
Why not explore the city for yourself by visiting one of our Open Days?
Want to find out more about Birmingham? Then take a look at some Birmingham City Secrets.
Course Fees
The full-time course fee for September 2025 is £9,250 per year.
The University will review tuition fees and increase fees in line with any inflationary uplift as determined by the UK Government, if permitted by law or government policy, in subsequent years of your course. It is anticipated that such increases would be linked to RPI (the Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments).
Additional Costs
Field trips to local religious and educational sites are an essential part of the programme of study in some modules. The actual costs of these visits are covered by the fees but students make their own arrangements to travel there.
Depending on the type of work placement chosen, a DBS check may be required which incurs a cost.
Find out more about the other additional costs associated with our undergraduate degrees.
Modules
Please be aware that, as with any course, there may be changes to the modules delivered, for information view our Changes to Programmes of Module Changes page.
*As a part-time undergraduate student, you choose how many modules to study each year (up to a maximum of 6). To qualify for a student tuition fee loan you will need to choose at least 4 modules. A normal 3-year degree will take 4.5 years (if you take 4 modules per year) up to a maximum of 8 years to complete. You will be taught alongside full-time undergraduate students.
Timetables: find out when information is available to students
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This module examines some of the most pressing ethical debates of our age from human cloning and genetic modification to capital punishment and overseas military intervention. It involves both assessing the arguments for and against different ethical positions, and considering underlying philosophical issues like autonomy and choice, and the value of human and non-human life.
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Using canonical and non-canonical writings from the first and second centuries C.E. as primary sources, students explore the progression of Christianity from its emergence as a small Jewish movement to its struggle in renegotiating its identity and place within the Roman Empire as a distinct religious voice.
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Focusing on the Jewish and Christian Bible and examples of its use within contemporary settings (e.g. politics, art, popular culture, social media, inter and intra religious dialogue), this module investigates the relationship between the text and its users. Building on a number of questions and challenges posed in THU406, the module explores in greater depth issues relating to genre and textual reception.
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This module aims to develop knowledge & understanding for students that have a particular interest in RE through identifying current issues raised in government reports and addressing challenges ahead as outlined by professional RE bodies. The module will examine research to investigate factors influencing the delivery of RE in schools and the impact this holds for pupil understanding. Through exploration of recent recommendations by professional bodies for the ongoing development of RE, as a statutory curriculum subject, students will be equipped for any future careers involving this subject area as well as developing a range of transferable skills.
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This module considers the contested area of the spiritual and faith development of children within primary and secondary schools as part of SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education). It includes study of both theoretical frameworks for moral development and child development and as school-related sessions exploring PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), equality and diversity, wellbeing, and the assessment of SMSC.
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The module covers major movements in theology and philosophy (for example, existentialism, Marxism, neo-orthodoxy and liberation theology). It positions these in relationship to important events in the changing world of the twentieth century (for example, decolonisation, civil rights movements, world wars, genocide). A focus of the module is how and why questions of race, gender, ableism, and sexuality have come to the fore of the study of Theology and Philosophy in the last fifty years.
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Beloved and favoured by God, Abraham/Ibrahim is an important figure in both the Qur’an and the Bible. This module analyses how this scriptural figure has been re-imagined by generations of religious and non-religious people and considers areas of similarity and difference between the three major world religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
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This module allows all students to spend time in a work placement setting of their choice and so develop their skills in preparation for their graduate careers.
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This module explores the ways in which ancient ideas of virtues and values have been recast by twentieth and twenty-first century philosophers. There will be opportunity to critically assess some of the ethical ideals upheld by the literature of Ancient Greece (such as Homer’s warrior-hero Achilles, Aeschylus’ tragic hero Agamemnon and Plato’s transcendent Forms); to evaluate the ways in which these classical accounts of virtue have shaped modern perceptions of what it means to lead a good life (as found in, for example, Iris Murdoch’s account of the Good, Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist writings, and Martha Nussbaum’s insights about moral luck and tragic dilemmas); and then to critique the ideas of justice and good character promoted by contemporary culture.
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Using canonical and non-canonical writings from the first and second centuries C.E. as primary sources, students explore the progression of Christianity from its emergence as a small Jewish movement within to its struggle in renegotiating its identity and place within the Roman Empire as a distinct religious voice.
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Focusing on the Jewish and Christian Bible and examples of its use within contemporary settings (e.g. politics, art, popular culture, social media), this module investigates the relationship between the text and its users, issues relating to genre, and questions of textual reception.
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This module provides students with the supportive space to use the knowledge, tools and skills they have acquired throughout the degree programme to take on the role of theological and/or philosophical practitioners and consultants within ‘real world’ situations, and to attempt to create informed solutions to specific problems posed by local agencies, employers or community groups.
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This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of RE in schools in Britain today. It investigates theory and practice and considers the potential future development of the subject.
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This module considers the contested area of the spiritual and faith development of children within primary and secondary schools as part of SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education). It includes study of both theoretical frameworks for moral development and child development and as school-related sessions exploring PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), equality and diversity, wellbeing, and the assessment of SMSC.
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This module focuses on the question ‘who am I?’ and whether it is, even in principle, possible to answer it. A wide range of philosophical positions are explored including, for example, the ideas of Plato, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Wittgenstein. These lead to engagement with broader philosophical debates, such as those concerning the role of myth in philosophy, the relationship between human beings and the non-human world, the possibility of metaphysics, and the philosophy of dance and aesthetics.
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This double module promotes the acquisition of in-depth and advanced subject knowledge and understanding, and fosters critical engagement with theological and/or philosophical issues. Building upon their interests and achievements at Levels 4 and 5, students will choose, in negotiation with tutors, a focused area of study within the broad field of Theology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies in which to conduct an independent study.
Additional Information
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