Welsh and Philosophy, Ethics and Religion BA (Hons) Undergraduate - September 2025/26* Entry

This is a course that allows you to enjoy the wealth of Welsh literature, drama and creative culture and consider some of life's deepest questions at the same time. What is being? How can moral principles be discovered? Can the existence of God be proved - or to the contrary? Students who enjoy creative writing can take part in poetry and prose workshops, and there are also specific modules to refine your professional writing skills. You will split your time equally between studying specific modules in Welsh and others in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion.

The entire course gives you the opportunity to build on your experiences and open new doors. You will learn new critical skills to respond with originality to literature, and you will also see the relevance of the Welsh tradition to some of the most important and challenging ideas developed over the centuries, worldwide. Take a fresh look at creative works from one of Europe's richest literary traditions, from heroic poetry, the tales of the Mabinogion and the poetry of masters such as Dafydd ap Gwilym, to the cutting edge and challenging works of the later period, from the ecumenical and the ephemeral and feminist to scientific and Welsh literature in America. Consider how Welsh language writers around the world have responded to the demands of the ages, creating shocking, challenging and beautiful works. Enjoy these alongside learning more about analytical and continental philosophy, and religions from the Eastern and Western traditions.

From the novel, to the drama, to the language of the most experimental media and art; from philosopher to theologian and political pamphleteer, this degree gives you the opportunity to better understand the meaning of thinking, and how to express that thought. You can apply that understanding, while gaining skills that are practical as well as analytical. 

Additional Course Options

A joint honours degree allows you to study the same core modules as students on the single honours courses; you will take fewer optional modules, but you will not be without options, either. 

The teaching takes place through lectures, seminars, presentations, case studies and workshops. You will write essays, undertake various weekly exercises and tasks, reading and preparing for seminars. Assessment is a combination of coursework and examinations, with some modules assessed solely on the basis of coursework. There are specific modules available for second language students, and full support throughout the degree course. 
 

What will you study on this course?

In the first year, through reading key texts you will become familiar with the aspects that underpin philosophy and religion, even if you have not studied those areas before, from Philosophy of Religion, Ethics and Logic, to Discourse and 'the Death of God'. You will also read poetry, prose and drama, and have an opportunity to take part in creative writing workshops, if you wish. 

In the second and third years, a wide variety of modules are offered: e.g., the novel from Daniel Owen to Dewi Prysor; Welsh language theatre from Saunders Lewis to Aled Jones Williams', modern poetry and eisteddfod odes; Meic Povey’s television dramas; Dafydd ap Gwilym; the Mabinogion. Or why not study the Welsh culture of the Welsh Americans, or even ask "What is Literature?" (the 'Philosophy and Literature' module is a bridge between the two disciplines). There are modules on the great thinkers of the western tradition, as well as those comparing western and eastern thought, and there is a wide range of Welsh modules covering subjects as diverse as Buddhism, Religious Education, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, or the Transatlantic Slave Trade. 

The Independent Study and Dissertation modules give you the opportunity to explore in more depth a topic of particular interest to you, whether a single author or writer such as Caryl Lewis, Geraint Jarman or Nietzsche, or a subject such as ecocriticism, gender and transgender, literature and slavery, approaches to language regeneration, etc. 

Modules for the current academic year

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Welsh and Philosophy, Ethics and Religion BA (Hons) Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

General University Costs

Home (UK) students

• The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,250 per year (2025/26).
• The fee for all integrated study abroad years is  £1,385 (2025/26).
• The fee for an integrated year in industry as part of a sandwich programme is £1,850 (2025/26).

More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.

International (including EU) students

• International Student Tuition Fees
• International Student Living Costs and Scholarships

Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:

• If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
• If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

1. Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
2. Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
3. Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

General University Requirements

To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.

EU and International Students' Entry Requirements

For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.

There has never been more demand for a workforce that can use Welsh at senior professional levels. The goal is clear, it has been set by the Welsh Government: a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and a truly bilingual Wales. 

In pursuit of this goal there will be a considerable demand for confident Welsh speaking graduates. A degree in Welsh and Philosophy, Ethics and Religion, will provide you with an excellent qualification, combining two areas that offer great potential. Employability statistics show, year on year, that graduates from the School of Welsh succeed exceptionally well in finding suitable employment - indeed they are more successful than the graduates of some other subject. "The ability to communicate effectively in spoken and written Welsh is an essential skill in an ever-increasing number of jobs, and studying for a degree  - or the majority of a degree - through the medium of Welsh does not close any doors on international employment either." The opposite is true.

The remarkable professional success of our students in employment - and their varied careers - already proves how entirely relevant this course is to the requirements of contemporary Wales. A proportion of graduates go into education, to be primary and secondary teachers, headteachers, education officers and directors of education. Others go into further education and others become university lecturers. Teaching Welsh for adults is also a key area. Television and digital and print media - including the BBC centre in Bangor - offer a cross-section of interesting jobs and have led other alumni into book publishing, creative writing and television scripting, public relations and marketing. There is also continuing demand for bilingual administrators and local government officers. Graduates in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion also look to social work, religious service, counselling, librarianship etc.

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. 

Internships

Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.

Student Volunteering

Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.

A 'with Foundation Year' option is available for this course. Apply for Welsh for Beginners or History (with Foundation Year).