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

Studying Philosophy, Ethics and Religion offers you the opportunity to engage with the fundamental questions of life: What does it means to be human? How should we resolve moral dilemmas? Is it possible to prove that God exists? Our course draws together modules that explore ethics, analytical and continental philosophy, and Eastern and Western religions. If you have an enquiring mind and want to cultivate new skills - this may be the course for you.

All of our modules are taught by experts in fields of Philosophy, Ethics and Religion, specialising in areas such as religious extremism, existentialism, applied ethics, aesthetics, Holocaust studies and the study of the world religions. Each year you will be able to choose from a wide range of courses and with no compulsory modules in your first and second year you will be able to tailor your degree to your own interests. In your final year of study, you will again be able to choose most of your modules but will also be required to complete an independent project which will give you the opportunity to research a topic of your choosing at an advanced level.

Our courses are taught through interactive lectures and seminars, where you will be able explore and debate some of the most significant philosophical, ethical and religious issues that confront humanity today. You will also be given the opportunity to meet with your lecturers for one-to-one tutorials or in small groups to discuss and develop your ideas further.

Our staff are dedicated to developing your academic and personal potential, ensuring that you are prepared for success after graduation.

Why choose Bangor University for this course?

• You will have opportunity to specialise your degree in philosophy, ethics or religion.
• You will benefit from staff expertise and their commitment to teaching, student care and welfare.
• Our staff are research active and incorporate current research into their teaching.

Additional Course Options

Each module will be taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars:

• Lectures will be led by a course tutor and will introduce you to the central themes and issues that are to be discussed throughout the module.
• Lectures will be accompanied by weekly seminars which provide students with the opportunity to express their ideas or debate topics in a small group setting.
• Modules also make use of Blackboard, the University’s online learning environment.

Throughout your degree you will be given the opportunity to complete different types of assessment, such as, examinations, essays, case studies, text analysis, film reviews, presentations, pod casts and glossaries. By completing such a diverse range of assessments, you will be given the opportunity to develop a wide array of different skills and writing styles that will be invaluable in your later careers. You will be given extensive feedback on each assignment, to ensure that you are able to continually make progress throughout your degree.

If you find you are anxious about one of our forms of assessment in some of our modules, we may be able to provide you with an alternative form assessment (which will cover similar learning outcomes for the module).

What will you study on this course?

The first year is intended to give you a basic grounding in topics in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion so that you become familiar with these subjects even if you have not studied them before. The first-year modules provide you with a solid grounding in the various skills required for subsequent study in Years 2 and 3. Modules in Years 2 and 3 will provide you with a range of religious, ethical and philosophical modules, many of which are relevant to issues of contemporary concern. In Year 3 the range of modules includes a dissertation module, which involves independent study with supervised support on a topic of your choice from any of the modules you have studied within the School. The dissertation module is the only compulsory module in this degree programme.

During each semester you will study modules equivalent to 60 credits, making a total of 120 credits per year.

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 Philosophy, Ethics and Religion BA (Hons) Modules page.

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

• Students are able to join the RE-Connect project that seeks to help students gain experience teaching Religious Studies to secondary school students.
• Students have access to a range of religious artifacts and resources.
• Opportunities to read with rare texts and manuscripts.
• Opportunities to engage with members of different religious communities.
• Opportunities to visit the four main pilgrimages sites in North Wales.
• The School has its own student common room with computer access.
• The School has its own journal where students can publish their work.

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.

Through studying Philosophy, Ethics and Religion you will develop a wide array of skills that are very much in demand in today’s job market. For instance, our degree encourages students to develop a range of skills such as problem solving, analysis and evaluation, communicating and presentation, empathy and social skills, creativity, forming a well justified argument or point of view, time management, organisational and teamwork. These transferable skills are valued by a wide range of employers and can lead Philosophy, Ethics and Religion graduates finding employment in a range of different fields such as:

• Legal services
• Teaching and Education
• Academia
• Politics
• Social Work
• Event Management
• Accountants
• Business and Management
• Banking
• Prison Service
• Museums, Heritage and the Arts
• Counselling
• Journalism
• Publishing
• Ministry
• Health Care
• Non-profit Agencies
• Media

Many students will go on to pursue postgraduate degrees leading to an MA, MRes or PhD.

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 History (with Foundation Year).