Religion and philosophy are fundamental parts of how people have sought to express their understanding of the purpose of life, and the foundation of personal and social behaviour. Through the flexible modular programmes on offer in both disciplines you will develop vital transferable skills for entry into the graduate job market. Religion has been part of human experience from the earliest traces of human existence up to the present day. It has been the way most cultures have sought to express their understanding of the purpose of life and the foundation of personal and social behaviour.As a student of Religious Studies, you will have the opportunity to explore your own and other peoples' religious history and culture, and some of the fundamental questions of existence. Your lecturers are active researchers in their fields, bringing the latest research into teaching.As a Philosophy student you will benefit from a strong emphasis on ethics, politics, and aesthetics among the modules on offer. Although we do cover the full range of contemporary philosophical concerns, we are unusual in providing so much opportunity in these areas.Our research and teaching is spread equally across both the ‘analytic’ and ‘Continental’ styles of Western philosophy. For historical reasons, most philosophy courses in the UK are almost entirely analytic. Some are almost entirely Continental. Only a very few are evenly balanced across the two approaches, allowing students to develop a full understanding of both with the possibility of an informed choice to specialise in one approach or the other.Each school involved in delivering the degree offers a challenging programme of modules, supported by a friendly atmosphere and excellent staff-student relationships. Distinctive featuresThis degree provides the training necessary for students who wish to study either discipline at postgraduate level, and a valuable range of intellectual and transferable skills for students who wish to enter a variety of other professions.