Philosophy, Ethics and Religion

Through the lens of prominent thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato and Foucault, you’ll examine some of today’s most pertinent moral, religious, social and political questions. We’ll teach you how to interpret texts, analyse complex concepts and apply ideas and ethical values to daily life.

You’ll search for what ‘truth’ and ‘meaning’ might mean by studying a range of ideas and positions. Central questions will include: what is the place of the self in the world?; what values should we hold in contemporary society regarding business, sport and surveillance?; and does belief in God shape the kind of values we hold? In fact, is it this belief in God that constitutes a religion? - if so, what actually constitutes a religion? 

You’ll develop key skills in problem-solving, analytical and creative thinking, and learning to engage with philosophical, ethical and religious questions. Putting skills and theory into practice, you’ll complete professional work placements and gain valuable experience in preparation for your future career.

By combining the study of philosophy, ethics and religion, you’ll foster your own development as a thinker and have the opportunity to think critically and creatively, make new links and find new insights – skills which are vital in today’s job market and society.

Why study with us?

• Learn from the experts. Our lecturers are active researchers in the fields of philosophy, ethics and religion.
• Learn to think critically and debate the ultimate questions about human existence, values and beliefs.
• Feel supported with small class-sizes, excellent one-to-one support and individual tutorials.
• Become employable. Our interdisciplinary approach will help you develop a wide range of transferable skills applicable to many careers.

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Modules by Year

Year 1

Core modules (students are required to take):

• Ethical Foundations
  Ask fundamental questions about what makes something morally right or wrong.
• Introduction to Philosophy
  Investigate the nature of the soul and the world through the eyes of Ancient and Medieval European philosophers.
• Studying Religion and Spirituality
  Ask foundational questions about the nature of religion and spirituality and how they are studied.
• Critical Thinking and Logic
  Learn how to think clearly and argue well by using formal and informal methods.
• Religions in Focus
  Understand how depictions of religion can affect our perceptions of them.

Year 2

Core modules (students are required to take): 

• Mind, Self and World
  Investigate the nature of knowledge and ourselves through the eyes of Early Modern philosophers.
• Fieldwork in Religious Studies
  Gain first-hand experience of conducting fieldwork in religious studies.
• Understanding Social Justice
  Interrogate the meaning of social justice and its many forms in contemporary society.
• Research Skills in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion
  Learn about the process and methodologies used in research in philosophy, ethics, and religious studies.
• Professional Placement
  Gain experience applying your studies in the workplace.

Students are required to choose one option module from: 

• Asian Religion and Philosophy
  Investigate the nature of knowledge, the self, and the world through a study of different Asian religions and philosophies.
• Science and Religion
  Ask questions about the relationship between scientific and religious explanations of the world.

Year 3

Core modules (students are required to take): 

• Dissertation
  Work one-to-one with a supervisor on an extended project in philosophy, ethics, and religious studies.
  
• Professional Learning Through Work

Students are required to choose up to four option modules from: 

• Ethics in Modern Society
  Examine and critically analyse unique ethical issues that arise in modern society.
• Knowledge and Reality
  Investigate the nature of knowledge, the self, and the world through the eyes of contemporary philosophers.
• Sexuality Studies
  Investigate ethical, political and sociological questions about sex and sexuality.
• Political Philosophy
  Ask philosophical questions about politics and government in contemporary society.
• Indigenous Religions and Cultural Appropriation
  Learn about indigenous religions around the world and about the nature of cultural appropriation.
• Philosophy of Technology
  Examine philosophical issues arising from the role technology plays in our lives.

Professional work placements

Experience matters. That's why we include professional work placements with every undergraduate degree.

How does it work?

Our myFuture team will work with you to find your perfect placement or help you arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK, or even abroad. The team will also arrange a series of workshops and events to boost your confidence and give you a taste of what your placement will be like.

During your placement you'll learn new skills, gain experience in a role that's directly related to your degree, and secure valuable employer references for your CV.

Students on the programme have undertaken placements in primary and secondary schools, charities such as CAFOD, MPs’ offices, legal firms, publishers, local government, and in university and prison chaplaincies.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Professional Work Placements

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

• high quality teaching
• an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
• a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

• Student Involvement and Engagement
• Inclusion
• Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
• Digital Literacy and Skills
• Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

• Personalised support
• Expert lecturers
• Strong connections with employers
• An international outlook
• Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Programme delivery

Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.

Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:

1. Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
2.  Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
3. Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.

Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.

Assessment

A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.

For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, including the recently introduced T Levels, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.

UK Home Students:

Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2022/2023.

Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2023/2024.

Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.

Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.

Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.

Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.

International Students, including EU Students:

Visit our webpage for international students.

Part-time study is not available for international students on a Student Route Visa. 

Additional costs

We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees:

• Recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
• On some courses there may be additional costs, such as field trips, equipment, accreditations, that may be part-funded by the University. More details will be provided at the start of the course.
• You'll need to include placement/s travel and associated costs too, however the University will contribute a standard amount towards your total expenditure.
• The University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.

For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.

On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.

New applicants can submit an application for available courses starting in September 2022 until 30 June 2022. After this date, all applications will go through Clearing. If you’ve already applied to go to university through UCAS but don’t hold an offer, you can apply through UCAS Extra until 4 July 2022.

If you require a Student Route Visa in order to study in the UK, then you must meet all the conditions of your offer and present all supporting documentation required for the visa application no later than Friday 29 July 2022.

You can now register and start your application for 2023, although you cannot submit it until 6 September 2023. The UCAS application deadline for courses starting in September 2023 is 25 January 2023.

You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.

There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:

• call 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)
• email admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk 

Apply now

Graduate opportunities

Providing you with the skills and industry experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.

You’ll learn how to engage in deep dialogue, which will give you the ability to empathise with and respect the views of others. These skills are important for careers where communication, leadership, problem-solving and analytical thinking is important, such as management, law, social work, local government and education. You could also progress on to a career in teaching after further study.

After you graduate, our myFuture Team will support you in reaching your career goals through our Alumni Mentoring Scheme, one-to-one CV and interview preparation appointments and access to our on-campus graduate events.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Careers and Employability