Religious Studies and English Literature

Religious studies and English literature are disciplines that each address fundamental human questions: what do we believe, how do we make meaning, and what can we learn from the texts through which different cultures have expressed their deepest concerns? Religious studies examines the doctrines, practices, histories and cultural expressions of the world's religious traditions, using the tools of theology, philosophy, anthropology and history. English literature explores the formal and cultural dimensions of literary writing in English, developing close reading, critical interpretation and the ability to argue carefully about texts and ideas.

Together they create a programme of exceptional breadth and depth.

At Edinburgh, this four-year programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and broaden your intellectual perspective. You will engage with major religious traditions including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, alongside the history and philosophy of religion and contemporary debates in ethics and religious thought. The English literature strand takes you across poetry, prose, drama and non-fiction from multiple periods and traditions, developing your ability to analyse style, form, language and context.

Edinburgh is a university with significant research strength in both disciplines, and you will be taught by scholars actively engaged in the questions you will be studying. The typical entry tariff is 168 UCAS points.

Graduates move into careers in education, journalism, publishing, charity and third-sector organisations, international development, museum and heritage work, law, the civil service and academic research. The skills in argument, close textual analysis and cultural understanding that this combination develops are transferable across a very wide range of professional contexts. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in theology, religious studies, literature, cultural studies or related fields.