Why study TRS at university?

There are three great reasons to study Theology and Religious Studies (TRS):

1. Because the subject is so diverse and so fascinating!  There are so many dimensions to this subject area that it is like a whole Arts/Humanities degree in itself.  Whether your interest is in literature, history, languages, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, or ethics, the past or the present, one religion or many, why people adhere to a religion or why they don’t, the study of religion and theology will capture your interest and take you to places you had never dreamed of going.  Follow your passions and interests into this subject area and you are bound to discover new topics and new approaches that will expand and increase your enthusiasm.  No-one comes out of a degree in this subject without being enriched as a person, and stretched in their mind, their imagination, and even their emotions.

2. Because the knowledge and skills you learn are so relevant!  Everyone operates with some kind of worldview, and the study of religion and theology helps you to examine, understand, and evaluate some of the most long-lasting and influential worldviews that operate in the world today.  No-one can understand contemporary politics or current life-shaping attitudes to disease, conflict, justice, the environment, social cohesion, or self-worth without understanding the big pictures and the deep motivations that shape religious practices and beliefs.  With a degree in this subject you will come out with a knowledge-set that will equip you to a unique extent in understanding and engaging with the world.  At the same time, you will learn skills of empathy, analysis, interpretation, argument, presentation, critique, and persuasion that will be the foundation of your future life, whatever path you may take.  In many respects, Theology and Religious Studies students are the most rounded of all University students.

3. Studying Theology and Religious Studies at University can be the foundation for a wide range of great careers!  TRS graduates have some of the highest employment rates of all University graduates, and are highly regarded by employers who are excited and intrigued by the different perceptions of life and society that a degree in this subject provides.  Some TRS graduates go on to teach in schools, to work in faith communities, or to research and teach in religion and theology.  Most proceed to a large range of other careers, including law, business, the media, publishing, public relations, the civil service, social work, local government, the charity sector, and international NGOs.  Watch the interviews on this website to see some examples of this vast range of careers, all founded on the passions, the knowledge, and the skills learned by our featured graduates.