Course Essentials
Welcome to the Course Essentials section for our Theology and Religious Studies MA awards. We are looking forward to you joining us and hope that you will enjoy your time studying at the University.
The Course Team
Academic Calendar: Trimesters [15 Week]
View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2025-26 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.
You will find here some tips for getting started as well as a recommended reading list. We've tried to include a variety of different things for you to look at as you begin to acquire knowledge relevant to the Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care course.
Modules you study with us include:
Chaplaincy in the mission of the Church
Chaplaincy and spiritual care
Religion and the common good
Interfaith dialogue
You can see an overview of the modules by visiting the MA Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Course Page here.
Study Support
As you embark on your academic journey, you’ll be fully supported to ensure you get the most out of your learning experience. During Induction Week, you’ll take part in specific sessions, meet your module tutors, and have IT and library induction sessions to help you navigate the digital tools essential for your studies. You’ll also be introduced to our Virtual Learning Environment, which will be central to your learning, and be informed about the wide range of student support services available, including dedicated mental health and well-being support. At the outset of your course, you’ll be assigned a personal academic tutor who will guide you throughout your studies, offering both academic advice and pastoral support. You’ll also have access to the Learning Hub, an online platform packed with resources to help you develop key academic skills. The hub has been developed by Learning Developers and Learning & Research Librarians with your needs in mind. Here you will find a range of modules with tips to help you develop your study, academic and research skills.
Before starting the course, you are invited to make yourself familiar with a range of relevant internet sources. These should help you find information about the subject, introduce you to ideas and build knowledge you will find helpful in your studies. Some of these websites contain extensive resources for you to explore. They represent different religious traditions, describe the current place of religion in public discourse in the UK, as well as some sites from around the globe.
Your welcome and induction will be on Tuesday, 16 September 2025 - we look forward to meeting you then!
In advance of joining the course you are invited to read some of the following books. The list is quite diverse, so please pick two or three which best suit your own interests.
It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts recommended in the module handbooks you will receive when you start in September.
International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.
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