Ancient Religions (Part-time) (MA)
This unique multidisciplinary Ancient Religions (MA) programme provides a comparative analysis of different religious traditions across the ancient world, beyond Greece and Rome as far afield as ancient Egypt, Celtic Britain and ancient China.
You will have the opportunity to debate the origins of organised religious practices and explore the earliest temples in southwest Asia, engage with the religions of the Bronze Age Mediterranean, meet the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, and explore the sacred landscapes of north west Europe. Other modules will introduce you to the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, cosmology, magic and divination in the classical world and the texts of the Old Testament.
The programme is very flexible to suit your research interests.
Course details
- Distance Learning
- Part-time
- English
Why choose this course?
What you will learn
The Ancient Religions (MA) offers students whose interests centre on this field the opportunity to take a specialist higher degree tailored to investigating evidence for religious practices and beliefs in diverse cultural contexts: Neolithic southwest Asia, Bronze Age Mediterranean, Celtic, Egyptian, Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and ancient China.
The programme enables students to gain a clearer understanding of the interrelations of religion and society in a cross-cultural perspective and so better enables them to understand multi-religious worlds. Moreover, students will gain a wider understanding of the cultural economic and social forces underpinning the ancient world and these ancient ideas and practices in particular. It draws upon a variety of methodologies and theoretical perspectives taken from Archaeology and Anthropology as well as from the textual traditions of ancient China, the Classical world and Old Testament studies.
The scheme allows you to study a wide range of modules covering a wide range of ancient religions, giving you a choice to shape the programme to your interests.
All our modules in the Ancient Religions (MA) are taught by internationally renowned specialists and active researchers from different disciplines, notably notably Archaeology, Classics, Egyptology, Theology, Religious Studies, Cultural Astronomy, Celtic Studies and Chinese Studies. The influence of our research on our teaching offers our students the opportunity to learn from the best in the subject and follow the latest scholarly trends and discoveries.
The MA Ancient Religions is available to both on-campus students and distance learners. Our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a live forum through which students and staff can interact, through which students are better able to revise and explore difficult topics and access the electronic resources available in the virtual world.
Compulsory
(30 credits)
(60 credits)
(30 credits)
Optional
(30 credits)
(30 credits)
(30 credits)
(30 credits)
(30 credits)
(30 credits)
* These modules alternate with each other on an annual basis.
Course Disclaimer
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We listen to student feedback and insights from industry and from professionals to ensure that course content is high-quality and up-to-date, and that it offers the best possible preparation for your future career or study goals.
For this reason, there might be modifications to the content of your course over time, to keep up to date with changes in the subject area or in the sector. If a module is no longer running, we’ll make sure to keep you informed, and work with you to choose a different suitable module.
Ratings and Rankings
Staff
Our People
You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for Teaching, Assessment and Feedback and Academic Support (NSS 2024) meaning that the support and feedback you get will help you learn and develop strong academic skills. Our students have placed us 1st in Wales for Learning Opportunities and Student Voice (NSS 2024) meaning that there are a wide range of opportunities available to enhance your studies and that students play an active role in shaping their learning experiences. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students place us as 1st in Wales and joint 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction (Times Higher Education, 2024, ‘Overall Positivity’ measure). Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses.
Further information
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The traditional requirement for entry onto a Level 7 programme is a 2.1 or 1st class undergraduate degree. In addition, the Faculty encourages students with an equivalent and appropriate professional qualification or significant and relevant professional experience to apply.
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An MA degree in Ancient Religions involves a wide range of assessment methods.
In addition to traditional essays, you will be assessed through bibliographic exercises, presentations – oral and PowerPoint-based, creation of abstracts and encyclopaedia articles, in-house conference papers, article reviews, creation of project plans and, of course, the final 15,000-word dissertation.
This variety of assessment helps develop skills in presenting material in a clear, professional and a lucid manner, whether orally or in writing.
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You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available, please visit our Bursaries and Scholarships section.
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The programme provides a broad foundation for postgraduate work by laying particular emphasis on the methodologies and research tools needed for independent advanced study, thus acting as training for students who intend to undertake an MPhil or PhD.
The course also provides a professional qualification for teachers or others seeking Continuing Professional Development. In addition, the programme will be attractive to students who wish to study out of personal interest.