Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

Philosophy, religion, and ethics is a discipline concerned with the deepest questions human beings ask: what is real, what can we know, how should we live, and what is the place of religious belief and practice in human life? It brings together the analytical rigour of philosophy with the historical and cultural depth of religious studies and the practical engagement of ethics. Rather than treating these as separate subjects, the combined field recognises how closely they have always been intertwined in intellectual and social history.

This three-year full-time programme at the University of Exeter gives you a rich grounding in all three areas. You will engage with philosophical argument, from classical ethics and epistemology to contemporary debates in moral philosophy and the philosophy of mind. Religious studies brings in the comparative study of traditions including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, examined through historical, anthropological, and textual lenses.

Ethics connects both to questions of contemporary practice, from bioethics and environmental ethics to political philosophy and professional life. The programme includes a sandwich year in industry and a year abroad as well as a work placement, which is an unusual breadth of structured experience for a humanities degree and gives you strong professional grounding. With a typical entry tariff of 152 points, this is a demanding programme for students who are intellectually ambitious and genuinely curious.

Philosophy, religion, and ethics graduates are valued for the quality of their reasoning, writing, and analytical engagement with complex questions. Law is one of the most common further routes, either directly or via conversion, and many graduates move into legal practice, policy work, or public administration. Teaching is another well-established path, with RE and philosophy both valued in schools.

Journalism, publishing, and communications draw on the ability to analyse and communicate complex ideas. Work in the charity and voluntary sector, chaplaincy, and interfaith and community relations also draws on graduates from this field. Postgraduate study in philosophy, theology, or applied ethics is a natural progression for those who want to develop specialist expertise.