International Foundation Year in Humanities, Law and Social Science leading to Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Religion, Society and Culture Study Group - Durham University International Study Centre - Queens Campus, UK

International Foundation Year

The International Foundation Year in Humanities, Law and Social Science prepares you for an undergraduate degree at Durham City. This programme lasts for three terms.
Upon successful completion of the programme you can choose from a range of related degrees at Durham University.

Who is this programme for?

This humanities, law and social science foundation year is for international students looking to study a related degree at Durham University but need additional time to prepare.   

• Improve your academic and English language skills needed for your chosen degree.
• Explore concepts, terminology and practical skills needed to succeed at a world-class university.
• Study core modules for humanities, social science and law with this foundation year, developing your critical skills and understanding of key themes and models.
• Take the time to adjust to the UK education system so you can be ready to start your degree with confidence.

Leading to: Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Religion, Society and Culture

This degree will equip you with the skills to understand religion and its power to shape the human condition. You will engage with the role of religion in a wide range of contexts, including politics, literature, bioethics and war.

Theoretical perspectives are applied to a variety of specialist topics – from fundamentalism in the USA to sacred landscapes in northern India; the role of Islam in modern Britain; Pentecostalism in sub-Saharan Africa; and death rites across the globe. Urgent current ethical questions are studied, and you will be encouraged to arrive at well-informed and reflective positions on topics such as the environmental crisis, end-of-life issues, poverty and warfare.

The course enables you to better understand the world we live in, and to explore the forces that shape our own attitudes, hopes and fears. In turn, it will empower you to go out into the world to make a difference for the common good. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four.

In the first year, modules are intended to provide the foundational understanding and skills necessary for work in theology and the study of religion.

In the second year, there is a much greater choice of modules to allow you to pursue your own interests within theology and religion by building on the understanding and abilities you have begun to develop in the first year.

The third year includes a dissertation that allows a deep, independently driven, exploration of a topic of your choice.