Our BA programmes

Level 3 programme

As with Level 2, final year modules are offered on a rotational basis and so are not available every year, but tutors will work with you to plan a satisfying, three-year programme of study.

Core course

In final year, students take two core modules, based on a selected text from the Hebrew Bible and one from the New Testament. Students explore each text's literary structure, its themes, and internal clues about the implied author, audience, time and circumstances of composition, and the interpretative traditions that have arisen from them. Those who have studied Hebrew or Greek can work with the texts in their original languages. In addition, all students write a 40-credit dissertation in an area of interest, working closely with a supervisor.

Dual Honours students do exactly half the modules of Singles Honours students, including a 20-credit dissertation.

Optional modules

For the remaining modules, students can choose from areas such as field archaeology (including excavation experience in Israel), the reception of the Bible over time and in various cultures, imaging God, wisdom literature, the history of biblical interpretation, the use of the Bible by communities of faith, and the role and use of the Bible in an age of terror.

Progress and development

By the end of level 3, students should have a detailed knowledge of key issues in Biblical Studies, the ability to undertake a detailed analysis and close reading of the biblical text, informed (where students have pursued Hebrew and/or Greek ) by the original languages.

All students will have developed research and critical thinking skills as well as oral presentation, organisational and time management skills. Each will also have designed, researched and presented an original research project in the form of a dissertation.

Core modules:

Note that at Level 3, the texts examined within core modules are rotated annually. The modules themselves are: