Welcome to our world

Welcome to the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Kent.

You’ll find yourself in a warm, friendly, diverse and intellectually challenging environment. Our staff are experts in their fields and committed teachers with interests in areas including the sociology of religion, East Asian medicines, ethics, religion and film, death and the afterlife, atheism and the secularisation of religion.

Prior knowledge is welcome, but don’t worry if you don’t have a background in our subjects. We start from the beginning. What we ask from you is curiosity to explore and academic engagement.

You’ll be part of our welcoming community of students and scholars. We’ll value your input and perspectives. Your learning experience won’t be restricted to formal teaching. As you’ll discover, Kent is a place to inspire and this goes beyond the classroom.

We look forward to meeting you!

Dr Chris Deacy
Head of Department of Religious Studies

Here's advice from our Student Experience team about what you can do now to prepare for your first term at University from exploring modules to useful apps and resources.  

Gordon Lynch, Michael Ramsey Professor of Modern Theology, talks about how the idea that societies are organised around sacred values can help us make sense of social responses to the Coronavirus pandemic.  

All new first year students have the opportunity to sign up to our Academic Peer Mentoring (APM) scheme. APM partners you with experienced students to support your learning and transition to university life. This is a great way to meet students from other year groups, who are also studying similar courses/subjects/disciplines to you - they can give you expert advice, as they were in your shoes only a year or two ago! 

APM is run by the Divisional Student Experience team, in conjunction with Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS). Both teams will be hosting a variety of events throughout the year for APM mentors and mentees.