Religious Studies or the Study of Religion/s is a vibrant research cluster, based in theoretically informed and comparative studies of religion.
You can specialise in a variety of areas which include contemporary and historical topics and fields such as Asian Studies, History of Religions/New Religions, and Jewish Studies.
You will be encouraged to frame your research using a range of theoretical and methodological approaches, from the classic to the cutting-edge. You will be able to draw on methodological expertise which includes biographical analysis, discourse analysis, ethnography, historical and textual studies, memory studies and narrative studies. The thematic interests of academic staff include ethnicity, gender, indigeneity, nationalism, textuality and the transnational.
You can find out more and identify a potential supervisor by looking at the School’s staff profiles, which give details of research interests and publications, and email addresses.
School of Divinity staff profiles
You are encouraged to contact a potential supervisor to discuss your research project before making a formal application.
At the School of Divinity you will join a community of around 150 research students, drawn from around the world, and from a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds.
You will study in a stimulating environment. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranked the School’s research environment at 100% world-leading / internationally excellent, second in the UK on this front in theology and religion. This outstanding result reflects the vibrancy of the School’s research culture.
September 2025
Main Campus
Old College, South Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9YL, United Kingdom
September 2025
The University of Edinburgh
Student Recruitment and Admissions,
33 Buccleuch Place,
EDINBURGH,
EDINBURGH, CITY OF,
EH8 9JS, SCOTLAND, Scotland
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.