Theology and Religious Studies

Why choose Girton?

Girton has a small but lively group of students in Theology and Religious Studies. The Director of Studies, Dr Hilary Marlow, is an Old Testament scholar with a wide range of other interests, including inter-faith dialogue and the science and religion debate Faraday Institute - Dr Hilary Marlow. Additional assistance is offered by the Chaplain, whose interests lie in theology and literature.

At Girton we have now formed a Huntingdon Theology Group, joining with students from Murray Edwards and Fitzwilliam Colleges (also on Huntingdon Road), to have occasional meetings, both social and for open discussion. In recent years Girton students have been very successful in the Faculty, resulting from the College ethos of a relaxed atmosphere with academic rigour.

Undergraduate information

The degree in Theology and Religious Studies is flexible, allowing students to pursue their particular interests even from the first year. One scriptural language (Hebrew, Greek, Arabic or Sanskrit) and one biblical paper must be taken in the first year, and then other options are available to choose from, including Theology, Philosophy, Sociology of Religion, and Word Religions. Similar topics can be chosen in second and third years, but each year introducing further specialisms and allowing the option to focus on one or more areas. For those wishing to explore a topic in more depth, the option of a dissertation is available in the final year.

Graduate information

In the Faculty, graduates may study for an MPhil or PhD, and Girton has students from the Faculty of Divinity taking both degrees. The Director of Studies is also a supervisor in biblical studies for both these degrees. In addition, the Faculty offers an MSt in the study of Jewish-Christian relations, and a number of students on the MSt have been members of Girton too.

Research and postgraduate students are admitted to the University by the Board of Graduate Studies. You must therefore apply centrally and not to the College, however you must be admitted to a College to be able to study at the University. To ensure that this is Girton you need to indicate this on your application form.

Career destinations

Students have moved on to a range of careers. Some have gone on to further studies both here and elsewhere, but most have entered other types of employment, including teaching, banking, charity work, journalism, and even working as a submariner.