Careers and employability

Study Religions and Theology at Manchester and you will come away with the ability to engage with a contemporary, multicultural society and the potential to enter a range of careers.

What you'll take away from Manchester

Graduates with knowledge and understanding of different cultural and religious beliefs are highly valued by many employers.

You will develop many transferable skills, including: 

• presentation skills
• critical thinking and analysis
• time management
• team working skills
• empathy and cultural sensitivity
• imaginative insight
• independence of mind
• building and developing a persuasive argument.

Some Religions and Theology course units will enable you to develop more specific skills, such as translation, source handling, exegesis, data collection and geo-historical awareness.

What you could do after graduation

The University of Manchester is one of the most targeted universities in the UK for top graduate employers according to High Fliers Research.

Our graduates enjoy success in a wide range of careers, including:

• teaching and education
• cultural heritage
• counselling
• roles in the creative industries
• law
• roles in research consultancies and think-tanks
• finance
• publishing
• roles in faith-based organisations
• youth work
• charity work
• media
• roles in the public sector.

Employers include the BBC, the Civil Service, Xaverian College, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SPCK, the Church of England, Christian Aid and the Liberal Jewish Synagogue.

A substantial number of students continue to postgraduate study, including further study in Religion and Theology and PGCE courses.

What our graduates are doing now

You can read profiles of some our previous students below to find out how their degree helped them into their current jobs.

How we can help you into your perfect career

You will have various opportunities to expand your skillset as part of your course.

Work placements

You can apply to spend a year gaining valuable workplace experience on a work placement as part of most undergraduate courses at the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

We are also part of a wider University scheme to place Humanities students in a variety of work placements. Some of our most recent placements and partners include:

• digital archiving (Imperial War Museum North, Islington Mill Archive)
• curatorial/exhibition assistance (Touchstones Art Gallery)
• publications editor/curator (Manchester Modernist Society)
• archival assistance (John Rylands Library, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre)
• translation (Elizabeth Gaskell's House)
• project delivery assistance (City of Sanctuary)
• project assistance (Purple Patch, Digital Woman's Archive)
• event planning and co-ordination (Chuck Gallery)
• communications and sponsorship assistant (Manchester Jazz Festival, Quarantine Theatre)
• digital marketing and communications assistance (Common Wealth Theatre)
• social media and marketing (Chuck Gallery).

Go beyond your subject

Many employers seek graduates who have skills in multiple fields of expertise to demonstrate their adaptability and resourcefulness.

Our Flexible Honours option may allow you to study another subject within arts, languages and cultures as a minor in addition to your major within Religions and Theology.

Alternatively, you could study selected course units from other courses around the University through the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning.

University-wide careers and employability initiatives

You will be able to access a rich variety of volunteering opportunities that help students build transferable skills and form part of the University's Stellify initiative.

In addition, Manchester's Careers Service is a great starting point for discovering the wide range of opportunities and activities available across the University and beyond to help you develop your employability and transferable skills alongside your studies, including:

• internships and other forms of work experience;
• work experience bursaries;
• part-time, casual and holiday work;
• overseas opportunities, for example, our Global Graduates scheme;
• networking events, talks and workshops;
• mentoring.

Students and new graduates have access to a full range of in-person and online help, including careers guidance and CV and applications support.