Our AS level Religious Studies online course focuses on Christianity, but is suitable for people of all faiths, or of no religious belief. With the support of a personal tutor, you’ll explore a range of engaging topics including Christianity and society, ethics and religious language.

You’ll have the flexibility to fit study around your lifestyle, learning at your own pace. Like many NEC students, perhaps you’ll go on to study religious studies or theology at university, or use your qualification to support your next career move?

Our Religious Studies AS level course is ideal if you:

• Are keen to study religion, theology or a related social science at degree level.
• Want to develop an in-depth understanding of the impact religion has on society.
• Enjoy applying different perspectives and theories to ‘big’ questions and topical issues.
• Would like to reflect on your own values and attitudes.
• Are building your employability skills in areas including critical thinking, communication and empathy.

Future opportunities

• • A degree in religious studies, theology or a related subject.

• A wide range of rewarding career paths in fields such as chaplaincy, education, advice work, charity, policing, counselling, youth work and journalism.

Section 1: Introduction to religious studies

• Introduction to philosophy of religion
• Introduction to ethics
• Introduction to Christianity

Section 2: The existence of God

• The design argument
• Modern design arguments
• The cosmological argument
• The ontological argument
• Modern ontological arguments

Section 3: Religious and ethical debates

• Religious experience
• The problem of evil
• Environmental ethics
• The ethics of equality
• Anthology: Mackie

Section 4: Theory and application of ethics

• Utilitarianism
• Natural moral law
• Situation ethics
• War and peace
• Sexual ethics
• Anthology: Barclay

Section 5: Christianity

• The nature of God
• The Trinity
• The nature of the Church
• The Bible
• The role and nature of Jesus
• Shaping and expressing Christian identity
• Anthology: Moltmann

Study AS level Religious Studies with us and benefit from:

• Flexible learning
• Support from a personal tutor by email, phone or Skype
• Any time enrolment
• Our exam booking service
• Assignments with tutor feedback
• Ongoing support from Student Support
• Forums to discuss your course with other students

learn@nec

Choose when and where you access your course, using learn@nec our 24/7 learning platform.

This easy-to-use learning platform includes interactive checkpoints, quizzes and activities to help you evaluate your progress.

You’ll have access to support from a personal tutor. All NEC tutors are subject experts, with experience of supporting online learners.

Meet Amanda who is just one of our first-class religious studies tutors:

“Learning should be a rewarding experience for its own sake. I love ideas and think that the most valuable thing about education is the joy of gaining knowledge. The most rewarding thing about tutoring and teaching is helping students to find their own reward in learning. I have been teaching for 18 years. I am a head of faculty, an A level examiner and write NEC course materials for A level Philosophy and A level Religious Studies. I am never happier than when I am in a classroom or working 1:1 with learners of all ages.”

Exam board

• Edexcel 9RS0

Format

• Online learning with support from a personal tutor

Hours

• Complete at your own pace
• Approx. 120-150* hours plus time for completing assignments

*The specification suggests that 150 hours is needed. You’ll also need time to complete assignments and prepare yourself for exams and some courses like English literature involve a lot of reading.  Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say with certainty how long a course will take you, but you should expect to spend longer than 150 hours. Taken across the length of time we recommend, this equates to approximately 4 hours per week. This will increase if you choose to take it over a shorter time frame or may be less if you are retaking a subject and have covered a lot of of the course content

Assignments

• 6 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade

Resources

• No additional set texts required

Requirements

• Internet access
• Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec

Our course fees are open and honest to help you plan for any additional costs.

Your course fee includes:

• Access to learn@nec
• All the course materials you need to complete the course
• Support from a personal tutor for up to 24 months from your date of enrolment
• Assignment marking
• Marking for one past paper
• Guaranteed exam place
• NEC’s guide to study skills: How to Succeed as an Independent Learner
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar guide
• Time planner to help you plan your study timetable
• Information on how to apply for exams
• Academic references if needed

Your course fee does not cover:

• Exam entry fees

Optional extras:

• Additional past paper marking
• Revision tutorial
• Optional tutorial
• Additional review

Would you like to talk to our Student Recruitment Team about the best route for you? Visit our Contact Us page, fill in the form and a member of the team will get back to you!

Three exams:

• 1 hour, 33.3% of marks
• 1 hour, 33.3% of marks
• 1 hour, 33.3% of marks

Non-exam assessment (NEA):

• None

We know that our younger students often need an extra helping hand with their studies. In our experience learning online works best when either a parent or guardian are involved. This is why NEC has developed our unique Progress Tracker to help you to support your child.

NEC’s Progress Tracker will allow you to easily track your child’s progress across their subjects and gain insight to how well they are doing through access to their assignment grades and tutor feedback.  

Read more about how we work with young students who are studying at home or through a school.

Would you like to talk to our Course Advice Team about the best route for you? Visit our Contact Us page, fill in the form and a member of the team will get back to you!