Bachelor of Arts (Sociology and Religious Studies)

Introduction to Sociology

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Foundational concepts in sociology including social structures, institutions, social processes, classical sociological thinkers, and the sociological imagination.

Introduction to Religious Studies

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Introduction to the academic study of religion including definitions of religion, religious experience, myth, ritual, sacred texts, and methods in religious studies.

Introduction to World Religions

Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

Survey of major world religions, their origins, beliefs, practices and historical development

Classical Sociological Theory

Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

Classical sociological theories including functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, and the works of Durkheim, Weber, Marx, and Parsons.

African Religion and Culture

Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

Study of African traditional religious beliefs, rituals and their cultural significance

Sociological Theory

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

Classical and contemporary sociological theories from Marx, Weber, Durkheim to modern theorists

Philosophy of Religion

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Philosophical analysis of religious concepts including faith, reason and the problem of evil

Religion and Social Change

Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

Analysis of how religion influences and is influenced by social change processes

Comparative Religion

Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore

Comparative study of religious traditions, identifying shared and distinct features

Community Development

Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore

Theories and practices of community development, including faith-based development approaches

Research Project

Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore

Independent interdisciplinary research on a selected topic producing a scholarly dissertation

Industrial Attachment

Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore

Supervised placement at a school, religious institution, NGO or community organisation

Sociology of Religion

Focus on the sociological study of religious beliefs, practices, institutions, and their impact on society — for careers in research, religious organisations, and social policy.

Comparative Religious Studies

Focus on comparing world religions, interfaith dialogue, and religious pluralism in Africa — for careers in religious organisations and interfaith work.

Community Development and Social Ethics

Focus on community development practice informed by social ethics and religious values — for careers in NGOs and faith-based development organisations.

African Religious Systems

Focus on indigenous African religions, their interaction with world religions, and cultural preservation — for careers in cultural research and heritage management.

Religious Education and Pedagogy

Focus on teaching religious studies, moral education, and ethics in schools — for careers in education and religious instruction.

Social Research and Policy

Focus on research methods, social policy analysis, and the role of religion in public policy — for careers in research institutions and government.

Social Research

Specialization in Social Research, preparing graduates for careers such as sociologist. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.

Faith-Based Development

Specialization in Faith-Based Development, preparing graduates for careers such as community-development-officer.

Comparative Religion

Specialization in Comparative Religion, preparing graduates for careers such as religious-studies-instructor.

Religious Education

Specialization in Religious Education, preparing graduates for careers such as religious-studies-instructor.

HELB Undergraduate Loan

County Government Bursaries

University Scholarships and Bursaries

County Government Bursaries

BursaryKenyan

Residents of respective counties

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan

LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan

Needy Kenyan students placed through KUCCPS in public universities.

Higher Education Fund (HEF)

BursaryKenyan

Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities

St. Paul's University Scholarships

ScholarshipKenyan

Students admitted to theology and related programmes at St. Paul's University

NGAAF Bursary

BursaryKenyan

Women, youth and persons with disabilities from vulnerable backgrounds

Research Essays and Assignments

Coursework30% of the mark

Final Examination

Coursework40% of the mark

Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)

Coursework30% of the mark

Research Project

Coursework100% of the mark

Continuous Assessment Tests

Coursework30% of the mark

Written tests covering sociological theory, religious studies, research methods, and social ethics, assessed through mid-semester and end-of-semester examinations.

Commission for University Education (CUE)

Academic accreditationRequired

Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes.

Religious Educator

Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 85,000

Provides religious education in schools, theological institutions and religious organisations

Social Worker

High demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 100,000

Provides social services in government departments, NGOs and faith-based organisations

Teacher

Moderate demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 90,000

Teaches sociology and religious education in secondary schools and colleges

Research Assistant

Low demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 80,000

Conducts social and religious research for academic institutions and research organisations

Community Development Officer

High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 60,000

Implements community development programmes in faith-based organisations, NGOs, and county governments — applying sociological and ethical perspectives to community engagement.

Religious Education Teacher

Moderate demandKsh 41,400 to Ksh 57,200

Teaches religious education and social ethics in secondary schools, combining sociological understanding with religious knowledge for classroom instruction.

NGO Programme Officer (Faith-Based)

Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 65,000

Designs and implements development programmes in faith-based NGOs, applying sociological analysis and religious values to community development interventions.

Research Assistant (Social Research)

Moderate demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000

Supports social research projects examining religion, society, and development — conducting fieldwork, collecting data, and contributing to publications.

SPSS

SoftwarePrimary

Statistical analysis software for social research including survey analysis, cross-tabulations, regression, and demographic data analysis.

Microsoft Office Suite

SoftwarePrimary

Productivity tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access for research documentation, data management, presentations, and professional communication.

NVivo

Software

Qualitative data analysis software for coding interviews, field notes, and qualitative data — essential for sociological and religious studies research.

Google Workspace

Software

Collaboration and productivity tools for document creation, project coordination, email communication, and team collaboration.

Zotero

Software

Open-source reference management software for organising research sources, creating bibliographies, and managing citations — useful for academic research projects.

Microsoft Excel

SpreadsheetPrimary

KOBO Toolbox

Data collection

SPSS/Stata

Statistical software

Gender research data analysis.

This degree only prepares you for church or mosque work.

While religious organisations are one employer, graduates work in NGOs, government, community development, research, education, and counselling — the sociology component provides versatile social science skills.

Sociology and Religious Studies is not a serious academic discipline.

The programme involves rigorous sociological theory, research methods, statistical analysis, and comparative religious studies — it is a recognised social science degree accredited by CUE.

Religious studies is only for religious people.

Religious studies is an academic discipline that studies religion objectively — students of any faith or none can study how religion shapes societies, cultures, and social behaviour.

This degree has limited career prospects.

Kenya's diverse religious landscape, growing NGO sector, community development needs, and education system all require professionals who understand both social dynamics and religious influences on society.

Sociology and Religious Studies is the same as theology.

Theology studies God and faith from within a religious tradition, while religious studies examines religion as a social and cultural phenomenon from an academic perspective — this programme takes the latter approach.