Cardiff University has announced plans to cut its Religion and Theology department as part of sweeping budget reductions.
The decision comes amid a £30 million funding shortfall, prompting the university to cut 400 full-time jobs and restructure multiple departments and courses.
The Religion and Theology department has strong ties to the Centre for the Study of Law and Religion and the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK. However, declining international student applications and rising costs have forced difficult financial decisions, according to Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner, who warned the university would be "untenable" without drastic action.
The Cardiff University and College Union (UCU) has vowed to oppose the "cruel and unnecessary" measures, particularly if they lead to compulsory redundancies.
Other departments facing closure include the School of Nursing and the Ancient History department, while several courses and departments are set to merge under the new restructuring proposals. Despite these changes, all current students will be able to complete their degrees.
A three-month consultation process will take place before final approval in June 2025.
Meanwhile, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Lampeter, Wales' oldest degree-awarding institution, is also cutting all undergraduate courses in theology, philosophy, and religious studies. Students will be relocated to the university’s Carmarthenshire campus from September, effectively ending over 200 years of academia in Lampeter since its founding in 1822.
