Article 14: You have the right to think what you like and be whatever religion you want to be with your parents’ guidance.

The purpose of the RMPS Course is to develop knowledge and understanding of religious, moral and philosophical issues that affect the world today. Students will have opportunities to reflect on these and on their own experience and views. Students will develop skills which are transferable to other areas of study and which they will use in everyday life, including investigating and explaining religious, moral and philosophical questions and responses, making comparisons and the ability to express detailed and reasoned views.

In the world of work, employers look for someone with an enquiring mind, an appreciation of different viewpoints, and an ability to come to clear, balanced decisions.  These skills are all developed through studying RMPS.  If you intend to work with people in a care setting, journalism, publishing, teaching, counselling, law or tourism, this course gives you plenty to think about and valuable expertise.  The Morality and Medicine unit also helps to develop an understanding of the current debates in medical ethics in today’s world.  All universities accept and welcome students with Higher RMPS onto a variety of courses.

National 4 and 5

• World Religion: Islam
• Morality and Belief: Religion, Medicine and the Human Body
• Religious and Philosophical Questions: The Existence of God

Higher RMPS

• World Religion: Christianity
• Morality and Belief: Religion, Medicine and the Human Body
• Religious and Philosophical Questions: Origins

Assignment:

The purpose of the assignment at National 4, 5 and Higher is to identify an appropriate religious, moral or philosophical topic or issue for study, about which there are alternative or different points of view. Students will research their topic or issue, using a range of sources including different viewpoints, at least one of which must be religious. They will analyse the information and draw a detailed and reasoned conclusion, with reference to both supporting information and potential challenges or counter-arguments. Students will write up the results of their research on the topic or issue under controlled assessment conditions.

At National 5 level the assignment will be worth 20 marks and will be written up in 1 hour.

At Higher level the assignment will be worth 30 marks and will be written up in 1 hour 30 minutes.

External Exam:

The National 5 question paper will have 80 marks. Students will complete this in 2 hours and 20 minutes.

The Higher exam consists of one paper. The question paper will have 60 marks. Students will complete this question paper in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Advanced Higher

Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies at Advanced Higher deals with the interrelationship of religious beliefs, ethical issues and philosophical challenges within religion and morality. The ability to analyse and evaluate the relative merits of various religious, moral and philosophical perspectives requires a knowledge and understanding of primary and secondary sources, traditional arguments and contemporary points of view, both religious and secular. In addition, an investigative element provides students with the opportunity for a thorough enquiry into a religious, moral or philosophical issue.

The course covers 3 units:

• Philosophy of Religion
• Medical Ethics
• Research which includes a Dissertation.