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Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Theology & Religious Studies
Header image Theology & Religious Studies

Theology & Religious Studies

How are religion, conflict and peace related? What is the significance of religious heritage in a secular society? And what are the boundaries of tolerance in societies, in past and present?

Religion matters in society: 85% of the world's population identify themselves as religious. And religion is an important factor in many national and international political, cultural and social issues. For instance in relation to climate change, sexual health, meaning making, heritage, radicalization, migration, conflicts and peacebuilding, and discussions about (religious) diversity and identity.

Experts in the field of religion are therefore needed in a world in which religion is an integral and permanent part of everyday life.

At the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, within the one-year MA in Theology and Religious Studies, we offer various specialisation tracks that, each from an interdisciplinary approach, study the phenomenon of religion in relation to specific topics:

Will you join us to make a difference? Challenge yourself and study the religion factor in culture and society.

Facts & Figures
Degree
MA in Theology & Religious Studies
Course type
Master
Duration
12 months (60 ECTS)
Croho code
60824
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Religion, Culture and Society
Why study this programme in Groningen?
  • Vibrant research tradition with international links.
  • Taught by leading experts with a world-class reputation at Top 100 University.
  • You can follow your own research interests.
  • International teaching staff and international classroom.
  • Expertise on various religions, taught at non-denominational university.
Programme

The tracks comprise of several course modules (30 ECTS in total), an internship (10 ECTS) and a master's thesis (20 ECTS).

All English taught tracks are fulltime. For part-time options, please contact the student adviser.

Study load

40 hours of class and self-study per week on average

1 ECTS = 28 hrs. of study. One year contains of 60 ECTS. In the first year, you will have on average 6 hrs. of lessons per week at the Faculty, the rest of the hours is reserved for preparation of the classes and studying.

Curriculum

Check the individual websites of our tracks for specific information.

Programme options
Spiritual Care (track)

"De mens kan niet leven van brood alleen", wordt weleens gezegd. Maar waar leeft de mens dan nog meer van? En hoe ervaren mensen zin in hun leven, ook tijdens ingrijpende gebeurtenissen?

Iedereen wordt voor keuzes gesteld op het terrein van gezondheid en ziekte, leven en dood. Als student Geestelijke Verzorging verdiep jij je in de cruciale rol van zingeving en levensbeschouwing bij ingrijpende gebeurtenissen. Je leert om mensen bij te staan, te begeleiden en te adviseren in crisissituaties, zowel in de eerste lijn als binnen een instelling. Tijdens de opleiding ontwikkel je bovendien een diep begrip van je eigen levensbeschouwelijke identiteit, en leer je dit duidelijk en krachtig te verwoorden. Met deze bagage op zak ben jij vervolgens in staat om met kennis en creativiteit in te spelen op zin- en levensvragen van anderen.De master is beroepsgericht en heeft een open, kritische en wetenschappelijke benadering van het werkveld van de geestelijke verzorging. De opleiding is geaccrediteerd door de SKGV (Stichting Kwaliteitsregister Geestelijke Verzorgers), en kan ook in deeltijd worden gevolgd.Deze opleiding in Groningen is niet gebonden aan één specifieke religie of levensbeschouwing. Als je wilt gaan werken met een ambtelijke binding aan een levensbeschouwelijk genootschap, dan heb je aanvullende scholing nodig.

More information about this option

Religion, Conflict and Globalization (track)

How are religion, conflict and peace related? How does globalization affect local religious traditions? How do religious and secular parties interact in debates on conflict, migration and gender?

Religion is involved in many of the major conflicts that the world is currently facing, and at various levels. At the same time, religion is also an essential part of people's lives, and has become an important basis for solidarity between people all over the world.Despite the importance of religion in society and politics, NGOs, governments and journalists alike often have misguided understandings of the role of religion in the modern world, and the meaning that it holds for various peoples, relying on simplistic and outdated assumptions. This can contribute to disagreements, tensions and misunderstandings, with potentially serious consequences.Within this MA-track, you will study the key role of religion in the dynamics of globalization, and how this relates to conflicts shaping contemporary societies. You will delve into understanding how conflicts and peacebuilding are intertwined with religious interests, practices and diverse identities. The programme is interdisciplinary and comprehensive; including political, social, psychological, cultural and legal dimensions.During the programme, you can specialise in themes such as conflict and peacebuilding, migration and gender.

More information about this option

Religion and Pluralism, Ancient & Modern (track)

Since time immemorial, there has been a tension between 'us' and 'them'. Which role did in- and exclusion play in antiquity? What are the boundaries of tolerance in societies, in past and present?

In Europe, this tension is strongly felt in relations between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Partly due to present migration from Islamic countries, questions of political identity and 'belonging' are still strongly linked to religious persuasion. This MA-track focuses on the (internal) diversity, existence and coexistence of the three major monotheistic religions, and how these relationships have shaped our contemporary societies. You will explore the impact of religious diversity on social identity formation in the Graeco-Roman and late antique periods, and analyse the role of tolerance and acceptance, of rejection and exclusion in their mutual relationships during the last two millennia.You will focus on a historical and philological analysis of the textual sources documenting the contacts among these religious traditions, by approaching them from different angles and with diverse methods: archaeology, codicology, paleography, epigraphy, textual analysis and interpretation.This track is unique due to both the interdisciplinary study of ancient Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, and the possibility of combining with a modern specialization (see programme below).

More information about this option

Heritage and Religion (track)

How can museums deal with collections from colonial pasts? What is the significance of religious heritage in a secular society? And how is heritage be used by minorities to protect their traditions?

Heritage has become a significant topic in contemporary debates. In the coming years, many religious buildings will lose their original function. National and European budgets are dedicating millions of euros to the development of plans to address religious heritage buildings, and their re-use. Tourism and pilgrimage to religious objects, sites, and festivals are booming, which raises questions about sustainability and impact. At the same time, large-scale migration and secularization are changing the religious identities of communities, and the way they perceive the past. The demands of preservation of at risk material and immaterial heritage in the face of war, displacement, population shifts, and climate change are great. How are preservation concerns balanced with available resources, and conflicting interests? This is a unique interdisciplinary track at the interface of religion, identity, history, politics, and heritage studies. It challenges you to contribute your own voice and position to these debates. And during your placement, you will be able to apply your critical and analytical skills to current challenges and developments facing the heritage sector nowadays.

More information about this option

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is optional
  • For an average of 20 weeks
  • Maximum of 30 EC

We have various exchange contracts with universities both inside and outside Europe, enabling students to follow part of their degree programme at a foreign university. Another option is to take an internship or to do part of the research work abroad. For an overview of our exchange partners, see: https://www.rug.nl/ggw/education/exchange-programme/partner-universities

Entry requirements

Transfer options

Transferring from...

Study programmeOrganizationTransition
Arabic Language and CultureAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Arts and CultureAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

History (part-time)All Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Classics (part-time)All Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Hebrew Language and CultureAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Islam en ArabischAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Middle Eastern StudiesAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Ancient Near Eastern StudiesAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Ancient CulturesAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Religious StudiesAll Research universitiesNo additional requirements
SociologyAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

TheologyAll Research universitiesNo additional requirements
Study programmeOrganizationTransition
TheologyUniversity of GroningenNo additional requirements
Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

Een overzicht van de vakken uit de gevolgde Bacheloropleiding met een toelichting op deze vakken. Afhankelijk van de gevolgde opleiding en vakken wordt een leeslijst verstrekt ter bestudering. De kennis uit de leeslijst wordt voorondersteld bij aanvang van de opleiding.

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Bachelor's degree in Theology, Religious Studies, Arts (e.g. International Organizations, Middle Eastern Studies, Philosophy), Political Sciences or Social Sciences (e.g. Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology). Depending on your former study and courses a reading package will be provided. We assume that you are aware of the concepts and theoretical discussions outlined in this literature. Students with another bachelor's degree may be admitted via a premaster's programme.

grade list

An overview of the courses from the bachelor's programme followed with an explanation of these courses.

language test

An English language test for Dutch students is only required if you do not have a VWO-diploma. IELTS: 6.5 (6.0 on each part); TOEFL: 90 internet (18 on Reading and Listening, 20 on Speaking and 21 on Writing). Exemption granted if:

  • You are a native speaker of, and have completed your full secondary level education in: the USA, Canada (only when taught in English), the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.
  • You have completed a full-time Bachelor programme (nominal duration of at least three years) in: the USA, Canada (only when English taught), the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.

If English was the medium of instruction during your previous education, but you do not meet any of the above mentioned requirements, you are still required to provide proof of your English language proficiency.

Registration procedure

International students and Dutch students with non-Dutch qualifications are not automatically admitted to a Master's degree programme at the University of Groningen. The full registration procedure will take longer than for Dutch students with regular Dutch qualifications and consists of three steps: application, admission and registration.

  • After you submit your application in Studielink, you will receive a message from Studielink stating that the University of Groningen (UG) has to verify your educational background through the Progress Portal. You will receive a separate email with your login details (make sure to also check your spam folder).
  • Check the application guide for international students for more information about the admissions procedure.
  • Students with a Dutch bachelor's degree send all the documentation by mail to studentoffice.rcs@rug.nl.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Bachelor's degree in Theology, Religious Studies, Arts (e.g. International Organizations, Middle Eastern Studies, Philosophy), Political Sciences or Social Sciences (e.g. Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology). Depending on your former study and courses a reading package will be provided. We assume that you are aware of the concepts and theoretical discussions outlined in this literature. Students with another bachelor's degree may be admitted via a premaster's programme.

grade list

An overview of the courses from the bachelor's programme followed with an explanation of these courses.

language test

An English language test for Dutch students is only required if you do not have a VWO-diploma. IELTS: 6.5 (6.0 on each part); TOEFL: 90 internet (18 on Reading and Listening, 20 on Speaking and 21 on Writing). Exemption granted if:

  • You are a native speaker of, and have completed your full secondary level education in: the USA, Canada (only when taught in English), the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.
  • You have completed a full-time Bachelor programme (nominal duration of at least three years) in: the USA, Canada (only when English taught), the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.

If English was the medium of instruction during your previous education, but you do not meet any of the above mentioned requirements, you are still required to provide proof of your English language proficiency.

Language requirements

ExamMinimum score
IELTS overall band6.5
IELTS listening6
IELTS reading6
IELTS writing6
IELTS speaking6
TOEFL internet based90

Registration procedure

International students and Dutch students with non-Dutch qualifications are not automatically admitted to a Master's degree programme at the University of Groningen. The full registration procedure will take longer than for Dutch students with regular Dutch qualifications and consists of three steps: application, admission and registration.

  • After you submit your application in Studielink, you will receive a message from Studielink stating that the University of Groningen (UG) has to verify your educational background through the Progress Portal. You will receive a separate email with your login details (make sure to also check your spam folder).
  • Check the application guide for international students for more information about the admissions procedure.
  • Students with a Dutch bachelor's degree send all the documentation by mail to studentoffice.rcs@rug.nl.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 18700full-time

Talent Grant available for non-EU students.

All applicants with a non-Dutch qualification will have to pay an application fee.

Practical information for:

After your studies

If you want to become a teacher of religion in secondary education you can additionally follow the Educational Master's programme. If you want to pursue an academic career, you can follow one of the tracks track as a specialization within the Research Master's programme.

Job prospects

With a degree in Theology and Religious Studies, you can work as an advisor or policymaker. You can find a job in the media and in journalism, or enter the field of education. You can also pursue a research career at a university or research institution. As a spiritual caregiver you can work in care facilities.

Check our alumni page to find out where our alumni ended up after graduating.

Research

Research

The programme directly benefits from cutting-edge research carried out within the three departments of the faculty:

  • Jewish, Christian and Islamic Origins. The research and teaching carried out in this department focuses on the formative stages of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Your lecturers study their dynamic interrelationship in the context of ancient Near Eastern, Graeco-Roman and late antique cultures.
  • Comparative Study of Religion. In this department, religion is addressed in all its forms and appearances. Historians, anthropologists, sociologists and psychologists are working together to critically investigate religion as a cultural factor that is so influential in the modern world. Of particular importance for the research and teaching in this department is the critical analysis of constructions of “Eastern” and “Western” forms of religion.
  • Christianity and the History of Ideas. The scholars in this department focus on the impact of the Christian intellectual tradition in the past as well as the possibilities of a rapprochement of religion and the secular in our time.

The course units are taught by internationally recognized scholars. They will provide you with an up-to-date overview of the state of the art of the subjects you are studying, often drawing on their own research.

Research Centres and activities

Much of the research connects with the activities of:

These centres and research groups regularly invite speakers and organise events where students, PhD students and staff engage in lively discussions.

Apply nowBrochureEventsContact
masteravondMore information
Master's Weekdiverse locatiesMore information

Contact

  • ambassadors (our student ambassadors are happy to tell you more about the various MA programmes)
    Email: prospectives.rcs rug.nl
  • Kees van den Ende MA (study advisor)
    Email: studyadvice.rcs rug.nl
    Telephone: 050-363 9382
  • Drs. Thea de Boer (study advisor)
    Email: studyadvice.rcs rug.nl
    Telephone: 050-363 5581

Pre-master's programme

If you do not have a bachelor's degree in either the Humanities, Arts or Behavioural and Social Sciences, you will probably first need to complete a pre-master's programme before you can enter this master's programme. Below, you will find the complete programme. There are various electives from which you can choose, depending on your preferred specialization within the master's programme.

1st semester (30 ECTS)

2nd semester (30 ECTS)

If you have followed minor courses in Theology or Religious Studies, it might be possible to follow a shorter premaster's programme. Please contact our studentadvisors to see what the options are.

For the pre-master's programme, you will pay a so called compensation in stead of regular tuition fees. This compensation is the same for both EU and non-EU students.

Read more

Study associations

Gerardus van der Leeuw

Gerardus van der Leeuw is the study association of the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society at the University of Groningen.
Besides broadening activities (for example, lectures or career events) for both the Religious Studies and Theology programs, they organize relaxing activities such as get-togethers and trips abroad.
http://www.gerardusvanderleeuw.nl/
Read more
Study support

Master's students are expected to show a large degree of independence. If necessary you can make use of various forms of study supervision and study support. For example, you can contact a mentor or your study advisor. While writing your thesis, you will receive personal supervision from one of the lecturers.

Immediately after arrival, students who gained their Bachelor's degree at a different faculty or university as well as international students will be allocated a mentor who will help them get to know the Faculty. You can also go to the study advisor if you have doubts about your abilities or for whatever reason run the risk of study delay. You will receive intensive supervision while writing your thesis. The Master's programme includes a thesis seminar, where attention is paid to how to tackle writing a Master's thesis, and where the progress of the process is monitored closely. You will also receive structural supervision from the lecturer who is the specialist in the field of your thesis.