Utrecht University

Religious Studies, M.A.

  • Application Deadline
  • 24 months
    Duration
  • English
    Language
Utrecht's University Research Master in Religious Studies is a challenging, research-oriented programme that prepares you for participation in current debates in the international community of scholars of religion, and to make your own contributions to the field.

About

The Research Master in Religious Studies is offered by the Utrecht University. It combines an advanced grounding in the central themes and theories of the study of religion, with ample opportunity for specialisation. You can choose and develop your specific expertise in relation to one of the key research areas of our institute.

  • Religious texts and interpretative practices: This research area focuses on the study of religious traditions from the perspective of sacred texts: their interpretation and the religious rituals and practices associated with them, and discussions on the authority of religious texts. 
  • Materiality and physicality of lived religion: This area focuses on the study of the use of the body and the senses in religious practices, such as praying, dancing, fighting, and fasting; the function of objects withing the context of religious practices, such as images, buildings, food, clothing, and money; and public controversies.

As a student of this programme, you will become part of an international community of students, PhD researchers, postdocs, and senior scholars working together at a leading research institute. You will attend small-scale seminars and learn from renowned scholars, who will actively involve you in their own research.

Career

After completion of the programme, you are fully prepared to compete successfully for PhD positions in Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, or cognate disciplines (such as Anthropology). Your training also equips you to pursue non-academic career paths requiring advanced research skills. The multidisciplinary and transnational approach of this Research Master’s programme is especially beneficial here. The skills and expertise you will acquire in this programme are in demand with a wide range of organisations within and outside of Europe, such as NGOs dealing with religious and cultural diversity or cultural heritage, media and publishing houses, museums, and so forth. In combination with a didactic qualification, you will also be qualified for positions in the educational sector.

Accreditation

Accredited by the NVAO - Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.

Programme Structure

Courses include:
  • Doing research in religious studies 
  • Theories and methods in the study of religion 
  • Humanities today 
  • Religious texts and interpretive practices 
  • Materiality and corporeality of lived religion 
  • Piety and violence
  • Transgressive religion: charisma, antinomianism and ecstasy
  • RST-tutorial religious studies I
  • RST-tutorial religious studies II
  • Contemporary cultural theory
  • Rules of play
  • The classical tradition
  • Thinking literature: creative forms of knowledge
  • Cultural memory and citizenship
  • Ecologies of curation
  • Issues in postcoloniality
  • Media materialities
  • Urban interfaces
  • Aesthetics of the posthuman
  • Corporeal literacy
  • Religion, violence, and refugees in the age of shakespeare
  • The body in feminist theory and practice
  • Rst-internship religious studies

Detailed Programme Facts

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English Language Requirements

You only need to take one of these language tests:

  • Minimum required score:

    6.5

    The IELTS – or the International English Language Test System – tests your English-language abilities (writing, listening, speaking, and reading) on a scale of 1.00–9.00. The minimum IELTS score requirement refers to which Overall Band Score you received, which is your combined average score. Read more about IELTS.

    Schedule IELTS

  • Minimum required score (Grade B):

    193

    The CAE test – or the Cambridge Advanced English – is an exam for applicants who wish to get a Certificate in Advanced English. To receive the Advanced certificate, test-takers must score between 142 and 210 on the Cambridge English: Advanced test.

    Note: degree programmes and applications may require a more specific minimum score for admission.

  • Minimum required score:

    93

    The TOEFL – or Test Of English as a Foreign Language – offers an internet-based test (iBT). The final, overall iBT score ranges between 0 and 120, and includes a scaled average from the four components (reading, listening, speaking, and writing). Read more about TOEFL (iBT).

Academic Requirements

  • Besides TOEFL, IELTS and CAE, also Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE - at least Grade C) is accepted as a proof of English Proficiency.
  • You will be considered for admission to the Research Master’s programme in Religious Studies if you can demonstrate the following knowledge, insight, and skills:
  • A relevant Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in the humanities or in one of the social sciences.
  • Proven interest in Religious Studies, as evidenced in a minimum of 30 EC in a relevant field at the Bachelor’s level.
  • Strong motivation to carry out academic research and the ambition to follow a programme that trains you to become a researcher (demonstrated in your motivation letter).
  • Knowledge of basic concepts in Religious Studies and insight into relevant methods.
  • A high standard of academic achievement, as evidenced in an overall grade point average and a Bachelor’s thesis grade equalling “good” or better in the applicable national system. (Typically, Dutch grade 7.5; US grade B; ECTS grade C.)
  • You are able to express yourself in proficient English, both orally and in written text, as evidenced by your motivation letter and/or writing sample, and the interview that is part of the selection procedure.

Tuition Fee

  • International Applies to you

    15575 EUR/year
    Tuition Fee
    Based on the original amount of 15575 EUR per year and a duration of 24 months.

  • EU/EEA Applies to you

    2060 EUR/year
    Tuition Fee
    Based on the original amount of 2060 EUR per year and a duration of 24 months.
We've labeled the tuition fee that applies to you because we think you are from and prefer over other currencies.
For more information about tuition fees and exemptions have a look at the programme website.

Living costs for Utrecht

  • 900 - 1450 EUR/month
    Living Costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Scholarships, fellowships, and grants offered by Utrecht University, the Dutch government, and other organisations can help fund your studies at the university.  You can begin your search for funding by reviewing the list below, which contains some of the scholarships and loans available to international students:

  • Utrecht Excellence Scholarships
  • Holland Scholarships
  • Orange Tulip Scholarships
  • Canadian student loans
  • Fulbright / NAF
  • US Federal Loans
  • Erasmus+ Master loans

StudyPortals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.

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