Religious Studies
Master
Courses
More info
The MA Religious Studies at Leiden University is designed to equip students with the tools and knowledge required for studying, interpreting, and analysing religion as a diverse (human) phenomenon. With its world-class scholars and access to exceptional research collections, the programme offers the opportunity to explore a broad spectrum of religions and their manifestations from a comparative, multidisciplinary perspective.
Objectives
The aim of the MA Religious Studies is to familiarise you with:
the most important current debates on method and theory in the academic study of religion – amongst others the literary, historical, cognitive, and social scientific approaches;
the mutual impact of globalisation, modernisation, migration, and religion, including the revision and transformation of (self-) understandings of religions and their practices, and the development of (new) religions due to global contacts, colonialism, religious superdiversity, and secularisation;
in the specialised pathway Religion, History, and Society: a knowledge and understanding of religion in historical context and the development of religion across time, including contemporary forms of religiosity;
in the specialised pathway Religion, Politics, and Governance: a knowledge and understanding of religion in relation to at least one of the following fields: politics, law, political-legal systems, international relations, or education;
in the specialised pathway Religion and Area Studies: a knowledge and understanding of religion in an area studies perspective and the movement of ideas and peoples across places, spaces, and contexts.
The acquisition of advanced academic skills in the interpretation of texts, the analysis and solution of conceptual problems, the ability to conduct scientific research and the effective communication of ideas are other key goals of the programme. Opportunities are provided for students to gain professional experience by participating in an internship at an organisation or a research internship with a staff member.
For a more detailed overview of the programme's objectives see the Course and Exam Regulations of the Programme.
The objectives regarding general academic skills can be found in the Course and Exam Regulations of the Faculty.
Programme
Structure
The master’s programme in Religious Studies consists of two semesters, each consisting of 30 EC. In the first semester, students follow two obligatory courses of 10 EC each. Alongside these courses, students are able to choose an elective (10 EC) in one of three specialised pathways: (1) Religion, History, and Society; (2) Religion, Politics, and Governance; or (3) Religion and Area Studies. In the second semester, students can continue with their specialised pathway by choosing an elective (10 EC) or choose to do an internship or independent project (10 EC). Alongside this elective, internship or independent project, all students take the MA Thesis Seminar and Job Market Orientation course (5 EC) and write their MA Thesis (15 EC).
Mode of Study
Full-time and part-time
Master thesis and requirements for graduation
In order to graduate, students must successfully complete the 60 EC programme, including their MA Thesis as a component of that programme. The thesis carries 15 EC, and as a rule should not exceed a maximum of 15,000 words, excluding notes, bibliography, and appendices. More details on the procedures regarding the MA Thesis can be found in the course description.
Career Preparation
Labour market preparation in Religious Studies
In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you as well as possible for the labour market, and in doing so contribute to the development of your employability. In this way, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market, in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.
'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:
1. Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.
2. Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: researching, analysing, project-based working, generating solutions, digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, societal awareness, independent learning, resilience.
3. Self-reflection
This concerns self-reflection in the context of your (study) career, including reflecting on the choices you make as a student during your studies, what can you do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market?
In addition, reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?
4. Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through internships, work placements, projects, practical (social) assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment.
5. Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers and alumni experiences from the work field, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.
Employability in Religious Studies
Courses of the study programme obviously help to prepare you for the job market. As a study programme, we aim to cover this topic either directly or less directly in each semester. Within Religious Studies, this takes place directly within the following course:
- Thesis Seminar and Job Market Orientation
This course consists of two modules. The Thesis Seminar module supports the thesis writing process. The Job Market Orientation module offers students an overview of the job and career prospects of Religious Studies alumni and stimulates students to reflect on their own skills and ambitions. It consists of three class sessions and two job market workshops which include Religious Studies alumni. Students workshop ideas about their academic skills and virtues, professional trajectories, their C.V.s, their cover letters, their “elevator pitches,” their interview skills, their job offer negotiation skills, their reasoning for getting a PhD, and their professional social media profiles while also sharing their job/internship search experiences with their colleagues.
Transferable skills
Future employers are interested not only in the subject-related knowledge that you acquired during your study programme, but also in the ‘transferable skills’. These include cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, reasoning and argumentation and innovation; intrapersonal skills, such as flexibility, initiative, appreciating diversity and metacognition; and interpersonal skills, such as communication, accountability and conflict resolution. In short, they are skills that all professionals need in order to perform well.
It is therefore important that during your study programme you not only acquire as much knowledge as possible about your subject, but also are aware of the skills you have gained and the further skills you still want to learn. The course descriptions in the e-Prospectus of Religious Studies include, in addition to the courses’ learning objectives, a list of the skills that they aim to develop.
The skills you may encounter in the various courses are:
Research
Self-directed learning
Creative thinking
Collaboration
Persuasion
Activities to prepare for the labour market alongside / outside the curriculum
Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of your study programme, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These activities could be hosted by your study program to discuss the key decision stages within your program but also career workshops and events organised by the Humanities Career service or your study association.
For example:
Introductory interview with coordinator of studies
Activities of study association TFLS
Guest lectures of alumni
Workshops and (faculty) career events, organised by Humanities Career Service
Information about the different choices within your study program; (optional) subjects, minors, honours education, study abroad, internships, career prospects
Study abroad festival
Humanities Career Service, LU Career Zone and Career Workshops Calendar
Humanities Career Service
The Humanities Career Service offers information and advice on internships, study (re)orientation and master's choice, orientation on the labour market and careers.
Leiden University Career Zone
The Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.
Workshops and events
On the Workshops calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Humanities Career Service.