MA Religious Studies

Tools and Theories in the Study of Religion: Historical, Cognitive, and Social-Scientific Approaches

In this course, students are introduced to a range of contemporary tools for analysing religious narratives and discourses, religious thinking and belief, as well as religious traditions, identities, and fields. These tools are drawn from a wide range of humanistic and social-scientific disciplines, including literary studies, cognitive science, sociology, and history. The theoretical foundations of the analytical tools are discussed and students practice how to use these tools to analyse concrete empirical material.

Religion on the Move: From Local Origins to Global Networks

At its heart, Religion on the Move is a study of how religion more generally has changed due to increasingly expanding global encounters. By combining research from religious studies, history, area studies, anthropology, sociology, and political science, this course shows that the complex processes of globalisation, modernisation, and migration have not only contributed to the movement and expansion of religions, but that religions have been crucial in constructing and confronting these processes. We will consider the success and/or failure of religions in relation to how they move and adapt, and how this relationship corresponds to the iterative process of moving between local origins and global networks. In this context, we will examine the various ways in which religions have adapted when up-rooted and re-rooted in new contexts.

Thesis Seminar and Job Market Orientation

The module Thesis Seminar supports the thesis writing process. It consists of six sessions in which we discuss how to formulate a good research question, how to manage the work process, and how to structure the argument of the thesis. The module also includes an advanced library workshop.

The module Job Market Orientation 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.

Specialisations

In addition to the compulsory courses, students are able to choose a specialisation. These include:

• Religion, History, and Society
• Religion, Politics, and Governance
• Religion and Area Studies

Customise your degree

In addition to two foundational ‘core courses’, which focus on methodology and introduce important themes such as modernisation, globalisation, migration, and religious diversity, you are able to choose a specialisation : (1) Religion, History, and Society; (2) Religion, Politics, and Governance; or (3) Religion and Area Studies. Within these specialisations, you can tailor course assignments to focus on specific religions, historical periods, regions, and political situations, as well as more global and theoretical comparisons. Additionally, there is also space in the programme to take an internship or conduct an independent project alongside a member of staff.

Guest lectures

Our emphasis is on preparing you to make a difference in your future career, which is why relevant outside issues are constantly shaping what you are studying. External speakers from all sectors regularly give lectures on topical issues. This strong connection to important events, people, and debates happening around us is what helps our students move seamlessly from their degrees into their careers.

Where do our graduates work?

Our graduates have pursued successful careers in research and in the public, private and non-profit sectors as editors, journalists, policy advisors, counsellors, and teachers of religion or philosophy. The MA programme in Religious Studies offers excellent preparation for students seeking a profession that requires advanced analytical skills and specialised knowledge of religion and its cultural, geographic, and historic context.

Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:

• Teacher of religion and society at a secondary school
• PhD candidate at an international university
• Political party officer
• Consultant at McKinsey & Company
• Member of staff at the Dutch Ministry of Defence
• Traineeship for the Municipality of The Hague
• Policy officer in Diversity and Inclusion

If you are interested in a career in the educational sector or if you want to work with communication or knowledge utilisation in relation to religion, you may want to consider the two-year variant of our programme