Theology and Religious Studies

The Master's

The goal of this Master’s programme is to intensify students’ initial formation in Theology and Religious Studies, obtained at K.U.Leuven or elsewhere, preparing them to engage in independent research in the various domains of Theology and Religious Studies and equipping them to function as experts in the Church and in society. The curriculum has a twofold focus. On the one hand, students are given the opportunity to specialize and write a Master’s thesis in one of the faculty’s six research disciplines: biblical studies, systematic theology, theological ethics, history of Church and theology, pastoral theology, and religious studies. On the other hand, the curriculum continues to offer a general orientation towards the interdisciplinary academic investigation of the Christian faith tradition in a multi-cultural and multi-religious social context.

Assets

The Faculty of Theology of K.U.Leuven (Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium) has its roots in a centuries-old tradition and has enjoyed international renown since it was founded by Pope Eugene IV in 1432. The faculty offers comprehensive programmes in Theology and Religious Studies, from Bachelor’s to Master’s, and advanced Master’s to PhD. In addition to its regular civil degrees, the Faculty of Theology has been granted permission by the Congregatio de Institutione Catholica to confer the canonical degrees of Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus, Sacrae Theologiae Licentiatus and Sacrae Theologiae Doctor.

All the faculty’s programmes are taught in both Dutch and English, and are open to students of every nationality. The Faculty of Theology currently has students from more than eighty countries and from every corner of the globe.

Study programme

An individual student’s programme consists of 60 credits. Before the start of the academic year, each student is invited to select a major area of specialization. They are asked to follow all three courses and one seminar (16 credits) offered within their major.

Students are also required to write a thesis (16 credits) of thirty to fifty pages (15,000- 25,000 words), under the direction of a staff member of one of the research departments. The thesis must deal with a subject in the field of Religious Studies or Theology and is to be chosen in the field of the major. The text may be written in English, French, Dutch or German. Students choose a promoter/supervisor and a topic for their thesis on the basis of a list of research topics (updated every summer) and by contacting potential promoters/supervisors during the first weeks of the academic year. Each academic year, the Faculty of Theology organizes a Thesis Writing Seminar to assist students with some of the practicalities involved in the preparation of their thesis. Usually, the selection of the two elective courses (8 credits) is also related to the student’s research focus.

Although two-thirds of the programme (40 credits), as explained above, are dedicated to specialized research, it remains an important policy of the Faculty of Theology to encourage the students to continue to focus on the other domains of Theology and Religious Studies. Upon the successful completion of their studies, they will obtain the degree of Master of Theology and Religious Studies, rather than a degree specialising exclusively in theological ethics or biblical studies, for example. For this reason, students include one course from each of the remaining five majors (20 credits) in their individual study programme.

Career prospects

Degrees in Theology and Religious Studies prepare students for a variety of careers, including secondary and higher education, publishing, the media, academic research and the various domains of pastoral care.
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Application and Admissions

Detailed information on application procedures and admission requirements depends on your preceding qualifications, etc.

• You will find more information on application matters here.

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