Master of Theology and Religious Studies
Leuven, Belgium
MA
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
16 Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 3,093 **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* there is no strict application deadline | for the most recent – and only official – information on application deadlines, please check the KU Leuven webpage
** for non-EEA; EUR 1181.40 for EEA | for the most recent – and only official – information on tuition fees, please check the KU Leuven webpage
Key Summary
About: KU Leuven’s Master of Theology and Religious Studies builds on prior theology or religious studies training and readies students for independent research and roles in church and society. You’ll write a master’s thesis in one of five majors—biblical studies, systematic theology and study of religions, comparative and theological ethics, history of church and theology, or pastoral and empirical theology—and study the Christian faith in multicultural, multi‑religious contexts.
Career Outcomes: Graduates enter academia, teaching, pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, religious education, interfaith work, church administration, ethics advising, or NGOs. Career paths: academic researcher; university lecturer; parish priest or minister; pastoral counselor; chaplain; religious educator; interfaith officer; ethics advisor; NGO or heritage sector professional.
Discover all that KU Leuven has to offer via one of KU Leuven’s Webinars about KU Leuven, admissions & applying, housing, and more.
Looking to build on your Bachelor's degree in Theology or Religious Studies? Or perhaps you are engaged in pastoral work and seeking to deepen your theoretical insights? Where better than at KU Leuven, where theology has been taught and practised for nearly 600 years?
About the Programme
The goal of this master's programme is to expand and deepen students' initial education in theology and religious studies, whether obtained at KU Leuven or elsewhere. It prepares students to engage in independent research in the various domains of theology and religious studies and equips them to function as experts in Church and society.
Two key focuses
- You’ll be given the opportunity to specialise and write a Master's thesis in one of the Faculty's five research disciplines or majors: biblical studies, systematic theology and the study of religions, theological and comparative ethics, the history of Church and theology, and pastoral and empirical theology.
- The curriculum offers a general orientation towards the interdisciplinary academic investigation of the Christian faith tradition in a multi-cultural and multi-religious social context.