University of Groningen MA in Heritage and Religion
University of Groningen

University of Groningen

MA in Heritage and Religion

Groningen, Netherlands

MA

1 year

English

Full time

01 May 2026*

01 Sep 2026

EUR 18,700 / per year **

On-Campus

* Dutch I EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA students

** for Non-EU|for EU/EEA EUR 2,530

Fast-track counseling

By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.

Key Summary

About: The MA in Heritage and Religion program offers an in-depth exploration of the dynamics between religion, culture, and heritage.

This course enables students to examine the significance of heritage within religious contexts and its impact on personal and collective identities.

Over the one-year full-time or two-year part-time study, you'll acquire critical skills in research and analysis, preparing you for diverse scholarly paths.

Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue various career options, such as roles in museums, cultural heritage management, religious organizations, and academia.

This program also equips students for positions in non-profits, tourism, and public history, enhancing their ability to engage with heritage in meaningful ways.

How and why do we creatively make use of the past to forge new identities in the present? What is at stake in the "musealization" of religion?

Heritage and Religion is a unique interdisciplinary MA program focusing on a major trend at the interface of religion, identity, politics, and heritage studies. It also addresses a gap in critical heritage studies, studying the shifting place of religion in heritage debates.

In the coming years, 30-80% of religious buildings will lose their original function in the Netherlands. National and European budgets are dedicating millions of euros to the development of plans to address vacant religious heritage buildings. Tourism and pilgrimage to religious objects, sites, and festivals are booming, which raises questions about sustainability and impact.

At the same time, heritage has become a significant subject in contemporary cultural debate. Large-scale migration and secularization are changing the religious identities of communities and the way they perceive the past. The demands of the preservation of at-risk material and intangible heritage in the face of war, displacement, population shifts, and climate change are great. How are preservation concerns balanced with local resources?

This program challenges you to analyze and contribute your own voice to these debates.

Placements

You are encouraged to pursue your own interests in your placement. You can choose to do your internship in the Netherlands or abroad. Examples are:

  • Future for Religious Heritage - European Network for Historic Places of Worship
  • Mysterious Kiev (tourist organization Kiev, Ukraine)
  • Museum Catharijneconvent
  • Dutch National Cultural Heritage Agency
  • Foundation Oude Groninger Kerken
  • Athenaeum Library Deventer
  • Province Groningen

Why study this program in Groningen?

  • expertise on religious aspects of both material and immaterial heritage
  • a unique combination of broad cultural competence and academic research skills with practical skills relevant to the job market
  • expertise on various religions taught at non-denominational university
  • strong heritage region
  • excellent network for internships
  • taught by internationally recognized experts in the field
  • small scale teaching
Read more on the institution's website