23 Theology and Divinity Degree Programs in Netherlands

Religious Studies is a challenging, research-oriented Master's programme that prepares you for participation in international research and for a career in domains where religious diversity and difference are significant factors - in culture, art, and politics. Together, we use religious studies to think about hard questions fueling the fire of public debates. What should museums do with religious objects collected in the colonial past? How and what should children learn about religions in schools? What are the limits of religious tolerance? How do we create a society that is more welcoming to the stories of Others?

At the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, within the one-year MA in Theology and Religious Studies, we offer various specialisation tracks that, each from an interdisciplinary approach.

This one-year Master's programme in Theology and Religious Studies focuses on different professional fields.

The one-year Master's degree program in Theology & Religious Studies focuses on specific professional fields. You will be prepared for a professional career within or outside religious institutions. Each specialization focuses on its own field.

The BA in Religious Studies is ranked as one of the best programs in the Netherlands, featured at the top 100 universities in the country. An interdisciplinary bachelor, taught entirely in English, with an international classroom and staff, who is recognized globally for the high quality of research. The program relates the latest research and theories to the current developments, and it has small classes, which are provided with intensive supervision. It is taught at a non-denominational university, in a city that is a vibrant yet safe place to live.

Heritage has become a significance topic in today’s political and cultural debates. Across Europe, many religious buildings are losing their original function. Governments and the EU are investing millions in plans for conservation and adaptive re-use. Meanwhile, tourism and pilgrimage to religious objects, sites, and festivals are booming - raising urgent questions about sustainability and cultural impact of heritage.

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.

This MA track equips you to critically analyse the role of religion in global dynamics, and its impact on contemporary conflicts, and you will explore how religious interests, practices, and diverse identities intersect with conflicts and peacebuilding.

The Religion and Pluralism, Ancient & Modern programme trains you to analyse textual sources that reflect encounters between these religious traditions, applying a wide range of methods and perspectives: archaeology, codicology, paleography, epigraphy, and philological analysis and interpretation.

In a world of religious and cultural diversity, understanding cultural differences is key to addressing challenges like migration and climate change. This MA trains you to study various lifeworlds in all their complexity. You will explore how religion and culture shape societies, and how everyday practices - from food to sexuality and religion - are embedded in broader cultural contexts. In doing so, you not only gain deeper insight into others, but also into yourself.

The Theological University of Kampen boasts a long-standing tradition of education in Reformed Theology in The Netherlands. In a globalizing world, we want to stimulate and challenge international and Dutch students to reflect on the relevance and actuality of Reformed theology and world-view for today while studying the heritage of famous theologians such as John Calvin, Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper.

The Theological University Kampen facilitates Ph.D. students in their Ph.D. trajectory. If a doctoral candidate successfully completes this doctoral research, he/she may use the title of doctor. Theological University Kampen is a unique center of knowledge and research in Reformed and Protestant theology in Europe.

The Theological University of Kampen offers national and international students the unique opportunity of following a taught MA programme in one of several main areas of Theology. This one-year Master of Theology General programme is embedded in our University’s long tradition of combining sound theological education with a thorough theological study.

The Master of Theology is an English-taught intensive master’s programme, accredited by the Dutch-Flemish accreditation organisation. It starts in September each academic year and lasts for one year (60 ECTS).

During this four-year HBO Bachelor’s program, students can delve into a wide range of subjects on Islamic Theology.