Admission interviews

The admission interview date is scheduled in Leuven on Friday 19 August 2011. Prospective students are invited to attend this day of the Summer Colloquium as an Open Day of the ETF Open University. If application and reference forms are received before 19 August 2011, the admission interview will be scheduled on this Open Day. It is also possible to schedule an interview at ETF at another date. After we process your application form, we will contact you for the time your admission interview.

Computer and internet requirements

ETF Open University students are required to have a personal computer (at least 1 GHz CPU, 512MB RAM); a fast internet connection (recommendation: minimal bandwidth of 512Kb/sec downstream and 256Kb/sec upstream (DSL)) and a webcam.
Students are obligated to purchase the Original Languages Library package from Logos Bible Software. After official enrolment, ETF Open University students will be able to purchase this at a 50% discount. System requirements are available at their website.

Courses offered in 2011-2012

•    Courses for the preparatory program: Old Testament Hebrew, Hermeneutics, Orientation to OT Studies, Orientation Historical Theology, Christian Ethics and Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Sociology of Religion.
•    Courses for the linking program: Old Testament Hebrew, Hermeneutics, Christian Ethics and Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Sociology of Religion, Seminar Systematic Theology.
•    Courses for the Masters Program: NT Exegetical Methodology, Models of Christian Leadership, Church in a Multireligious Society, Issues in Pastoral Theology, Advanced Liturgy, Theological and Sociological Research Methodologies.

Degree

You will receive a fully accredited Master of Theology and Religious Studies degree (NVAO- accreditation), which is the same as that in our fulltime residential program. A Diploma Supplement is given automatically and free of charge to every student upon graduation.

English

In line with our residential Master’s program and non-residential Doctoral program, ETF Open University is internationally orientated and the program is offered in English. Professors come from all over the world. Although English is the language of instruction, some assignments and the Master’s thesis may also be written in Dutch, French or German, depending on prior approval of the instructor.
Because the linking and preparatory programs consist of courses from the Bachelor’s program which are mainly taught by Dutch speaking instructors, Dutch-speaking students may expect to have more opportunities to write in Dutch during this first stage.
However, we do expect students to have a good command of English, compared to level B2 of the European Framework of Reference. We advise students who are unsure about their command of English to take a TOEFL or IELTS test, and/or a refresher course.

Exemptions

Exemptions may be granted for courses already taken in a similar program of study in which you received favorable results. The instruction must have been at the same level with approximately the same objectives and the same (or similar) scope.

Expected workload

Students should expect to meet the academic demands of our courses, and be willing to invest between 25 and 30 hours per ECTS credit point to achieve an acceptable academic level. ETF Open University is a part-time program containing approximately 30 ECTS, which implies an investment of about 20 hours per week.

Flexibility to transfer midway

A student may be allowed to transfer into the residential Master’s program upon completion of the preparatory or linking programs. The student may elect to follow the residential program either full-time or part-time. Transferring into the residential program obligates the student to class participation.

If a student decides to terminate the program prior to completion, the student will receive a credit certificate for each completed course.

How to reach Leuven

Leuven is very easy to reach. There are direct train connections from Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liege; and excellent connections from Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Cologne (all less than 3 hours away). By car, the drive from Utrecht is less than 2 hours.

Internship

An internship will not be required as part of the ETF Open University program.

Less than part-time?

Normally the students of the ETF Open University study part-time, which is approx. 30 ECTS per year. Students who want to study less may ask permission to be enrolled in fewer courses, with a minimum of 3 courses per year.Every student, however, has to indicate that (s)he aims toward a diploma.The fee for students studying 15 ECTS or less at the ETF Open University is €570.

Prerequisite degree

Applicants must have either a professional Bachelor’s degree in theology (Godsdienst Pastoraal Werk or HTP/graduaat), or an academic degree in any field.

Research support

Enrolled students have access to important databases like ATLAS, EBSCO (Religion & Philosophy Collection) and ProQuest Religion through the internet. In addition, our students have access to the ETF library (online catalogue), and may gain access to the theological library of the Catholic University of Leuven. It is the student’s responsibility to find a theological library close to their hometown. The ETF Virtual Campus provides a reference list to other online resources as well for students.

Registration deadline

The registration deadline for ETF Open University will be September 10, 2011.

Saturday sessions in Utrecht

The four Saturday sessions in Utrecht will be held in a strategic location within walking distance from Utrecht Central, and with parking nearby. The dates are set for 24 September 2011, 26 November 2011, 10 March 2012, and 19 May 2012. Currently, plans for Saturday sessions at other locations in Europe are in preparation.

Summer Colloquium

The second Summer Colloquium will be held 16-20 August 2011 at the ETF Campus. Thereafter, the Summer Colloquium will be held during the third week of August every year. Additional information about the content of the 2011 Summer Colloquium will be announced on our website, and registration will begin at that time. For those who are not enrolled in the ETF Open University but want to attend, more information will be available on the website as well.
 
Every student is obligated to participate personally in at least three Summer Colloquia during enrolment in the program.

Study programs

Students with a professional Bachelor’s degree in theology will start with a linking program of the maximum 45 ECTS. This implies that they will be able to begin the Master’s program during their second year of the ETF Open University.

Students with a university/academic degree (Ba or Ma) in any field will start with a preparatory program of the maximum 60 ECTS. This implies that they will be able to begin the Master’s program in the third year of the ETF Open University.

Where can I get up-to-date information on ETF Open University?

For general information, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For information about the program, contact Evelien Waegemans: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Lies van Urk: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it