Study Program

The academic Master of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies program consists of 120 credits, spread evenly over two years.

  • A total of 55 credits are common courses.
  • 50 credits are linked to one of the specializations, among which 30 belong to the writing of a Master’s Thesis.
  • 15 credits are free electives, which you can use for broadening, further deepening, or an internship.
  • The Master of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies can be combined with the “Educatieve Master” (degree for teaching Protestant Evangelical religious education in secondary schools).
Common courses (55)
Old Testament Theology (5)
New Testament Theology (5)
History of Christian Doctrine and Spirituality (5)
Protestant Theological Systems (5)
Models of Christian Leadership (5)*
Living Together in Pluralistic Europe Today (5)
Contemporary Issues in Christian Ethics (5)
Interconfessional Dialogue (5)
Religious Pedagogy (5)*
Postmodernism, Philosophical Hermeneutics and Theology (5)
or Field Study Project (5)
Theological and Sociological Research Methodologies (5)
Majors (50)**
Formative Sources
Church, History and Theology
Religion, Church and Society
Approaches to Old Testament Study (5) Early Christian Literature (5)* Advanced Pastoral Studies (5)
Old Testament Exegetical Methods (5) The European Reformations (5) Advanced Homiletics (5)
Old Testament Exegesis (5) Medieval and Post-Reformation Scholasticism (5)* Advanced Liturgy (5)
Approaches to New Testament Study (5) 19th and 20th Century Theologies (5) Politics, Religions and Society (5)
New Testament Exegetical Methods (5) Moral Theology (5)* Religion and Human Rights (5)*
New Testament Exegesis (5) Contemporary Discussions in Systematic Theology (5) Contemporary Islam and Christianity (5)
Early Christian Literature (5)* Eastern Orthodoxy: Protestant Perspectives (5) Missional Theology and Contextualisation (5)
Summer Colloquium related to Major (5) Summer Colloquium related to Major (5) Summer Colloquium related to Major (5)
Thesis Colloquium (5) Thesis Colloquium (5) Thesis Colloquium (5)
Master’s Thesis (25) Master’s Thesis (25) Master’s Thesis (25)
Free Electives (15), for example:
Internship (15)
Aramaic (5)
Syriac (5)

A description of each course can be found in the Study Guide in §4 ‘Information by Course’.

* = course connected to one of the Research Institutes of ETF Leuven
** = student chooses a minimum of 4 (20 ECTS) out of the 8 courses. Together with Thesis Colloquium and Thesis (30 ECTS) this is 50 ECTS. The 8 courses can be offered alternately.

Application and Enrollment

Application and Enrollment

In order to register for one of our educational programs, you first need to fill in an online application form and send us copies of your previously...

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